It just doesnt seem fair. (Warning huge Rant)

[Neogaia777]

There could be some very good reasons for people rejecting God, that all have very much to do with a mere limited human being presenting Him to them, saying what He is like, His ways, ect... Some have not heard it/Him presented right, nor represented right or correctly by the ones describing it/Him (God) to them's own life or lives or living and ways either, or very much or very accurately either, which is another problem...

Some unbelievers feel like they are much less of hypocrite and are much more honest than many so-called believers seem to be sometimes...

Whatever the reasons, God knows and is the perfect Judge... And it will be a matter of the heart, more than likely...

And that's another thing, many of them, or some of them feel like they have much more "heart" (compassion, love, forgiveness, mercy, ect) than many so-called believers do...

I know what they see, cause I see it too, and it hurts me very much and sometimes tempts me to even be ashamed of calling myself a "Christian", or even saying I am one of them/you, that's how bad it is sometimes... Something is definitely wrong there... I'm caught in the middle sometimes, stuck in-between...

Well, God will know, and that's all that really matters to me...

God Bless!

 

[Strong in Him]

It just doesn't seem fair that my mother, dad, sister, brother in law...etc all have to burn and suffer for an eternity just because they don't believe in Christ and it doesn't matter what I say to them they will ALWAYS be unbelievers.

1. They don't have to suffer. Scripture says that whoever believes and accepts Jesus will have eternal life.
2. How do you know they will ALWAYS be unbelievers? How do you know that at some moment of crisis they won't call out to God? Or be challenged by someone else's testimony/at a baptism/hearing a Christmas sermon or carol? How do you know that, maybe even at the point of death, they won't cry out "Lord I need you, I want to know you"?

If you're trying to reach them through intellectual argument, it may never work. Just love them, pray for them and leave the rest to God.

Yet, I'm somehow saved because I'm a believer? Please! Why the heck should we be saved and the rest of the world has to burn?

Anyone who comes to Jesus, calls out to Jesus, accepts Jesus has salvation and eternal life - Mark 10:45; Luke 19:10; John 3:16, John 3:36, John 6:14, John 6:40; Acts of the Apostles 4:12.
Are your family sinners? Christ died for them, Romans 5:8.

The rest of the world does not HAVE to burn - God created ALL in his image, loves all and died for all. We have sinned against God. As the One who has been sinned against, God gets to choose the punishment - instead, he has chosen to be merciful and made it possible for all to receive forgiveness. But we have this through accepting what he has done for us - given his Son - and not by bargaining, doing good works of our own or trying to renegotiate his terms.
If people choose to ignore God's great love and mercy; so be it. I believe that he never stops trying to win them, but he will not force.

I mean do we HONESTLY believe this crap?

No.
Scripture reveals a compassionate God who has endless mercy, compassion and who IS love - not an angry being who says "I'll choose you, but not you."

And Annihalationism is even worse than suffering forever. Why? Because Annihalationism teaches that unbelievers won't burn for forever but their very souls get destroyed!

I don't believe that either.

Yes, there IS a God. I've seen him and I'd be a fool to stop believing in him but honestly? How can I believe in God's justice? It is just SO unfair

God's justice isn't unfair.
WE have sinned against God.
The wages of sin is death, so he would be justified in condemning and destroying everyone, but he doesn't. In the OT there was a way in which they could make atonement for their sins. In the NT we have Jesus; the once and for all sacrifice for sin, Hebrews 10:12, who was made sin for us, 2 Corinthians 5:21. The gift of God is eternal life through Jesus, Romans 6:23.

I think its just time I accepted that I didn't choose God but God chose me and that the rest of my family just wasn't chosen by God. God took pity on me instead. The sooner I accept that the better.

No - God created ALL people in his image, loves everyone and has made it possible for ALL to be saved.
He IS love.
How is it loving to say, "I created you, but I have not chosen you to know, or believe in, your Creator"? How is it loving to say, "you will spend eternity in hell for rejecting me, when it was never my will that you would accept me"?

God did not "take pity on you". In his mercy, grace and love he did not want his creation to perish, so sent his Son to pay the price for their sin.
A person does not have to have unshakeable faith or fully formed belief or understanding to accept Jesus - that will come in time. Just as a baby is not taught to walk and then expected to run marathons. A child who is taught to walk is still protected, guided and kept safe until the time comes when they are old enough, and able enough, to look out for themselves, make their own decisions and accept the consequences, and so on. Even then, their parents don't stop caring about them.
If our earthly parents can do this for us, why do we believe that our perfect heavenly Father would be any different? Matthew 5:48; Luke 11:11-13.

