Why damnation is palatable to so many

[Captain.Theophilus]

I think I finally  figured it out.

Damnationists aren't really damnationists.

This has probably been iterated in other ways, but it just hit me and I had to share.

Most Christians have the belief of a loving God imprinted very strongly in their mind. I think MOST damnationists don't actually believe God would damn people forever, or if they do they don' t know what they are saying.

The problem is a lack of empathy. Those who support ET never really try to identify with people in Hell. For those of us that do we suffer, and start to hate God until we realize he isn't that way. ET'ers just aren't being truly honest.

No empathy =/= no compassion.

I think even when I was an ET'er, the only reason I found it truly palatable was because deep down I really believed that God was somehow extending, or going to extend, mercy to them. Now I know that he is.

[Lazarus Short]

I think most folks don't connect the dots, or they don't think things through to their logical conclusion.  If that is so, then there are huge disconnects between the belief in a loving God, and a God who damns people to Hell - or between a belief in Grace, and "Behave, or you'll end up in Hell."  I could go on and on... :declare:

[misszoolander]

Aye, aye Captain!  :Peace2:

I think it's partly fear too. They are too afraid that they might be sent to hell themselves if they believe such a thing is not real.
They can not sit down for one minute and think about the true horrors of burning forever and ever, so they become desensitized, ignoring the sly doubt inside their hearts.

They refuse to even think about being compassionate or even think about their loved ones burning in hell, it brings on too much pain, too much doubt it goes against our their very conscious.

However there might be a glimmer of hope, and until they can address their own heart, and why it doesn't rejoice in Gods "judgement" then they will continue to cast it aside and honor with their lips but not their hearts.

See if Christians believe God is equally love and just, they must rejoice in his justice as much his love. However they just say regarding eternal hell.. "It's a sad thing, but God is just".... How glorifying?!

Even when God pours out his wrath I rejoice, because I know its for the best of us, for the better of our understanding, that at the end of the dad my Dad will not abandon me, or my brothers and sisters. This is why i rejoice in Gods justice unlike my fellow Christians, because I believe God's Justice is a good thing!  :dsunny:

[ded2daworld]

Hebrews 11:6, - "Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen" - . One can have faith in the doctrine of eternal punishment, but they can never hope for it. But one can have faith in the doctrine of the Ultimate Reconciliation of all men/woman and can indeed hope for its truth with all their hearts. 

So which makes sense?

[micah7:9]

"Even when God pours out his wrath I rejoice, because I know its for the best of us, for the better of our understanding, that at the end of the dad my Dad will not abandon me, or my brothers and sisters."  misszoolander

I only take exception and with no offence intended, but I believe you meant to say, 2Co 7:4  Great is my boldness of speech toward you, great is my glorying of you: I am filled with comfort, I am exceeding joyful in all our tribulation.

For Paul tells us, 1Th 5:9  For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ,

:HeartThrob: :dsunny:

[misszoolander]

 :thumbsup: :Peace2:

[VineBranch]

There was thread here not too long ago where ded and I decided that it was not only cruel for God to put folk in Hell, but then He was going to make us watch, which to me made Him more sadistic than ever.  Ded and I came to the conclusion that we would rather not exist, than exist with a god like that.

[micah7:9]

Mat 7:1  `Judge not, that ye may not be judged,
Joh 7:24  judge not according to appearance, but the righteous judgment judge.'
Joh 8:15  `Ye according to the flesh do judge; I do not judge any one,
Joh 12:48  `He who is rejecting me, and not receiving my sayings, hath one who is judging him, the word that I spake, that will judge him in the last day,
Luk 12:14  And he said to him, `Man, who set me a judge or a divider over you?'
Joh 3:17  For God did not send His Son to the world that he may judge the world, but that the world may be saved through him;
There in lies the rub. They enjoy the fact that they believe that they have such a step up, they enjoy the fact that some one will pay dearly for all the good they felt they lived, above those who are below and would not hear and serve as they have. Look and see how good I have been and obedient to all my denominational beliefs, and look at all those who are not compelled to accept my righteous concepts, well, I will be given the beauty of all heaven allows, a cabin, no a mansion, while all those who thought me a square and a tea tote-ler, they will go to a everlasting place of fire that will burn night and day singeing amid burning flames, billowed to extreme heat, bringing awful screaming pain that will never cease, with the arm of God, pumping the coals and fire to extreme heat the burning fires that kindle and bring pain to those who did not live like me, you ignored my warnings, I tried to tell you what would happened, butyou would not listen....God is love... and because you didn't join up and heed, you will suffer forever.... God's love is just, and you pushed Him aside and this is the answer that you will reap...everlasting fire that eats your skin and the pain that will not cease, I tried to tell you!
People are quite vindictive to those who will not agree to how they believe. I have said many times, I would rather be in a bar fight with drunks and crazy bikers, that have to stand in judgement with a christian who believes God is on his side. :dsunny: Just a rant.  :dsunny: :HeartThrob:

[misszoolander]

There was thread here not too long ago where ded and I decided that it was not only cruel for God to put folk in Hell, but then He was going to make us watch, which to me made Him more sadistic than ever.  Ded and I came to the conclusion that we would rather not exist, than exist with a god like that.

I remember thinking this myself before I believed UR too be true.

I'd rather cease to exist, then see it happen before me, and the thought that God might be actually like that, and there are people with no hope, well its the darkest of thoughts...

[UniversalSceptic]

Mat 7:1  `Judge not, that ye may not be judged,
Joh 7:24  judge not according to appearance, but the righteous judgment judge.'
Joh 8:15  `Ye according to the flesh do judge; I do not judge any one,
Joh 12:48  `He who is rejecting me, and not receiving my sayings, hath one who is judging him, the word that I spake, that will judge him in the last day,
Luk 12:14  And he said to him, `Man, who set me a judge or a divider over you?'
Joh 3:17  For God did not send His Son to the world that he may judge the world, but that the world may be saved through him;
There in lies the rub. They enjoy the fact that they believe that they have such a step up, they enjoy the fact that some one will pay dearly for all the good they felt they lived, above those who are below and would not hear and serve as they have. Look and see how good I have been and obedient to all my denominational beliefs, and look at all those who are not compelled to accept my righteous concepts, well, I will be given the beauty of all heaven allows, a cabin, no a mansion, while all those who thought me a square and a tea tote-ler, they will go to a everlasting place of fire that will burn night and day singeing amid burning flames, billowed to extreme heat, bringing awful screaming pain that will never cease, with the arm of God, pumping the coals and fire to extreme heat the burning fires that kindle and bring pain to those who did not live like me, you ignored my warnings, I tried to tell you what would happened, butyou would not listen....God is love... and because you didn't join up and heed, you will suffer forever.... God's love is just, and you pushed Him aside and this is the answer that you will reap...everlasting fire that eats your skin and the pain that will not cease, I tried to tell you!
People are quite vindictive to those who will not agree to how they believe. I have said many times, I would rather be in a bar fight with drunks and crazy bikers, that have to stand in judgement with a christian who believes God is on his side. :dsunny: Just a rant.  :dsunny: :HeartThrob:

Lol that sums it up perfectly. It all comes down to a person's pride that they disguise as worship.

[josh]

not necessarily why it is for many
but i suspect for some
a kind of hidden schadenfreude[a feeling of enjoyment that comes from seeing or hearing about the troubles of other people ]
not that i want my enemies to suffer
but it is god's decision
not mine
that belies to some degree
that they arent completely ok with  really loving  their enemies