If God is omniscient (knows the past, present, and future things to come), how come He created people that He knew would only end up in Hell to suffer forever and forever without ever being able to repent or escape… and yet says He loves people?

Even if you say, "it is each person’s choice on whether or not they go to heaven or hell", set that aside and ask yourself: what loving, caring couple, if they knew in advance, that a child they could conceive, raise, etc. would only ultimately end up in an eternal hell would go ahead and procreate that child?  I don't think any good, loving parent would do that.

Also, how come we think God is "pro-life" when He condoned the killing of men, women, and children (including infants) in the Old Testament?  Whatever the excuses or rationalizations are... they would just be making excuses for acts of atrocities.

Sincerely,
Where’s The Good?

Dear Where’s The Good,

God could have made us without the freedom to choose, but then we wouldn’t be “in His image” (Gen 1:26)… we would be automatons.  You told us to set aside human choice, but setting aside the freedom to choose isn’t as easy for us as it is for you.  If every parent had the choice between having a child that may break their heart or purchasing a robot that would obey their every command… well, the choice is obvious.

God has to make complex decisions that allow individuals the freedom to choose while still keeping the rest of mankind safe.  Every time that God has destroyed a nation, He has done it for the safety of other nations and because that nation had become so corrupt that it was unsalvageable (Gen 15:16, Gen 6:5).  God knows that infants will be safe in His arms when that nation is destroyed.

In short, your argument makes perfect sense – if people weren’t people and freewill wasn’t important.

How can there be no pain in heaven if some of our loved ones might not make it there with us?

Sincerely,
Love From A Distance

Dear Love From A Distance,

There will be no pain in heaven because God will heal us.  Heaven is a place where we show up with tears, and God wipes them away (Rev 21:4).  There will be a great deal of pain that we bring with us to the feet of our Maker, but He is the Great Physician (Mk 2:17).  We here at AYP have no idea how God will heal every wound and sorrow in heaven, but we also don’t know how skilled doctors repair hearts and arteries.  If a surgeon on this earth can repair my body and make it whole, certainly God is capable of repairing our hearts and souls.

(This is a follow-up to “Finding The Narrow Gate”)

I have to disagree with you on the narrow gate subject.  You wrote:

 

"God says that everyone has the opportunity and freedom to choose Him – regardless of what background we come from.  The very universe screams of the nature of God, so all are without excuse (Rom 1:20).

There are tribes out there who either do not know of Jesus or believe in a different god.  Some of these tribes are small, isolated, little communities.  The children are brought up believing what the parents tell them to believe; the cycle continues, and they all go to hell.

Jesus says: "Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting FIRE, prepared for the devil and his angels..." (Matthew 25:41).  If I do not accept Jesus, I will burn in hell for all eternity because God’s justice demands it. You say God is trying to keep us from hell by accepting Him when He CLEARLY has the power to just cast us into non-existence.  With God, all things are possible.  It seems like He is trying to scare us into loving Him… kind of like a parent spanks their child to get them to obey.  He is the one who chose to send the wicked, disobedient, and nonbelievers to hell.  Was it not God’s idea for this?  He’s not doing anything to stop it, even if He does not approve of it.  Apparently, He does approve of it because He’s not changing it when He has the power to do so.

Sincerely,
Justice League

Dear Justice League,

When we begin to talk about hell and the judgment of God, we must be very careful to not speak about what we don’t understand.  Why God chose to create hell along with heaven is like trying to comprehend the length of infinity… only God knows.  We must be very careful to not overstep our bounds and make the mistake of speaking about things too wonderful for us (Job 42:1-3).  God is just (Rev 16:7), and we may not understand why He created hell, but we can know that He made the right decision.