 

[Vicomte13]

It just doesn't seem fair that my mother, dad, sister, brother in law...etc all have to burn and suffer for an eternity just because they don't believe in Christ and it doesn't matter what I say to them they will ALWAYS be unbelievers.


Yet, I'm somehow saved because I'm a believer? Please! Why the heck should we be saved and the rest of the world has to burn? I mean do we HONESTLY believe this crap? And how the heck can we enjoy our eternities KNOWING that our friends and loved ones are out there suffering?

And Annihalationism is even worse than suffering forever. Why? Because Annihalationism teaches that unbelievers won't burn for forever but their very souls get destroyed! Idk about you? But to me that sounds WORSE than burning for forever. Its designed to soften the blow but to me it just sounds 50,000 times worse. The scariest part of that reality is that one day we will cease to exist. Idk about you guys but I'd RATHER eternal suffering than to just one day cease to exist. That was the scariest part of atheism to me was when I believed that one day I would die and cease to exist. I became a Christian because I didn't want to accept that reality. I didnt WANT to perish. But honestly atheism sounds ridiculous to me now. Yes, there IS a God. I've seen him and I'd be a fool to stop believing in him but honestly? How can I believe in God's justice? It is just SO unfair and either way you slice it it makes God sound like a tyrant. Whether Annihalationism is true or if they burn forever it doesn't change the outcome. It is just all seriously screwed up. Yet I continue to love and serve God anyway. I think its just time I accepted that I didn't choose God but God chose me and that the rest of my family just wasn't chosen by God. God took pity on me instead. The sooner I accept that the better.

You’ve listed various beliefs of the lunatic fringes of Christianity (and note, please, lunatics NEVER believe they’re lunatics). The bulk of Christianity does not believe those things that’s concern you. Advice: don’t believe those things. They’re a crock.

 

[Dave L]

God sends no one to hell, it is man's choice that sends him to hell

So does man walk or take a bus to get there? Or does God just put him there?

 

[zoidar]

It just doesn't seem fair that my mother, dad, sister, brother in law...etc all have to burn and suffer for an eternity just because they don't believe in Christ and it doesn't matter what I say to them they will ALWAYS be unbelievers.


Yet, I'm somehow saved because I'm a believer? Please! Why the heck should we be saved and the rest of the world has to burn? I mean do we HONESTLY believe this crap? And how the heck can we enjoy our eternities KNOWING that our friends and loved ones are out there suffering?

And Annihalationism is even worse than suffering forever. Why? Because Annihalationism teaches that unbelievers won't burn for forever but their very souls get destroyed! Idk about you? But to me that sounds WORSE than burning for forever. Its designed to soften the blow but to me it just sounds 50,000 times worse. The scariest part of that reality is that one day we will cease to exist. Idk about you guys but I'd RATHER eternal suffering than to just one day cease to exist. That was the scariest part of atheism to me was when I believed that one day I would die and cease to exist. I became a Christian because I didn't want to accept that reality. I didnt WANT to perish. But honestly atheism sounds ridiculous to me now. Yes, there IS a God. I've seen him and I'd be a fool to stop believing in him but honestly? How can I believe in God's justice? It is just SO unfair and either way you slice it it makes God sound like a tyrant. Whether Annihalationism is true or if they burn forever it doesn't change the outcome. It is just all seriously screwed up. Yet I continue to love and serve God anyway. I think its just time I accepted that I didn't choose God but God chose me and that the rest of my family just wasn't chosen by God. God took pity on me instead. The sooner I accept that the better.

I too have been struggeling with thoughts like these. The first thing I like to say is to never lose hope. We can't see the whole picture, only God can. Who are we to tell how God will judge everything in the end? Jesus says we are not to worry (matthew 6:25-34). What we are to do is to keep mention our families in prayer and trust in God to see that everything will work out for the best.

Judgement is supposed to be a time of celebration. It's the time when God will set everything right.

 

[W2L]

I hope for every sinner to be saved. Not sure if thats biblical but its how i feel.

 

[Strong in Him]

I hope for every sinner to be saved. Not sure if thats biblical but its how i feel.

