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40 Questions against traditional Christianity and the doctrine of Hell - Answered
(Answers provided from questions asked by @Saint Steven thread here)
Who will answer?
Let me say from the start, I do not believe in hellish (as in the doctrine of hell) doctrines from the Roman Catholic Church’s teachings of eternal burning Hell fire, the state of the dead, other false doctrines of salvation in disobedience or sin. The false teachings of Universalism which is a teaching in direct opposition to the bible and teachings designed to lead others away from God and His Word. According to the scriptures Gods’ salvation is conditional on us believing and following what Gods’ Word says and that this is a hard saying for many and is why Jesus says many will be called but only the few will be the chosen ones of God and only a remnant will be saved and not the whole world.
I decided to make this thread as a response to another thread promoting the false teachings of Universalism called 40 Questions against traditional Christianity and the doctrine of Hell (linked) because if I spent all this time addressing 40 questions then my time and posts would only get lost and swallowed up and disappear in the original thread so it is better to have an OP that answers the many of the false claims and accusations provided in the original OP that poses these questions.
Let God answer His own words…
1. Why did God create Satan, if he already knew ahead of time all the evil that Satan was going to do?
God creates all of his creation with free will to choose for themselves what they will do or not do. We can of course choose to follow God or choose not to follow God according to the scriptures (Proverbs 16:9; Joshua 24:15; John 7:17; John 1:12-13; 1 Corinthians 10:13; Revelation 3:20; Deuteronomy 30:19-20; Genesis 2:16-17; James 1:13-16 etc). The knowledge of good and evil would be a foreign concept to all those who only know to do good from the heart and for someone that does not have free will. Therefore, even though God knew what Satan would do before His creation God allowed it to happen to teach us that when we do evil and sin the result is suffering against ourselves or others. For example, Joseph suffered due to the sin of his brothers, who sold him into slavery and also due to Potiphar’s wife who falsely accused him of sexual assault, which got him thrown into prison (Genesis 37-40). Job’s suffering was terrible, but God specifically said it was not due to his sin. God described him as “a blameless and upright man” in Job 1:8. God allowed him though to be tested to see if he would remain faithful to God. Jesus said of the man born blind, “It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be displayed in him” (John 9:3). And of course, Jesus, the sinless one, was murdered on the cross for simply loving others and speaking the Words of God (the truth). Sin or disobedience to Gods’ Word therefore is the cause of all the worlds suffering. We learn from Scripture that the sin of Adam and Eve brought suffering and death (Genesis 3). Paul tells us that “sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin” (Romans 5:12). Scripture also teaches that we all sin, so we are all a part of the problem (Romans 3:23) and that sin separates us from God in Isaiah 59:2. And we are also taught that all who sin die, so we all experience the suffering that sin brings (Romans 6:23; James 1:15). But not only this sin has opened the door for powerful forces of evil to rule this world, so that Satan is now called “the god of this world” in 2 Corinthians 4:4 (John 12:31; 1 John 5:19). And even the non-human creation is disordered and broken due to sin as we read in Romans 8:20-22. So suffering and death are symptoms of sin’s work and presence in the creation and in our lives. Therefore, God wants us to follow him not because we have to but because we want to and we know what is right and what will happen if we choose to do what is wrong. God of course is not willing that any should perish but not all will choose Gods’ ways. God allowed Satan free will as he does all of His creation. God allowed Satan’s actions to play out to teach His creation about good and evil so we can understand the origin of all suffering and unhappiness is found in sin and disobedience to Gods Word and the source of all true happiness is found in believing and following what Gods’ Word say which leads us to love and helping one another.
2. If the majority of the world won’t be saved because of the work of the enemy, then doesn’t Satan win? Why would God allow this if He is “all-powerful” and “all- knowing”?
No, not at all. It is quite the opposite according to the scriptures as Satan does not win at all. Those who follow Satan, and His Angels will end up in the lake of fire at the second coming when God puts an end to all the sin and suffering in this world, where death is also destroyed and those who through faith in Gods’ Word choose to follow him are rewarded with eternal life and those who choose not to believe and follow God’s Word and reject the free gift of Gods’ dear son are destroyed according to the scriptures (see; Revelation 20:10; Revelation 20:15; Matthew 25:41-46; Hebrews 10:26-39; 2 Thessalonians 1:8-10 etc)
3. Who created evil in the first place? – (Isaiah 45:7)
God is the creator of all things see the answers from the previous sections in regards to free will. The Hebrew and Greek word meanings of evil have many meaning depending on the context it is used. For example in Isaiah 45:7 God is talking to King Cyrus and God uses him to bring judgement on those who reject him. Evil in this context is to adversity and affliction, and the judgements of God, not on moral wrong doing and disobedience to Gods’ Word.
