I know I have brought this topic up several times, but I need to talk it out, as I still cannot understand how anyone can believe in anything but eventual universal reconciliation; that or a cruel God.
Based only what I know of the human condition, human beings only make bad choices when they are ignorant of the consequences or compelled to make the choice.
For example, imagine there is a $100 bill on a table, and a sign that says "feel free to take this $100 bill." Now imagine upon going to take it a booby trap is activated which traps the individual in an eternal state of torment. Do you think it serves him right, or do you think that the torment is unfair, given that he did not know the consequences?
Now imagine a similar scenario where there is a $100 bill on a table that says "Do not take this money or that trap under your feet will confine you to eternal torment." You can see the torment below, and you can see the trap. Would a human being freely choose to still activate this trap, or would his choice to activate the trap be a sign of mental illness, mental retardation, or some other impediment.
When an individual comes face to face with God, can he freely choose to reject God, or would his choice to reject God be due to some impediment that God ought to heal so the individual can choose God?
I can't speak for anyone else here, but if I knew there was a God, and a risk of eternal torment if I didn't live a certain way, then I would do everything in my power to conform to God's will. In my experience, my bad choices are due to my doubting that there is a God.
Based only what I know of the human condition, human beings only make bad choices when they are ignorant of the consequences or compelled to make the choice.
For example, imagine there is a $100 bill on a table, and a sign that says "feel free to take this $100 bill." Now imagine upon going to take it a booby trap is activated which traps the individual in an eternal state of torment. Do you think it serves him right, or do you think that the torment is unfair, given that he did not know the consequences?
Now imagine a similar scenario where there is a $100 bill on a table that says "Do not take this money or that trap under your feet will confine you to eternal torment." You can see the torment below, and you can see the trap. Would a human being freely choose to still activate this trap, or would his choice to activate the trap be a sign of mental illness, mental retardation, or some other impediment.
When an individual comes face to face with God, can he freely choose to reject God, or would his choice to reject God be due to some impediment that God ought to heal so the individual can choose God?
I can't speak for anyone else here, but if I knew there was a God, and a risk of eternal torment if I didn't live a certain way, then I would do everything in my power to conform to God's will. In my experience, my bad choices are due to my doubting that there is a God.