Im asking this from an Orthodox Christian perspective where hell is not a place but our own experience of God's love (for some its hell, for some heaven)...
I find it hard to understand how God can be a "loving God", and at the same time force people to live, even though their eternity turns out to be hell everlasting...
If people (due to their own fault or not, it doesn't matter at all) are made sick by Him, and His presence and His love - wouldn't it be a "loving" thing then to end their misery by making them go back into nothingness/nonexistence?
It is already clear people like that will never learn to accept him and will eternally have a problem with him, and i doubt they will enjoy hanging out with demons and other wicked either... why keep them in existence then, what is the point?
Since it is established (as far as i know, anyway, correct me if im wrong) in Orthodoxy that God does not seek to punish people - the argument of punishment does not hold up, and even if that was the case - there wouldn't be any logic in punishing people eternally for just one short human life of sin, so in that case - God would, without a doubt, be a psychopatic autocrat, so the punishment argument is pretty much senseless to me...
Greetings Rhombus,
First of all, you are assuming that God's love extends to the sinner after death, which it does not. Once a person dies in their sins, rejecting God's provision for salvation thought faith in Christ, then that old saying of "the judge throwing the book at you" will be the outcome.
Since Jesus met the righteous requirements of the law, satisfying it completely and fully, when anyone believes in Him, they are credited with that fulfillment. In the same way, Jesus experienced God's wrath on behalf of every believer, therefore God's wrath no longer rests upon the believer, because Jesus was held accountable for the sins of those who believe in Him. By our faith, we are credited with righteousness and have been reconciled to God. However, for those who continue to reject Christ, they will be judged by the Law and they themselves will be held accountable for every sin, every thought and every idle word.
You mention God as being a God of love and you are correct. But, He is also a Holy and Righteous God, which will not override His righteous judgment. Once an individual dies in their sins, rejecting the only way of being reconciled to God, then they will suffer the full wrath of God, without love, mercy or grace being mixed in.
Remember, God created the angels, mankind and everything there is. Therefore, we are not our own, but belong to God as His creation. However, He didn't want robot's and gave us free will. For those who continue in sin, if they die in that sin, they will be responsible for remaining separated from God in eternal punishment in the lake of fire, because of their rejection of His salvation.
there wouldn't be any logic in punishing people eternally for just one short human life of sin,
By your statement above, you would be saying that you have no respect for the Holiness of God. For He is Righteous, Holy and Eternal and His creation has sinned and continues to sin against Him. For after king David had committed adultery and murder against Uriah with Bathsheba David said to God, "against you alone have I sinned." He recognized that all sin is against God. This then is the reason for eternal punishment.
God indeed loved the world so much that He gave His one and only Son, that everyone who believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. However, for those who reject His Son, He will judge them for every sin according to the law, which will result in eternal punishment in separation from Him in the Lake of fire.