Documents

By clicking on the various links you will be taken to my Google Document's site where you can access different articles I've written on various subjects.

Confession Prayer
Separation of Church & State
Why I'm NOT a 'Conservative'

Friday, March 11, 2011

How could a loving God send someone to hell?

hey all~
first off, this is a copy of a post of mine on a minister's forum. It's from a section where we can post questions that seem like a paradox or contradiction. Questions someone trying to make an argument AGAINST God may make.

after posing the question (that someone may try to use to argue against God) we then suggest answer(s) ... and prove that the question doesn't show a paradox or contradiction in the Bible!

so here it is ....

how can a Loving God allow people to go to hell? it's often asked by someone who is trying to counter the fact we have a Loving God. so how do we (Christians) respond? maybe a few ways ...

1. the free will argument -
counter with the fact that God loves and respects us (humans) enough that He allows us to FREELY choose to accept Him (and thus go to heaven) or to reject Him (and thus go to hell). While that is the truth of the matter (i.e. it's NOT God sending them to hell, rather it's someone choosing to reject Him and thus going to hell) they may throw out another argument ...

Their secondary argument - why would He not provide a guaranteed way (means) for ALL people to eventually make it to Heaven?

Reply to the secondary argument - Everyone is given at the very least one (1) chance to accept Christ!

Their third argument - What about those in the Amazon Jungle or the Heart of Africa? or in some closed communist country? How do they get a chance?

Reply to their third argument - (This one is my PERSONAL BELIEF on this matter. It is NOT directly discussed in The Bible as to how there is a guarantee that everyone gets a chance, BUT in order for God to be a Just God [and He IS] there HAS to be a way! Here's my thoughts) I believe that EVERYBODY will in fact have, at the very least, one (1) chance to accept Christ. If they are in a location where the Gospel is not presented to them (either due to being under an oppressive government OR to being in such a remote locale) then they will have seen the PROOF of a Creator in nature (The Bible says that all nature points to God). Then, in their dying moment, their last moment of life here on earth, I believe that Christ will appear to them (like He did to Saul on the road to Damascus ... when Saul converted and changed his name to Paul) and offer them a chance at forgiveness!

A close reading of The Bible shows that this kind of thing (a up close and personal visitation from God) has happened throughout history. So it's not too far fetched an idea. Since we KNOW God is in fact a Loving God, and that He IS Just, then we know that there has to be someway everyone gets a chance ... so we remove the variables that don't fit the puzzle and what we have left, well there's a good chance what's left is the answer!

So to sum it up, God does NOT 'allow' someone to go to hell. Someone rejecting Him is that person deciding to go to hell instead of heaven. For those who haven't heard of the chance to accept Christ, Christ may very well visit them in their last moments of life to give them the chance!

vaya con Dios
~Rev. J