I am a committed christian, and I accept Christ as my Savior, but I don't understand some of the things God does to people who do not believe, and I believe this is holding me back from truly feeling Him in my heart.  These are some of the things I do not understand: there are truly great people out there who do not know Christ or do not believe.  Those who are brought up believing something else are innocent, for they have no choice. To them, it is like someone trying to convert you to Buddhism; you would not convert because you were brought up believing something else, and the consequence is to burn in hell for all eternity.  The human mind can’t even conceive of eternity; that’s the most horrifying thing I can imagine. God is like our father, but could you send your son to burn in hell, even if you could do something about it?  Please help me understand this; my faith most likely depends on this.  Thank you.

Sincerely,
Voice For The Lost

Dear Voice For The Lost,

There are several things to consider when wrestling with the issue of the lost going to hell.  The first thing to remember is that God doesn’t send people to hell – we choose to go there.  Sin is a choice made by responsible adults (see the story of the first sin in Gen 3:1-7).  When we sin, we die (Rom 6:23).  God didn’t make us spiritually dead; He created us with spiritual life (Gen 2:7).  God originally wanted all mankind to live eternally with Him in the Garden of Eden (Gen 2:8)… we are the ones who chose to break that perfect pattern.

God says that everyone has the opportunity and freedom to choose Him – regardless of what background we come from.  The very universe screams of the nature of God, so all are without excuse (Rom 1:20).  We all have a responsibility to seek out God, and He promises that all those who seek Him will find Him (Matt 7:7, Matt 5:6).  God never condemned us to hell; we did it to ourselves.  God has offered a payment for our souls through His Son Jesus Christ’s blood (Jhn 3:16).  Jesus is the road back to God (Jhn 14:6), the road we don’t deserve (Rom 5:8).  All of us have rebelled against God (Rom 3:23), and God in His infinite mercy gives us a second chance.

When we start thinking in terms of “God opening the way to heaven through His love” instead of “God condemning almost everyone to hell”, then we begin to get a proper picture of the way God views eternity.

I have a sensitive question that has a lot of varying answers, but I came across this site and decided to ask yet another religious and spiritual person.  Please try to answer as honestly as you can.

I had a cousin a little while back who committed suicide.  She was young (only 16) and not outwardly depressed or upset.  She left a long note for her mother, apologizing and trying to explain herself.  She was scared of what her future would hold, and her decision came with a lot of conscious struggle.  She left us all behind, confused and worried for her.  What would happen to someone like her in the afterlife? I know that God has the final say, but is suicide a sin?

ADDITIONAL DETAILS:
The girl in question wasn't an overly religious person (didn't attend church regularly), but she did believe in God, Jesus, and the afterlife.  She prayed every morning and often claimed to have a "connection" with God when she needed Him.  Thanks for your time.

Sincerely,
Sad Cousin

Dear Sad Cousin,

Suicide is a painful topic, and we are so sorry for your loss.  There are two things to consider when looking at what God says about a sixteen-year-old committing suicide.

1. Is suicide a sin?
2. How accountable does God hold someone of that age for their actions?

Question one is fairly straightforward – suicide is a sin.  Suicide is a form of murder, and murder is wrong (1 Jn 3:15).  What is so scary about suicide is that it is a form of murder that allows no opportunity for repentance (Heb 9:27).  The final judgment belongs to God (Heb 12:23), but it would be a very perilous thing to face God with your own blood on your hands.

Question number two is a lot trickier.  Children are not held accountable for their choices in the same way that adults are.  King David’s son died at infancy, and David knew that his son was in heaven (2 Sam 12:23).  Children are given as examples of godliness (Lk 18:17).  Paul uses the immaturity of children as an example (1 Cor 13:11).  At some point, children transition to being adults, and they become accountable for their own behavior… but that happens at different times for different kids.  Everyone understands that a five-year-old is a child and that a twenty-five-year-old is an adult; it is the ages in between that get fuzzier.  Sixteen is an age that sits squarely in the gray area.  Only God, who knows our hearts (Lk 16:15), could properly judge where your cousin’s maturity level was.  If she was still considered a child in the eyes of God, she will be in heaven – God doesn’t make mistakes; He will properly decide.  May God give you comfort in your time of grief for the loss of your loved one.