jdlongmire

I smell the creation of a strawman...

ten to the eleventh

So, what do you think of the doctrine of annihilation? Why wouldn't God prefer to annihilate those damned souls instead of having them suffer for eternity?

ten to the eleventh

Perhaps what you smell is the inevitable logical consequence of stated claims, and you don't like the implications. I will never consciously create a straw man; what would be the point? To impress my fellow atheists with dishonest debating and my ability to score points against an anonymous "opposition?"

Why do you think I asked for verification?

Magus55

Where is the justice in that? I think there is possible room for interpreting the torment in Hell as being temporary (possibly a 1000 years), followed by annihilation in the Lake of Fire, but automatic and immediate annihilation doesn't sound like Justice. Especially for someone who wants nothing to do with God.

ZooMom

Well, not exactly. I accept that God is good because I have been given faith through Grace to accept it. Not because the black and white print of my Bible says so. I 'recognize' God's goodness, I see it everywhere. Something in me responds to Him, and leans toward that goodness. My belief in God is both an act of will and an act of faith. My faith doesn't require that I check my intellect at the door, but rather my intellect enhances my faith by letting me explore the myriad ways of God's goodness.


Peace be with you!

Sandy

jdlongmire

beautiful...

ten to the eleventh

Why would God desire justice? Why would a perfect, complete, and loving being want to witness the suffering of billions? To satisfy some bloodlust? What theological end could be served by the suffering of non-believers? We don't even torture dogs that maul and kill children. We just give them the funky blue juice, and watch them go to sleep forever.

I think the lack of justice is in your mind. I think you are the one who is satisfied by the notion of non-believers being tortured.

ten to the eleventh

This is what I was suggesting. That your determination of God's goodness is not a rational judgment, but is a "feeling," or some other irrational process that you call "faith." I understand it is an "act of will," as a result of something you "sense" in some way other than rational judgment. But let me ask you, how would your sense of God's goodness differ from the feelings of "goodness" felt by a child who is being offered candy by a stranger with bad intentions? Sure, the child's "faith" is wrong, but how are they to determine that, in the lack of rational judgment, unless an authority (the parent) steps in and makes the claim that the stranger is not to be trusted?

Keep sniffing JD; there's more to come.

ten to the eleventh

Are you saying here that you have made a rational judgment of God's goodness? I'm trying to pin you down to a position, if you can't tell.

edit: You asked earlier if you were sounding preachy. You're not, but you are sounding as though are parroting ambiguous feel-good claims and wand-waving justifications that a preacher would offer in a sermon. I'm not satisfied with the precision of your statements.

jdlongmire

...not a rational judgment...

...irrational process...

...some way other than rational judgment...

...lack of rational judgment...