4. Do earthly parents love their children more than God does? – Earthly parents would never torture their children for disobedience, nor would they annihilate them, or separate themselves from their children for all eternity.
True, God is not willing that anyone should perish but is long suffering but that all should come to repentance according to Peter in 2 Peter 3:9. This said as shown earlier there is consequences for our actions and Gods’ salvation is conditional on us believing and following what Gods’ Word says and the wages of unrepentant sin when we have been given a knowledge of the truth of God’s Word and reject it is death to all those who reject the gift of God’s dear son and count the blood of the covenant an unholy thing because they do despite to the Spirit of God’s grace *Acts of the Apostles 17:30-31; Hebrews 10:26-31; Romans 6:23. God’s salvation therefore is conditional on us believing and following what God’s Word says. If we to not believe and follow what Gods’ Word says we do not have God’s salvation and the wages of sin is death.
5. Does God actually love all people the same? If so, why are some people given thousands of chances to hear the Gospel and experience his love, while other people are born into the worst conditions, simply trying to survive and begging for food, never coming in contact with a missionary in their lives?
God knows the heart and tries the reigns every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings in Jeremiah 17:10. God see things that we never can and knows our very thoughts and feelings just like those who were destroyed in the floods in the days of Noah because their thoughts were only evil and evil continually *Genesis 6:5 or Sodom and Gomorrah that was destroyed with fire and brimstone because the suffering of man because of sin was so great *Genesis 13:13; Genesis 18:22-23. According to the scriptures God only holds us accountable to what we know not what we do not know (James 4:17; Acts of the Apostles 17:30-31) and this life is only a life of probation to see who will seek to know and follow God and who will seek to reject and not follow God in order to receive the eternal life to come.
6. Does God ask us to forgive our enemies when He is ultimately not willing to do the same in the end?
A question not based on scripture with a false premise. God asks us to forgive those offers mercy for all forgiveness. Luke 17:3-4 says “If your brother or sister sins against you, rebuke them; and if they repent, forgive them. Even if they sin against you seven times in a day and seven times come back to you saying ‘I repent,’ you must forgive them.” God’s also offers forgiveness and mercy to all who seek him. God’s forgiveness and mercy is a free gift that we all receive by holding out the hand of faith (Ephesians 2:8-9; John 3:16) and is conditional on us believing and following what God’s Word says. As it is written in the scriptures “He that covers his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesses and forsakes them shall have mercy (see Proverbs 28:13; 1 John 1:9). Of course we can pray for others and forgive them if they sin in ignorance and pray for others who sin against us.
7. Is being punished forever for sins committed in a short lifetime really “justice”? Or can we never understand his form of justice?
All life comes from God (Genesis 1) as God is the creator of all things in Heaven and earth *John 1:1-4; 14 and all lives belong to God who gave it. All life and love comes from God because God is love (Genesis 1; 1 John 4:8). Sin (disobedience to Gods’ Word) separates us from God who gives life to those who believe and follow him *Isaiah 59:2 and the wages of sin is death *Romans 6:23 to all those who reject the gift of God’s dear son and do not believe and follow Gods’ Word. As it is written “ He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.” In 1 John 5”12 and again “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God because all have sinned and are naturally separated from God *Romans 3:9-23 and that separation leads to death in those who do not have the son, but God so loved our world and was not willing that any should perish (John 3:16; 2 Peter 3:19) but that all should come to a knowledge of how they can receive Gods’ mercy and forgiveness and be saved, that he sent his only begotten son to die the death of God’s justice and penalty for sin that we all deserve to die that by believing in Jesus and accepting his death on our behalf God’s justice and penalty for sin is now paid for by the blood of God’s dear son so that we can now receive Gods’ mercy and forgiveness. God’s free gift is now offered of forgiveness and mercy to anyone who will now receive it by holding out the hand of faith and if we confess our sins he is faithful and just to forgive us for our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. It is in the cross of Christ where we see Gods’ love for all mankind that God sent his own son to die for our sins to pay the price of God’s justice for sin so that we can all now be reconciled to God. It is only in God’s justice that we can truly see Gods’ love for all mankind which is revealed in Gods’ dear son and love for all mankind.
8. If we are called to become more like God, but yet we can’t understand his justice, how can we ever strive to reflect his true character?
See previous section on how God’s justice reveals Gods love at the cross
9. Does God operate on a completely different moral scale than us? (His evil is our good, our good is his evil).. or are we truly made in his image?
