Why Would a Loving God Create Hell?

I'm a bit confused why people persist in asking why a loving God would create hell and in the next breath essentially say they don't believe hell, as presented by some Christians, exists.If we want to know why a loving God would create hell, we first have to figure out whether a God even created the Christian Hell.The scriptures don't support eternal torment.We should at least judge the Christian God by what the Bible does say and not the dogma and tradition that varies from sect to sect.IMO, God didn't create Hell as it is presented by some Christians today. Mankind created Hell just like all the other boogey men created to scare people into line.

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"Peshat is what I say and derash is what you say." --Nehama Leibowitz

So given what you quoted from Isaiah 45, why does Christianity perpetuate the myth that Hell is eternal punishment for not believing?The Bible does support that God is considered just, but the idea that people go to Hell for lack of belief doesn't come across as just since God also creates evil and disaster.Tough love is understandable since humans must do the same from time to time, but the idea that one goes to Hell for lack of belief is not just and I don't see it supported in the Bible.Hell is associated with our actual actions and it's not eternal.

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In several messages I said man goes into eternal punishment because of the first man's disobedience.

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But the Bible doesn't support that contention either. The most the story says is that death is a consequence of A&E's actions.

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As shown in messages above you are sentenced to the lake of fire because of the first man's disobedience.

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Revelation is a symbolic writing. The lake of fire isn't Hell. Otherwise God would be throwing Hell into Hell. That's why people need to be clear what they call Hell. References in the Bible are not all equal.

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God is eternal and you are made in His image. What makes you think you can burn up. That flesh body you have could be but the mind and the spirit could not be and the new body you get at the resurrection can't be either.

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If one was to receive eternal torment as taught, then the person would still be "living".
IOW being tormented throughout his eternal life, but this verse states that only the righteous receive eternal life. Therefore the punishment is death by destruction in the Lake of Fire (not Hell), which is eternal in the sense that it is a permanent judgment. No resurrection for this person. Again, the lake of fire cannot be Hell if Hades is thrown into it.Eternal life is for the righteous and all others just cease to exist.This idea would be more consistent with a loving and just God judging our actions.I don't see that the Bible supports the idea that everyone gets eternal life. One must have eternal life for eternal torment.

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"Peshat is what I say and derash is what you say." --Nehama Leibowitz

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Why? Just because you and others do not know the difference in hell and the lake of fire.

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So you agree there's a difference. This thread is about Hell and not the lake of fire.

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You could call that living if you want.
Living is where God is at. Death is where God is not. That is existing which everybody will do somewhere.

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The resurrection is for the righteous. The unrighteous will be like the criminals burned up in Gehenna. They have no place in the world to come. No resurrection. That is their punishment after death, no eternal life. They cease to exist anywhere. The body is dead and the soul is dead. This penalty is never reversed. There is a difference between punishing a child and tormenting a child.Where does the Bible support that everyone has eternal life after our physical death, but some won't enjoy it?

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This tell us God is everlasting.

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No one's debating whether God is everlasting or not. That's not the issue. The issue is Hell and it's purpose.

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No place in the Bible says your eternal destiny will be determined by your actions. If so give me book chapter and verse.

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Be sure to make sure it is talking about eternal destiny and not rewards for His children.

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Eternal life with God is not a reward.

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The idea of eternal life is a product of the NT. Notice that the come follow me, was not part of the requirements for eternal life. The actions were.The way Christianity presents it, it is a reward. Behave and we are rewarded, believe and we are rewarded. Belief with wrong behavior is not actually rewarded. Right behavior has to be there.You haven't shown me that the bible writers support the idea that all people are to have eternal life and only the quality of it changes according to our actions or beliefs.

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"Peshat is what I say and derash is what you say." --Nehama Leibowitz

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Where did all those beings come from that was cast into the lake of fire?

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As I said before, Revelation is a vision and symbolic. So one would have to look at what the vision was representing. Death is not a thing and the lake of fire is not Hell since Hell is being thrown into it. So it really isn't part of this debate, which is about Hell.

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But you keep saying unsaved going to go poof and disappear. But every human in made in the image of God. That means every human will abide somewhere forever.

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No, I've said that the Bible does not support that the unrighteous will have eternal life. I didn't say anyone would disappear, just die; cease to exist. Once we die we no longer exist.

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I guess poor Job was just dreaming. He believed in eternal life but since by your word says it was not until the NT then he had to be delusional.

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I stand corrected.

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Now was the offer for eternal life or as Jesus put it, "you will have treasure in heaven;"?

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You know as well as I do what that section said. The individual asked what shall I do to inherit eternal life? and Jesus said follow the commandments. The treasure in heaven was added after he was told to also give to the poor. So following the commandments are essential to obtaining eternal life.

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If man is made in the image of God and God is eternal then man is eternal.

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No. According to the tale, without the Tree of Life, man will not live forever.

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Right behavior has nothing to do with God's offer to you.
When you become a child of God right behavior will be there.

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I agree, but we are talking about Hell, not the offer.
Yes, once one believes in God the right behavior should follow, but that isn't always the case. The point is at judgment day the right behavior has to be there.

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That verse says you are already condemned.
It also says you got to accept God's offer to change your condemnation.

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Like I said you don't have to believe it. Many didn't so they re-wrote the bible to say what they wanted it to say.

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If you notice the latter part of the section again speaks of behavior. The Book of John is a later writing and I agree it was probably written to make Jesus more Gentile. That book isn't always in line with the first three Gospels.As far as the topic goes, I still don't see that those condemned are eternally tormented. The dead just stay dead. No afterlife. Like I said, that fits with the idea of a just and loving God more so than eternal torment.Why do you have a problem with the dead staying dead?
Why the need for torment?

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"Peshat is what I say and derash is what you say." --Nehama Leibowitz