Christ died for sinners, is certainly Biblical, Romans 5:8

 

[BNR32FAN]

It just doesn't seem fair that my mother, dad, sister, brother in law...etc all have to burn and suffer for an eternity just because they don't believe in Christ and it doesn't matter what I say to them they will ALWAYS be unbelievers.


Yet, I'm somehow saved because I'm a believer? Please! Why the heck should we be saved and the rest of the world has to burn? I mean do we HONESTLY believe this crap? And how the heck can we enjoy our eternities KNOWING that our friends and loved ones are out there suffering?

And Annihalationism is even worse than suffering forever. Why? Because Annihalationism teaches that unbelievers won't burn for forever but their very souls get destroyed! Idk about you? But to me that sounds WORSE than burning for forever. Its designed to soften the blow but to me it just sounds 50,000 times worse. The scariest part of that reality is that one day we will cease to exist. Idk about you guys but I'd RATHER eternal suffering than to just one day cease to exist. That was the scariest part of atheism to me was when I believed that one day I would die and cease to exist. I became a Christian because I didn't want to accept that reality. I didnt WANT to perish. But honestly atheism sounds ridiculous to me now. Yes, there IS a God. I've seen him and I'd be a fool to stop believing in him but honestly? How can I believe in God's justice? It is just SO unfair and either way you slice it it makes God sound like a tyrant. Whether Annihalationism is true or if they burn forever it doesn't change the outcome. It is just all seriously screwed up. Yet I continue to love and serve God anyway. I think its just time I accepted that I didn't choose God but God chose me and that the rest of my family just wasn't chosen by God. God took pity on me instead. The sooner I accept that the better.

I’m facing a similar situation with my sister and brother in law. They are atheists and I’ve tried to witness to them but it began to become a heated argument resulting in my brother in law shouting so I decided to stop the conversation at that point in fear that by pushing them too hard towards Christ may result in causing a defensive position on their part and cause them to push back even hard resulting in pushing them farther away from Christ. I worry about them and pray that their heart will be opened to the truth. The Bible does tell us that families will be divided. But we need to remember that Jesus made a way for everyone to be saved. He suffered unimaginable pain and torture and died for every one of us so that we can be saved. We owe Him our love and devotion. Ultimately everyone is in control of their own fate. We answered God’s calling and it’s up to us to keep trying to help our loved ones see Christ working in us. If they are still living their fate isn’t sealed yet. Six years ago if someone had told me that I would become a Christian and read and study the Bible and enjoy going to church and bible study I would’ve laughed and said you’ve got the wrong person. I never expected that I would become a Christian. But God pushed me up against a fence in both hardships and suffering to where I had no way out but thru Him. At the time I didn’t realize what a blessing this suffering was that I was going thru. But since the outcome was eternal life in heaven with The Lord I praise God for reaching out to me. As unpleasant as it was at the time it was such a minuscule price to pay for the gift I will receive. Pray for your loved ones my friend and I will pray with you.

 

[Albion]

The details of heaven aren't clear either.

That's equally true.

 

[aiki]

It just doesn't seem fair that my mother, dad, sister, brother in law...etc all have to burn and suffer for an eternity just because they don't believe in Christ and it doesn't matter what I say to them they will ALWAYS be unbelievers.

"Just because"? This sort of thinking is your main problem. You have made very small the matter of Christ and faith in him as Saviour and Lord. God, though, who sees everything just as it ought to be seen, just as it really is, tells us in His word that belief in Christ is the single most important thing a person this side of the grave must consider. There is no "just," only "because." People go to hell because (not just because) they are wicked, sinful creatures who have lived in rebellion to their holy Maker, denying Him the central place in their lives that He deserves to occupy.

Hell is not an over-reaction by God. If God is who He is, perfect in every respect and so acting perfectly at all times, His consignment of the wicked to hell is the right, the perfect, punishment of them. If hell is incredibly harsh in its character, it is because our sin is far more horrendous than we are inclined to think it is. Hell reveals to us just what God thinks of our sin. It must be truly vile, unspeakably awful, to warrant such a terrible punishment. But our reflex, of course, is to defend our wickedness, to lessen its vileness, by decrying God's punishment of it. Sinners will even go so far as to deny that hell even exists in order to avoid acknowledging just how evil they are. What they don't realize, however, is that to justify their sin is to diminish God's holiness. The former cannot be done without doing the latter. In denying hell, sinners must darken God's purity, lessen His moral perfection. And in doing so, they simply compound their sin.

