IIRC, Asimov wrote a short story on this topic. The skeptical scientist who was expecting oblivion at death finds himself recruited by God into a sort of cosmic research group, since even though God’s knowledge is infinite, it can still be extended. The scientist then dedicates his afterlife to trying to solve the problem of how God can be destroyed.
Not quite; he’s drafted rather than recruited. Stuck as a simulation in God’s mind, in a sensory deprivation void. And God has no reason to think that he can actually succeed in finding a way to destroy God; God just has no other ideas and simply doesn’t care that he’s sentencing billions to barren eternal existences. And if they hate him for it, all they can do about it is exactly what he wants them to do, try to think of a way to destroy him.
I regularly tell my wife she’s going to Hell. Sure, she is in the church choir, teaches Sunday School, and gives up the “Man or Woman?” game for Lent, but I hear her laughing along with the “Pearl the Landlady” video and freely admitting, “I used to do that with my younger sisters.” And I have heard her compare her mother and aunt to Terry Jones and Michael Palin in drag. Straight to Hell, though I might’ve made the latter connection first.
Strange…I prayed to God for a strong and unquestionable faith and was led to not believe; as I read the Bible it helped me understand that the Bible was contradictory and was a Book written by humans,called the word of God by humans,and said it was inspired by humans. Now I believe that God has no Religion, but that religion is made by man, and taught by man, thought by man.
My response to the OP would be: If there is such a supreme being who knows all things ahead of time and creates a being, or allows a being to exist, (knowing that the being he created would suffer for all eternity), he does not love or care about that person or he would never allowed the person to exist. I know Iam an imperfect person, nor am I sure of the future of that child. but I would never concieve a child that I knew ahead of time would be evil and would suffer for all eternity. If I was Mrs Hitler and knew ahead of time what my child would become I wouldn’t have sex forever, making sure he would never come into being!
I would not think a divine being who is supposed to be Love itself would allow a child of His to suffer if He could prevent it. He would not depend on someone else to teach His child but would do so Himself. A good parent would not hold back anything that it knew ahead of time was harmful to it’s child nor deprive it’s child of anything that would be for the childs own good. Nor would he blame the child for his mistakes. If humans are flawed it is not the fault of humans but of the creator. Nor would a Good Father make his child beg for it’s necessities, or let them have anything that would be harmful no matter how they begged!
Some Christians (Calvinists and others) believe that all this stuff is predetermined anyway (predestinarianism). Calvinists are members of the Elect, destined for heaven since before the dawn of time. Others are predestined to hell, no matter what they do. It seems a tad unfair but there you go.
But I don’t believe in trucks.
My own view that I have gotten through prayer and meditation on the Word of God puts some of your premises in question. IMHO:
This is by definition.
This does not reflect the viewpoint of some Christians, though on some levels I do believe that all know it to be true.
IMHO outer darkness is far far worse then Hell.
Essentially almost by definition, but when that choice has to be made remains unclear. Some people when dieing have reported their life flashing before their eyes, could this be a review of life that offers the chance to know the Lord Jesus?
I believe God is very merciful and also believe that the grave itself is not a barrier to God (as Jesus has overcome the grave).
Saving people is the work of God, not man. It is God who prompts us to interact and to what level. Sometimes it’s just to wish someone a good day. It’s allowing God to do the work and getting ourselves out of His way. It is also trust in God that if we see someone hellbound, that God also sees that person hellbound and God is much better equipped to turn that person around.
The Holy Spirit works through the believer, and will prompt the believer what to say and when to stop (to allow God to work through other methods). It is surrendering to the flow of the Holy Spirit that prevents most of the proselytizing that you speak of.
It is also trust in God that prevents most believers from having nightmares about others going to Hell. That person is in the best possible hands, and all it takes is the believer praying to the Father to please save that person.
Not in this case, since by definition if there is nothing after death, no-one can have been in a position to tell him so. I know you like to talk as if a willingness to accept anything on faith meant an obligation to accept everything on faith, but it ain’t so.
I’m going to slightly modify your answer to see why it just gets eye-rolling from non-believers.
Believer: You should believe that UFOs are actually alien visitors from other solar systems.
Skeptic: You know, I’ve looked at the evidence, and I haven’t found any of it convincing. Plus, it’s quite an extraordinary claim, so I would need really really strong evidence to believe.
Believer: You need to try to believe. Turn out the lights and ask the aliens for help believing. Find a local UFO believer group and get involved. Talk to other UFO enthusiasts, ask them why they believe. Read the UFO canon, not critically, but consider that it was written specifically for you and ask yourself what it’s telling you. But I don’t think you’ll actually do this, because you don’t want to believe.
Now, at this point, what would you tell this person? Are you going to be open-minded and do what he requests? I’d roll my eyes, and tell him that doing what he asks is demonstrably the worst way to go about arriving at your beliefs. I’ve spent years developing a good filter for what I let into my head, and you’re asking me to throw it away and accept crap for evidence. Sorry, I can’t fulfill your request.
In crowds, my observation is that most people hope, or assume, that someone else will take the action. If it’s a situation where someone is standing in front of an oncoming truck, and there is only one person around who sees it, that person will do what’s necessary.
Then what’s the point? If you’re already doomed, there’s no real reason to pray, do good works, or even be nice.
Strange. All of the above double-predestine types think it’s always going to be someone else on the hell list.