The Problem of Hell Redux (2)

I will simply respond to the arguments Pro has made. The problem with Pro's usage of the word "aion" to mean a limited period of time proves too much in this instance. The Greek word used to describe Hell, aionion, in the context of the passage is used in the same context to describe Heaven. So either Pro must believe that Heaven is also around for a limited time only, or that Hell is eternal, which is more likely given the context of the passage. [1] In fact, Pro's usage of "aion," the root of the word which means "age" (or a period with an end) to mean that of the entire Greek word does nothing short of committing the fallacy of composition. The word "aionion" means an eternity. As Matt Slick affirms, "It is true that the root 'aion' means age. But just because a root means age does not mean that every word derived from that root means a limited duration of time. " [2]God Cannot Stand SinGod is, indeed, omnipresent -- everywhere that He can be. God cannot be around sin, so He doesn't reside in Hell. But He can exist anywhere in the universe He wishes, though He does not necessarily have to. God's omnipresence is not to be confused with pantheism. Just like God can't do absolutely anything (He can't sin and He can't do what is logically impossible, like creating a square triangle) yet He is still omnipotent, God can be omnipresent without existing someplace He absolutely cannot be, a place full of sin. Pro's resorting to Revelation 14 is unconvincing. God will judge sinners; that does not mean He must be around them for all eternity, or even for a short time. Hell is outer darkness, completely cut off from God. I'm sure Pro would say that even if Hell had a limited duration, it is still a place God wouldn't be (at least we can't make a case that God would ever be there). I have never said that God tolerates sin by keeping it around. After all, Pro's case says that God tolerates sin for a little while -- why not just annihilate sinners right away? Why let them suffer in Hell for even a limited time? Surely Pro should think that it is unloving for God to allow someone to suffer in Hell for any amount of time, rather than simply annihilating them. In fact, is God not "tolerating" sin now by allowing evil people to live on Earth rather than killing them now? Pro's case proves too much. But it seems likelier through proper Biblical hermeneutics that Hell is an eternal place for sinners. God can leave sinners in Hell for eternity without tolerating their sin -- God never has to be around it. God is Justicei) My response here is not irrelevant. I was responding to Pro's argument in the previous round. ii) I never even implied that all sins deserve the same punishment. Yes, all sins send us to Hell eventually, but there are different degrees of punishment (as I have shown). If one person has to endure a pin prick for all eternity, and another person has a large boulder dropped on him for all eternity, they are both being punished for eternity but with different degrees of punishment (not the greatest example, I'm sure, but it gets my point across). Besides which, we are not punished for just one sin, but for accumulating a multitude of sins throughout our entire lives. Free Willi) I did, apparently, misunderstand Pro's analogy. I have known many rational people who do ridiculous things despite having every reason (and every motive) not to do it (particularly thrill seekers). He could have been clearer. At any rate, when people sin they do not do so irrationally. God has placed His Law on our hearts (Hebrews 8:10). When people do wrong, they know it. No one is "without excuse" when it comes time for judgment (Romans 1:20). So his analogy of the irrational boy fails. It would be more apt debating the "age of accountability" and whether an adult who is mentally challenged should be held accountable for his sins. The average (in fact, I would say most) sinner(s) are not irrational people. They know right from wrong. ii) Pro continually misses the point of free will. God must allow us to make actions which cause us pain (on Earth because it helps us to grow), and this extends to Hell. For if we were not given the choice to go to Hell, we would never have the choice to do good. We would not have free will at all, because even one sin would make us go to Hell. Therefore God would have to prevent us from sinning at all. You might as well ask why God didn't stop Adam and Eve from consuming the forbidden fruit, when He knew it would result in their spiritual death and eventual phyiscal death. The Bliss of the Savedi) As I have shown, God is eternally happy in Heaven. If God can be eternally happy, so can we. Does Pro think thing people in Heaven would be any happier knowing their friends and family were being punished in Hell, even temporarily, and then annihilated? ii) Geisler's claims don't fail. We can be happy here on Earth, despite knowing that there are others suffering in other countries (even though that suffering will likely lead us to try and help them). But if sinners refuse God's gift of salvation, then God can't be faulted if they end up in Hell for eternity. I have already shown why they have no excuse, and why God can't just eliminate their free will. It seems clear that not just through reason, but through the Scriptures that Hell is an eternal place. You just can't make a Biblical case against Hell's eternal existence, and it seems clear that justice demands that Hell is eternal. [1] Geisler, Norman L. , The Baker Encyclopedia of Christian Apologetics, p. 312. [2] . http://carm.org...