Yet, I'm somehow saved because I'm a believer? Please! Why the heck should we be saved and the rest of the world has to burn? I mean do we HONESTLY believe this crap? And how the heck can we enjoy our eternities KNOWING that our friends and loved ones are out there suffering?

It is perfectly understandable that the prospect of loved ones coming under God's judgment is hard to accept. It may help to remember that you have done absolutely nothing to warrant your escape from God's judgment. You deserve hell just as much as your loved ones do, but you have reached out and received God's gracious and freely offered means of escape from such a destiny. Only in this are you unlike the rest of the godless world that is on a collision course with God's holy and just wrath. Your loved ones may do the same; they may take hold of salvation in the Person of Christ, too. But if they spurn God's gracious gift, only judgment and punishment remain.

When you stand in God's kingdom, an eternity with Him before you, the torment of the wicked will not be seen to be a travesty of justice but a perfect expression of God's justice and holiness. Really, though, to think you will be at all occupied with the fate of the unrepentant wicked when you are in heaven is to fail to realize just how all-consuming the presence and power of God will be. I strongly suspect His very presence will crowd out all else in our minds and hearts.

How can I believe in God's justice?

By understanding God and His justice better than you do.

It is just SO unfair and either way you slice it it makes God sound like a tyrant.

As some have already pointed out, if God was a tyrant, He'd have made puppets of us and forced us at every turn to act just as He wanted us to.

Whether Annihalationism is true or if they burn forever it doesn't change the outcome. It is just all seriously screwed up.

Well, it is certainly an unhappy prospect, to be sure, but "screwed up" is more an emotional statement than a rational one.

Yet I continue to love and serve God anyway. I think its just time I accepted that I didn't choose God but God chose me and that the rest of my family just wasn't chosen by God.

2 Peter 3:9
9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

1 Timothy 2:3-4
3 For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour;
4 Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.

Ezekiel 18:23
23 Have I any pleasure at all that the wicked should die? says the Lord GOD: and not that he should return from his ways, and live?

John 3:16
16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

Deuteronomy 30:15-19
15 "See, I have set before you today life and good, death and evil,
16 in that I command you today to love the Lord your God, to walk in His ways, and to keep His commandments, His statutes, and His judgments, that you may live and multiply; and the Lord your God will bless you in the land which you go to possess.
17 But if your heart turns away so that you do not hear, and are drawn away, and worship other gods and serve them,
18 I announce to you today that you shall surely perish; you shall not prolong your days in the land which you cross over the Jordan to go in and possess.
19 I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live;

 

[Bobber]

And that's another thing, many of them, or some of them feel like they have much more "heart" (compassion, love, forgiveness, mercy, ect) than many so-called believers do...

Well two things it just may not be true. You do realize there are some which think they're being compassionate in not calling sin what it really is...SIN. Sure they'll get the pat on the back from worldly minded men as being more compassionate but so what? Such doesn't mean they're right. Judgement Day will ultimately reveal what is right and if people don't like it well that'll be their problem.

And 2) Even if they are genuinely more compassionate than so-called Christian....well maybe they need to consider they're only just that...SO CALLED.

For those refusing to come closer to God because of actions of others....well what if God said those "others" aren't making heaven their home anyway so now let's get down to talking about you. What did YOU DO with your life? And what did I do with my life?

 

[RDKirk]

I’m facing a similar situation with my sister and brother in law. They are atheists and I’ve tried to witness to them but it began to become a heated argument resulting in my brother in law shouting so I decided to stop the conversation at that point in fear that by pushing them too hard towards Christ may result in causing a defensive position on their part and cause them to push back even hard resulting in pushing them farther away from Christ.

Are you actually witnessing, or are you trying to evangelize?

Evangelizing is telling people what Jesus did for them.

Witnessing is telling people what Jesus did for you.

Witnessing is like a "user review." People will listen to a user review much more easily than they will listen to a sales pitch. And a salesman who doesn't have a user review of his own is always suspect.

 

[BNR32FAN]

Are you actually witnessing, or are you trying to evangelize?

Evangelizing is telling people what Jesus did for them.

Witnessing is telling people what Jesus did for you.

Witnessing is like a "user review." People will listen to a user review much more easily than they will listen to a sales pitch. And a salesman who doesn't have a user review of his own is always suspect.

