the God of love. cannot forgive unless He sends His own son to be torture and killed?
600639
First of all, I apologize on behalf of Donald Shaw.  I thought his response to your question was absolutely terrible, and very un-Christian.  \n\nI was dismayed that, instead of sharing his faith with you and trying to bring Christ to you, he chose words that would serve no other purpose than to alientate you and push you away.   Trust me, not all of us Christians are like that.\n\nNow, in response to your question:\n\nGod can (and does) effect His forgiveness in any way He wishes.  He's God.  He can do whatever He wants.\n\nSo why did He have His Son suffer and die for our sins?  \n\nOne reason is that this was predicted in the Old Testament.  The OT speaks of a "suffering servant," a human Lamb of God who -- like the lamb sacrificed each year by the ancient Jews on the Day of Atonement -- would die for us and take our sins with Him. \n\nSecond, human nature being what it is, it's not enough for us to read something (like "your sins are forgiven") and then believe it.  We human beings need visuals.  We need proof.  For us, seeing is truly believing.  \n\nAnd seeing Christ suffer and die the worst form of execution in the history of capital punishment -- for us! -- is truly believing.  \n\nWhy else would anyone, let alone the Son of God, willingly put Himself through that?   He certainly didn't do it for nothing.  He definitely didn't do it for Himself.  \n\nHe did it to conquer sin and death.  And for those who believe in Him, that's what He accomplished.
694592
I don't believe there is a hell.  Why would a supreme being have petty emmotions like venegence?  What use would there be?  He wants us to learn from mistakes, and he forgives...so why a hell?  It's a bit harsh.
641946
Does this mean that the first man in the holy book was the bastard son of a goddess? Who got her pregnant. I like this story. Was it one of the other Gods?
652552
He doesn't exist. The sad thing is, there are people who think he does and they accept this torture becuase they think it's part of god's plan. Sad, huh???\n\n\nThanks for asking.
1083392
He sound's like a horrific father if you ask me, an omnipotent and benevolent supernatural being wouldn't do such a thing, would he?  If yes, then who needs god(s)?
490792
Revelations 9:4-6\n\nAnd it was commanded them that they should not hurt the grass of the earth, neither any green thing, neither any tree; but only those men which have not the seal of God in their foreheads. And to them it was given that they should not kill them, but that they should be tormented five months; and their torment was as the torment of a scorpion when it striketh a man. And in those days shall men seek death, and shall not find it; and shall desire to die, and death shall flee from them.\n\nThat's who Christ wants to torture. He wants to torture nonbelievers. He wants them to beg for death but just keep torturing them and torturing them for months on end.
1082243
I don't believe in this stuff, but here's some thoughts:\n\nGenerally, God should forgive Satan if he is a loving God.  \n\nSince God is omniscent, when he created Lucifer, he knew that Lucifer would rebel and fall (basically, he was created to do so).  Did God create Lucifer for this purpose?  Is it possible for Lucifer to repent, or did God "design" Lucifer to not be able to ask for forgiveness?  Do the same rules apply to angels as humans (who can ask for forgiveness)?  Has Lucifer repented?
775499
First of all there is no such thing as god.\nSecondly, according to the fictional book that everyone follows it says that God created man in HIS OWN image. Which means that god must have been a murderer, rapist, child abuser, wife beater, gay, etc...
317984
who said GOD is  a father?never ever think it again.its a big sin.HE is not just like us,HE is ALONE,HE has no relations and not any realitive.
354726
You've stated just a few reasons why I ended up asking the question, "Is it possible that the Christian God and the Muslim God(Yahweh and Allah) are the same entity as Satan? The character flaws exhibited by the religious "good gods" can be lined up point for point with the understood character flaws of "Satan". One of the most sadistic stories I've ever read has got to be the story of God telling Abraham to sacrifice his own son and then, "Oh, sorry just testing". You don't get any more cruel or mind-controlling than that.
380397
The people who tortured him and nailed him to a cross were Romans.  The usual punishment for fomenting rebellion was crucifixion.  Ultimately, though, it doesn't matter who killed him.  He died willingly to take away the sins of the world.
191142
Some previous posters were saying that we send ourselves to hell.  That is insane.  If god creates the system and then offers us a choice - either worship him or go to hell, it's not a "loving" choice.  That's similar to an evil person offering the choice:  1. worship me and I'll give you drugs that will make you feel great or 2. I'll torture you.  \n\nWhat loving god would want to torture anything?!?  Why create a hell in the first place?  Why have everlasting torture for a short period of disobedience?  \n\nYou don't have to beat children for hours because they are disrespectful.  You can do time-out and explain why it was wrong.  You hug your children and try to not them suffer when they get sick.  The xian god does the opposite according to the bible.
1042295
Yes\n\nExodus 20\n5...for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, 6 but showing love to a thousand {generations} of those who love me and keep my commandments.\n\nNumbers 14:18\n'The LORD is slow to anger, abounding in love and forgiving sin and rebellion. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished; he punishes the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation.'
188977
God IS Love! But as a whole, mankind has rejected God( and His love). \n\nGod DOES NOT send people to hell. He's not willing for ANY to perish. He's simply waiting for you to ask. Is that really so hard!
751421
No matter how evil a man is, his evil act sooner or later will be overcome by the truth.  As God is merciful and forgiving, but until\nto a certain extend of provoking God's anger, God shall punish the evil one.
357582
But the question is what this punishment will consist of. Is it eternal torture? Not likely. Apart from major philosophical and ethical issues, the idea of hell as an eternal torture chamber is a primitive and un-Christian notion, a result of early Christianity's loss of ground to patristic, egotistic pagans. \n\nDoes this punishment consist of utter annihilation of the soul in question? Possibly. This is what the Bible seems to be saying.\n\nDoes this punishment consist of selective destruction of the wicked part of the soul in question, and the rest obtaining forgiveness? Possibly. Again, this can be read out of Scriptures.\n\nBut in any of  the above cases, Satan is acting (like he always has been) as an agent of God's will.\n\nTheses are complicated theological issues that require much study, and I am afraid I have not quite done them justice, so forgive me if in my ignorance I have presented something untrue.
1056491
i think you'll have to wait awhile...come to terms with what happened...you don't have 2 forgive someone right after they hurt you or a loved one deeply. i figure that as long as you're not out to kill them you're ok. remember God doesn't expect you to LOVE this person...he's probably angry at what they did too- and give it some time.