According to the scriptures mankind was made in the image of God at creation and was sinless. Being sinless man was made in the image of God who was sinless. After the fall of mankind when we sinned we were separated from God (Genesis 1 to Genesis 3) and no longer made in His image (character wise as God does not sin) * see Habakkuk 1:13; 2 Corinthians 5:21; Hebrews 4:15; 9:28; 1 Peter 2:22. God is love *1 John 4:12-16 and everything that God does is based on love. We cannot understand God’s mind according to the scriptures because we have a selfish sinful mind (Genesis 6:5; Matthew 15:19-20; Matthew 12:34; Isaiah 1:5-6; Isaiah 55:7-9). Therefore as God is sinless and we are sinful and as God’s thoughts are so much higher than our thoughts and his ways from our ways God operates on a completely different moral scale called love *1 John 4:12-20; John 5:42.
10. If God does NOT will for anyone to perish, but already knows ahead of time that they will, why does he still create them? Knowing that they may never even have a chance to hear the Gospel?
So all creation can see and know the justice and love of God for all of His creation and the results of sin and the suffering it causes to God’s creation. Please see the previous sections. As posted earlier. All people everywhere will be judged by what we know not what we do not know (James 4:17; Acts of the Apostles 17:30-31.
11. Is the only purpose of this present life to make it into heaven? If so…
The purpose of life is to fulfill God’s will * Romans 8:28; Psalms 57:2; Acts of the Apostles 13:36; Colossians 1:16; Jeremiah 29:11; Jeremiah 29:19; Proverbs 16:4; Proverbs 19:21; Ephesians 2:10; Ecclesiastes 12:13-14. The purpose of life is to know God and to seek him with all of our heart (John 17:3; John 6:40; 1 John 5:11; Jeremiah 29:13.
12. Do all babies and children go to heaven? Wouldn’t it be more compassionate to abort a baby and ensure its salvation, than allow it to grow up and possibly go to hell?
No. According to the scriptures in times of ignorance God winks at but when a knowledge of the truth is come God calls all men to believe and follow it *James 4:17; Acts of the Apostles 17:30-31. A baby does not lose it’s salvation at death and does not go to hell according to the scriptures and it has no knowledge of good or evil so the question posed here is based on a premise that is not biblical.
..................
to be continued
(Answers provided from questions asked by @Saint Steven thread here)
Who will answer?
Let me say from the start, I do not believe in hellish (as in the doctrine of hell) doctrines from the Roman Catholic Church’s teachings of eternal burning Hell fire, the state of the dead, other false doctrines of salvation in disobedience or sin. The false teachings of Universalism which is a teaching in direct opposition to the bible and teachings designed to lead others away from God and His Word. According to the scriptures Gods’ salvation is conditional on us believing and following what Gods’ Word says and that this is a hard saying for many and is why Jesus says many will be called but only the few will be the chosen ones of God and only a remnant will be saved and not the whole world.
I decided to make this thread as a response to another thread promoting the false teachings of Universalism called 40 Questions against traditional Christianity and the doctrine of Hell (linked) because if I spent all this time addressing 40 questions then my time and posts would only get lost and swallowed up and disappear in the original thread so it is better to have an OP that answers the many of the false claims and accusations provided in the original OP that poses these questions.