I was doing both really but they wouldn’t hear it. I do appreciate your explaining that to me tho. I didn’t know the difference. Thanks

 

[Bobber]

Are you actually witnessing, or are you trying to evangelize?

Evangelizing is telling people what Jesus did for them.

Witnessing is telling people what Jesus did for you.

Witnessing is like a "user review." People will listen to a user review much more easily than they will listen to a sales pitch. And a salesman who doesn't have a user review of his own is always suspect.

Very good way of putting it. I've tried to always share with people make sure you have a relationship with God and a fellowship in the spirit and not just mentally assenting to various beliefs. There's nothing more important in life to know outside of this very thing.

 

[1213]

It just doesn't seem fair that my mother, dad, sister, brother in law...etc all have to burn and suffer for an eternity just because they don't believe in Christ and it doesn't matter what I say to them they will ALWAYS be unbelievers...

Bible actually tells that eternal life is for righteous. It is the reason why some will live and unrighteousness is the reason why some will not live eternally.

These will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.
Mat. 25:46


For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 6:23

It is about right understanding, not about believing, because Jesus said also:

If anyone listens to my sayings, and doesn't believe, I don't judge him. For I came not to judge the world, but to save the world. He who rejects me, and doesn't receive my sayings, has one who judges him. The word that I spoke, the same will judge him in the last day.
John 12:47-48

That is why:

For as many as have sinned without law will also perish without the law. As many as have sinned under the law will be judged by the law. For it isn't the hearers of the law who are righteous before God, but the doers of the law will be justified (for when Gentiles who don't have the law do by nature the things of the law, these, not having the law, are a law to themselves, in that they show the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience testifying with them, and their thoughts among themselves accusing or else excusing them) in the day when God will judge the secrets of men, according to my gospel, by Jesus Christ.
Romans 2:12-16

And even if you don’t like it, according to the Bible:

And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.
Matt. 10:28

 

[Tutorman]

So does man walk or take a bus to get there? Or does God just put him there?

He walks and takes the bus, free will.

 

[Dave L]

He walks and takes the bus, free will.

What if there is no option available to choose heaven instead? The Canaanites, Sodom and Gomorrah, and the like?

 

[Tutorman]

There is always an option

 

[Strong in Him]

What if there is no option available to choose heaven instead? The Canaanites, Sodom and Gomorrah, and the like?

If people really have had no opportunity to hear about God and his salvation, then they have had no opportunity to reject him either.
I believe that God is merciful and will not condemn someone for rejecting him, when in fact they were never told about him.

 

[Bruce Leiter]

It just doesn't seem fair that my mother, dad, sister, brother in law...etc all have to burn and suffer for an eternity just because they don't believe in Christ and it doesn't matter what I say to them they will ALWAYS be unbelievers.


Yet, I'm somehow saved because I'm a believer? Please! Why the heck should we be saved and the rest of the world has to burn? I mean do we HONESTLY believe this crap? And how the heck can we enjoy our eternities KNOWING that our friends and loved ones are out there suffering?

And Annihalationism is even worse than suffering forever. Why? Because Annihalationism teaches that unbelievers won't burn for forever but their very souls get destroyed! Idk about you? But to me that sounds WORSE than burning for forever. Its designed to soften the blow but to me it just sounds 50,000 times worse. The scariest part of that reality is that one day we will cease to exist. Idk about you guys but I'd RATHER eternal suffering than to just one day cease to exist. That was the scariest part of atheism to me was when I believed that one day I would die and cease to exist. I became a Christian because I didn't want to accept that reality. I didnt WANT to perish. But honestly atheism sounds ridiculous to me now. Yes, there IS a God. I've seen him and I'd be a fool to stop believing in him but honestly? How can I believe in God's justice? It is just SO unfair and either way you slice it it makes God sound like a tyrant. Whether Annihalationism is true or if they burn forever it doesn't change the outcome. It is just all seriously screwed up. Yet I continue to love and serve God anyway. I think its just time I accepted that I didn't choose God but God chose me and that the rest of my family just wasn't chosen by God. God took pity on me instead. The sooner I accept that the better.

I assume that you shared the good news with your family after you became a believer. If so, it was their responsibility. If not, God the Creator revealed himself to them in his creation (Romans 1:18-20).
Furthermore, all people are on their way to hell when they are conceived and born. There must be some reason that God chose some and not others, but he hasn't revealed it. It certainly isn't in us at all.