Hi Simpleman
Your statement.....
“The lake of fire is symbolic; the very idea that a God of love would burn people in hell is outrageous.”
.....simply demonstrates the fact, that God is so much above us, that we can’t hope to begin to understand His decisions.
Calling the lake of fire symbolic, simply because you can’t understand how a loving God could send someone there, is a mistake.
We should not judge the validity of God’s Word based upon our sensibilities.
None of us, fully understand what “love” is or what “true justice” is, because our mind’s have been tainted by sin.
Here is an example..........
Psalms 58:10-11
V.10 The righteous shall rejoice when he seeth the vengeance:
he shall wash his feet in the blood of the wicked.
V.11 So that a man shall say, Verily [there is] a reward for the righteous: verily he is a God that judgeth in the earth.
God is PERFECTLY HOLY, and is incapable of making a mistake.
While we on the other hand, are dirty rotten sinners and don’t know which end is up.
All the we can do, is study God’s Word, to find out what REAL LOVE is, and what REAL JUSTICE is and accept it as a fact.
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Your statement.......
“People didn’t ask to be born, they just came into existence.”
.......is an interesting one.
I did not ask to be born, but boy am I glad I was.
Another fact of life, is that every human being, that has ever been born, was & is given the opportunity come to the LORD.
In the Old Testament, is was by becoming a Jew and in the New Testament it is by trusting Christ as your Savior.
Because God is PERFECTLY righteous and Holy, He makes sure that NOONE will go to the lake of fire, without having rejected His free gift of salvation.
You are right, non of us asked to be born, but life is a wonderful gift, because it gives us the opportunity to spend an eternity with God in heaven.
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You continue with a common story..........
“Think about it, a women, a mother of four children, a dedicated wife who works tirelessly for her family and the community. She’s known for her generously, her patients, her kindness and charitable works. Her only floor is she doesn’t recognize Christ.
Now for her sins of living three score and ten is she going to burn in hell for all eternity – the very notion is an absurdity. Seventy years of joy and an eternity of hell, fire and brimstone to follow.”
This story can be repeated a million times.
But.....every time these people(at sometime in her life), are given the knowledge of “a Creator”: A God in heaven, that created this world and put them in it.
At this point, she is faced with the same decision that I was faced with:
Do I seek out this Creator and find out what life is all about;
Or do I just blow it off and live for the moment?
Every individual that repeatedly rejects this “light” that God gives them, of His existence, will sink into more Spiritual darkness, making it even more difficult for them to come to this light, the next time...........
Romans 1:19-32
V.19 ¶ Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed [it] unto them.
V.20 For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, [even] his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:
V.21 Because that, when they knew God, they glorified [him] not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.
V.22 Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,
V.23 And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things.
V.24 Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves:
V.25 Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.
V.26 For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature:
V.27 And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet.
V.28 And even as they did not like to retain God in [their] knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient;
V.29 Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers,
V.30 Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents,
V.31 Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful:
V.32 Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.
Life is wonderful, because God gives every one of us an opportunity to come to Him.
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Next you reveal part of your problem........
“We are all God’s children; we would not place our children’s hand in a burning fire if they were misbehaving would we, so why do you assume a God of love would punish his children in burring hell forever.”
Here you disregard something called “The great white throne judgement”......
Revelation 20:11
“And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them.”
This is a throne of “judgement” & “justice”; (Each individual being Judged by their life.)
Therefore, what you fail to realize is that a Holy God will NEVER punish anyone, more than they deserve; And if you had studied the Bible, you would have realized this.......
Luke 12:46-48
V.46 The lord of that servant will come in a day when he looketh not for [him], and at an hour when he is not aware, and will cut him in sunder, and will appoint him his portion with the unbelievers.
V.47 And that servant, which knew his lord’s will, and prepared not [himself], neither did according to his will, shall be beaten with many [stripes].
V.48 But he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few [stripes]. For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more.
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Now for your final statement..........
“Personally I will not worship a God who did such a thing, and I say that with confidence in the knowledge there is no hell in the literal sense.
In fact I'm grateful I’m not caught up in this hell fire nonsense. What did Jesus say, “you will know the truth and the truth will set you free” yes free from superstitious babble.”
Well don’t worry, you are probably not worshiping Him.