Let God answer His own words…
1. Why did God create Satan, if he already knew ahead of time all the evil that Satan was going to do?
God creates all of his creation with free will to choose for themselves what they will do or not do. We can of course choose to follow God or choose not to follow God according to the scriptures (Proverbs 16:9; Joshua 24:15; John 7:17; John 1:12-13; 1 Corinthians 10:13; Revelation 3:20; Deuteronomy 30:19-20; Genesis 2:16-17; James 1:13-16 etc). The knowledge of good and evil would be a foreign concept to all those who only know to do good from the heart and for someone that does not have free will. Therefore, even though God knew what Satan would do before His creation God allowed it to happen to teach us that when we do evil and sin the result is suffering against ourselves or others. For example, Joseph suffered due to the sin of his brothers, who sold him into slavery and also due to Potiphar’s wife who falsely accused him of sexual assault, which got him thrown into prison (Genesis 37-40). Job’s suffering was terrible, but God specifically said it was not due to his sin. God described him as “a blameless and upright man” in Job 1:8. God allowed him though to be tested to see if he would remain faithful to God. Jesus said of the man born blind, “It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be displayed in him” (John 9:3). And of course, Jesus, the sinless one, was murdered on the cross for simply loving others and speaking the Words of God (the truth). Sin or disobedience to Gods’ Word therefore is the cause of all the worlds suffering. We learn from Scripture that the sin of Adam and Eve brought suffering and death (Genesis 3). Paul tells us that “sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin” (Romans 5:12). Scripture also teaches that we all sin, so we are all a part of the problem (Romans 3:23) and that sin separates us from God in Isaiah 59:2. And we are also taught that all who sin die, so we all experience the suffering that sin brings (Romans 6:23; James 1:15). But not only this sin has opened the door for powerful forces of evil to rule this world, so that Satan is now called “the god of this world” in 2 Corinthians 4:4 (John 12:31; 1 John 5:19). And even the non-human creation is disordered and broken due to sin as we read in Romans 8:20-22. So suffering and death are symptoms of sin’s work and presence in the creation and in our lives. Therefore, God wants us to follow him not because we have to but because we want to and we know what is right and what will happen if we choose to do what is wrong. God of course is not willing that any should perish but not all will choose Gods’ ways. God allowed Satan free will as he does all of His creation. God allowed Satan’s actions to play out to teach His creation about good and evil so we can understand the origin of all suffering and unhappiness is found in sin and disobedience to Gods Word and the source of all true happiness is found in believing and following what Gods’ Word say which leads us to love and helping one another.
2. If the majority of the world won’t be saved because of the work of the enemy, then doesn’t Satan win? Why would God allow this if He is “all-powerful” and “all- knowing”?
No, not at all. It is quite the opposite according to the scriptures as Satan does not win at all. Those who follow Satan, and His Angels will end up in the lake of fire at the second coming when God puts an end to all the sin and suffering in this world, where death is also destroyed and those who through faith in Gods’ Word choose to follow him are rewarded with eternal life and those who choose not to believe and follow God’s Word and reject the free gift of Gods’ dear son are destroyed according to the scriptures (see; Revelation 20:10; Revelation 20:15; Matthew 25:41-46; Hebrews 10:26-39; 2 Thessalonians 1:8-10 etc)
3. Who created evil in the first place? – (Isaiah 45:7)
God is the creator of all things see the answers from the previous sections in regards to free will. The Hebrew and Greek word meanings of evil have many meaning depending on the context it is used. For example in Isaiah 45:7 God is talking to King Cyrus and God uses him to bring judgement on those who reject him. Evil in this context is to adversity and affliction, and the judgements of God, not on moral wrong doing and disobedience to Gods’ Word.
4. Do earthly parents love their children more than God does? – Earthly parents would never torture their children for disobedience, nor would they annihilate them, or separate themselves from their children for all eternity.
True, God is not willing that anyone should perish but is long suffering but that all should come to repentance according to Peter in 2 Peter 3:9. This said as shown earlier there is consequences for our actions and Gods’ salvation is conditional on us believing and following what Gods’ Word says and the wages of unrepentant sin when we have been given a knowledge of the truth of God’s Word and reject it is death to all those who reject the gift of God’s dear son and count the blood of the covenant an unholy thing because they do despite to the Spirit of God’s grace *Acts of the Apostles 17:30-31; Hebrews 10:26-31; Romans 6:23. God’s salvation therefore is conditional on us believing and following what God’s Word says. If we to not believe and follow what Gods’ Word says we do not have God’s salvation and the wages of sin is death.
5. Does God actually love all people the same? If so, why are some people given thousands of chances to hear the Gospel and experience his love, while other people are born into the worst conditions, simply trying to survive and begging for food, never coming in contact with a missionary in their lives?
God knows the heart and tries the reigns every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings in Jeremiah 17:10. God see things that we never can and knows our very thoughts and feelings just like those who were destroyed in the floods in the days of Noah because their thoughts were only evil and evil continually *Genesis 6:5 or Sodom and Gomorrah that was destroyed with fire and brimstone because the suffering of man because of sin was so great *Genesis 13:13; Genesis 18:22-23. According to the scriptures God only holds us accountable to what we know not what we do not know (James 4:17; Acts of the Apostles 17:30-31) and this life is only a life of probation to see who will seek to know and follow God and who will seek to reject and not follow God in order to receive the eternal life to come.
6. Does God ask us to forgive our enemies when He is ultimately not willing to do the same in the end?
A question not based on scripture with a false premise. God asks us to forgive those offers mercy for all forgiveness. Luke 17:3-4 says “If your brother or sister sins against you, rebuke them; and if they repent, forgive them. Even if they sin against you seven times in a day and seven times come back to you saying ‘I repent,’ you must forgive them.” God’s also offers forgiveness and mercy to all who seek him. God’s forgiveness and mercy is a free gift that we all receive by holding out the hand of faith (Ephesians 2:8-9; John 3:16) and is conditional on us believing and following what God’s Word says. As it is written in the scriptures “He that covers his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesses and forsakes them shall have mercy (see Proverbs 28:13; 1 John 1:9). Of course we can pray for others and forgive them if they sin in ignorance and pray for others who sin against us.
