Yahweh's nature is such that he is compelled to punish sinners (every human who has ever existed according to mainstream Christian theology, see Romans 3:23, 1 John 1:10). Yet, he also wants that no humans should be punished (see II Peter 3:9).
These desires are in conflict. It is either good that humans suffer an eternity burning in hell or it is good that they be spared and not suffer an eternity of torture. If it is good that humans be tortured, then Yahweh's desire for mercy is in conflict with his propensity toward eternal punishment. If it is good that humans should be spared from this eternal torture, then it seems that it would be wrong to desire to torture them in the first place.
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| I want everyone to be saved ...from the place I made. |
These desires are in conflict. It is either good that humans suffer an eternity burning in hell or it is good that they be spared and not suffer an eternity of torture. If it is good that humans be tortured, then Yahweh's desire for mercy is in conflict with his propensity toward eternal punishment. If it is good that humans should be spared from this eternal torture, then it seems that it would be wrong to desire to torture them in the first place.
I've had conversations with some Calvinists who believe I'm misinterpreting the verse in II Peter. Their position is evidently that the damned were just created for the wrath of the Christian god and the elect were created to serve him. He doesn't actually want everyone to not perish, that verse is just talking about all the elect.
If that's the solution, we turn again to the ambiguous writing in the text which could have been cleared up by an extra clause or clarifying verse before or after. Yahweh is a super bad writer which is why there is so much disagreement about what it all means. Setting that issue aside, this "solution" may address the tension between the apparent conflicting desires of the deity, but it also makes the deity a complete monster. He created a majority of humanity for the purpose of torturing them for eternity when he could have only created the elect and left everyone else out of the picture. He could also have just made the eternal resolution oblivion rather than torture.
If that's the solution, we turn again to the ambiguous writing in the text which could have been cleared up by an extra clause or clarifying verse before or after. Yahweh is a super bad writer which is why there is so much disagreement about what it all means. Setting that issue aside, this "solution" may address the tension between the apparent conflicting desires of the deity, but it also makes the deity a complete monster. He created a majority of humanity for the purpose of torturing them for eternity when he could have only created the elect and left everyone else out of the picture. He could also have just made the eternal resolution oblivion rather than torture.
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| Burn! |
Could it be that these theologies arose from ancient half-baked ideas and superstitions? ...I think probably.
Well, that's all I have for today.
Thanks,
Gavagai
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