7. Is being punished forever for sins committed in a short lifetime really “justice”? Or can we never understand his form of justice?
All life comes from God (Genesis 1) as God is the creator of all things in Heaven and earth *John 1:1-4; 14 and all lives belong to God who gave it. All life and love comes from God because God is love (Genesis 1; 1 John 4:8). Sin (disobedience to Gods’ Word) separates us from God who gives life to those who believe and follow him *Isaiah 59:2 and the wages of sin is death *Romans 6:23 to all those who reject the gift of God’s dear son and do not believe and follow Gods’ Word. As it is written “ He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.” In 1 John 5”12 and again “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God because all have sinned and are naturally separated from God *Romans 3:9-23 and that separation leads to death in those who do not have the son, but God so loved our world and was not willing that any should perish (John 3:16; 2 Peter 3:19) but that all should come to a knowledge of how they can receive Gods’ mercy and forgiveness and be saved, that he sent his only begotten son to die the death of God’s justice and penalty for sin that we all deserve to die that by believing in Jesus and accepting his death on our behalf God’s justice and penalty for sin is now paid for by the blood of God’s dear son so that we can now receive Gods’ mercy and forgiveness. God’s free gift is now offered of forgiveness and mercy to anyone who will now receive it by holding out the hand of faith and if we confess our sins he is faithful and just to forgive us for our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. It is in the cross of Christ where we see Gods’ love for all mankind that God sent his own son to die for our sins to pay the price of God’s justice for sin so that we can all now be reconciled to God. It is only in God’s justice that we can truly see Gods’ love for all mankind which is revealed in Gods’ dear son and love for all mankind.
8. If we are called to become more like God, but yet we can’t understand his justice, how can we ever strive to reflect his true character?
See previous section on how God’s justice reveals Gods love at the cross
9. Does God operate on a completely different moral scale than us? (His evil is our good, our good is his evil).. or are we truly made in his image?
According to the scriptures mankind was made in the image of God at creation and was sinless. Being sinless man was made in the image of God who was sinless. After the fall of mankind when we sinned we were separated from God (Genesis 1 to Genesis 3) and no longer made in His image (character wise as God does not sin) * see Habakkuk 1:13; 2 Corinthians 5:21; Hebrews 4:15; 9:28; 1 Peter 2:22. God is love *1 John 4:12-16 and everything that God does is based on love. We cannot understand God’s mind according to the scriptures because we have a selfish sinful mind (Genesis 6:5; Matthew 15:19-20; Matthew 12:34; Isaiah 1:5-6; Isaiah 55:7-9). Therefore as God is sinless and we are sinful and as God’s thoughts are so much higher than our thoughts and his ways from our ways God operates on a completely different moral scale called love *1 John 4:12-20; John 5:42.
10. If God does NOT will for anyone to perish, but already knows ahead of time that they will, why does he still create them? Knowing that they may never even have a chance to hear the Gospel?
So all creation can see and know the justice and love of God for all of His creation and the results of sin and the suffering it causes to God’s creation. Please see the previous sections. As posted earlier. All people everywhere will be judged by what we know not what we do not know (James 4:17; Acts of the Apostles 17:30-31.
11. Is the only purpose of this present life to make it into heaven? If so…
The purpose of life is to fulfill God’s will * Romans 8:28; Psalms 57:2; Acts of the Apostles 13:36; Colossians 1:16; Jeremiah 29:11; Jeremiah 29:19; Proverbs 16:4; Proverbs 19:21; Ephesians 2:10; Ecclesiastes 12:13-14. The purpose of life is to know God and to seek him with all of our heart (John 17:3; John 6:40; 1 John 5:11; Jeremiah 29:13.
12. Do all babies and children go to heaven? Wouldn’t it be more compassionate to abort a baby and ensure its salvation, than allow it to grow up and possibly go to hell?
No. According to the scriptures in times of ignorance God winks at but when a knowledge of the truth is come God calls all men to believe and follow it *James 4:17; Acts of the Apostles 17:30-31. A baby does not lose it’s salvation at death and does not go to hell according to the scriptures and it has no knowledge of good or evil so the question posed here is based on a premise that is not biblical.
..................
to be continued
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