Your article that God does not send people to hell falls way short of giving any real and meaningful answer.\u00a0 True, people have a choice to some extent and God will not force Himself on anyone, but it most\u00a0certainly<\/strong>\u00a0says in the Scriptures that no one can come to the Father unless they are chosen.\u00a0Can’t deny that one.\u00a0So if eternal torture is true, then God predestined billions to this by\u00a0His<\/strong>\u00a0choice.<\/p>\n Next, we have those who have\u00a0never<\/strong>\u00a0even heard of Christ.\u00a0Hard to defend going to hell on that note.\u00a0 Please don’t say: “Oh, people that never have heard won’t be held accountable.”\u00a0 Well, if that’s the case, then we should all shut our mouths and not even mention God so people can’t be held responsible for rejecting Him.<\/p>\n Also, I completely understand that God is “just”, so He cannot allow sin.\u00a0 Don’t get me wrong on that.\u00a0 I wouldn’t want Him to.\u00a0 But it’s time we held God responsible for this so-called hell of eternal torment.\u00a0 I hate it when people say “Oh, we send ourselves there!”\u00a0 Well, God is the one who came up with the game plan on what He would do with unrepentant sinners.\u00a0Am I not right on that?\u00a0He could simply destroy them if He wanted to.\u00a0 According to mainstream Christianity, He created Hell.\u00a0 He chose to.\u00a0Wow. How cruel.\u00a0 And people say Hitler was cruel?\u00a0 At least his victims’ agony and torture came to an end!\u00a0 Not buying into the hell thing.\u00a0 Been mistranslated in the Bible.\u00a0 Study Gehenna fire and stop spreading lies.<\/p>\n Thanks.<\/p>\n\t When attempting to have a conversation with another person, it really helps to first understand what a person believes before arguing against his beliefs. Making up straw men just to argue against them won’t get you answers.<\/p>\n The article you are referencing is “Does God Send People to Hell?<\/a>” The point of the article is that God set the conditions for entrance to both heaven and hell. The choice of destiny is up to the individual. “Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling<\/em>” (Philippians 2:12). Individual predestination is a popular teaching among religious denominations, but it is one that is not supported in the teachings of the Bible. Our eternal abode is based on what we choose to do:<\/p>\n “And do you think this, O man, you who judge those practicing such things, and doing the same, that you will escape the judgment of God? Or do you despise the riches of His goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance? But in accordance with your hardness and your impenitent heart you are treasuring up for yourself wrath in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God, who “will render to each one according to his deeds”: eternal life to those who by patient continuance in doing good seek for glory, honor, and immortality; but to those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness — indignation and wrath, tribulation and anguish, on every soul of man who does evil, of the Jew first and also of the Greek; but glory, honor, and peace to everyone who works what is good, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For there is no partiality with God<\/em>” (Romans 2:3-11).<\/p><\/blockquote>\n Your statement that “no one can come to the Father unless they are chosen” is not found in the Scriptures, which explains why you didn’t bother to cite a passage to back up your point. The closest passage actually says:<\/p>\n “No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day<\/em>” (John 6:44).<\/p><\/blockquote>\n Stopping at verse 44 might give you the impression that God chooses who comes. But what people do is read their own beliefs into the passage. This verse, by itself, does not state\u00a0how<\/strong>\u00a0God draws a person. The next verse does.<\/p>\n “It is written in the prophets, ‘And they shall all be taught by God.’ Therefore everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to Me<\/em>” (John 6:45).<\/p><\/blockquote>\n Jesus is saying that no one comes to him except he is drawn to him by God through the teachings of the Gospel. It is exactly what other passages teach, such as “For since, in the wisdom of God, the world through wisdom did not know God, it pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe<\/em>” (I Corinthians 1:21). God uses the Gospel to draw people to righteousness. “Since you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit in sincere love of the brethren, love one another fervently with a pure heart, having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever, because “All flesh is as grass, And all the glory of man as the flower of the grass. The grass withers, And its flower falls away, But the word of the LORD endures forever.” Now this is the word which by the gospel was preached to you<\/em>” (I Peter 1:22-25).<\/p>\n Because you accepted the false notion of individual predestination, you reject the idea that hell can’t exist. You didn’t prove your case, you just assert that you don’t like the concept. There is an interesting statement in Matthew: “Then He will also say to those on the left hand, ‘Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels’<\/em>” (Matthew 25:41). Hell was prepared for the devil and his angels. It is the appropriate punishment for the destruction of Satan and his angels caused to the world. God doesn’t want to lose people, but if they insist on following Satan, they will follow him all the way. “But if a wicked man turns from all his sins which he has committed, keeps all My statutes, and does what is lawful and right, he shall surely live; he shall not die. None of the transgressions which he has committed shall be remembered against him; because of the righteousness which he has done, he shall live. ‘Do I have any pleasure at all that the wicked should die?” says the Lord GOD, “and not that he should turn from his ways and live?’<\/em>” (Ezekiel 18:21-23). God doesn’t want people in Hell, but He will be just.<\/p>\n In regards to those who never heard the gospel, the Bible says: “in flaming fire taking vengeance\u00a0on those who do not know God<\/strong>, and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. These shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power<\/em>” (II Thessalonians 1:8-9). Why? What is the condition of people left on their own? Are they saved or lost? “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God<\/em>” (Romans 3:23). All people are dead in sin because all people sin. Even those who never heard the gospel have sinned against God and are responsible for their actions. “For as many as have sinned without law will also perish without law, and as many as have sinned in the law will be judged by the law (for not the hearers of the law are just in the sight of God, but the doers of the law will be justified; for when Gentiles, who do not have the law, by nature do the things in the law, these, although not having the law, are a law to themselves, who show the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and between themselves their thoughts accusing or else excusing them) in the day when God will judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ, according to my gospel<\/em>” (Romans 2:12-16). Since the gospel is the way God chose to lead people to Christ, without it those people remain in their sins. They are fully responsible even when God only holds them to the standard of being accountable for what they knew about right and wrong. Even with such a loose standard, all people still sin.<\/p>\n What God\u00a0could<\/em>\u00a0have done in your imagination is under consideration. “Thus says the LORD of hosts: “Do not listen to the words of the prophets who prophesy to you. They make you worthless; they speak a vision of their own heart, not from the mouth of the LORD<\/em>” (Jeremiah 23:16). We deal with the reality of God has done.<\/p>\n Assertions do not prove whether hell exists or not. Your refusal to believe it is there doesn’t make it imaginary. For a study on the matter see: “What is Hell Like?<\/a>” In regards to Gehenna, that issue was addressed in “Is “hell” a proper translation of “Gehenna”?<\/a>“<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Question: Your article that God does not send people to hell falls way short of giving any real and meaningful answer.\u00a0 True, people have a choice to some extent and God will not force Himself on anyone, but it most\u00a0certainly\u00a0says in the Scriptures that no one can come to the Father unless they are chosen.\u00a0Can’t…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[20],"tags":[373,562],"class_list":["post-25034","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-answer","tag-hell","tag-predestination"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":27427,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/youre-right-christians-need-a-healthy-fear-of-hell\/","url_meta":{"origin":25034,"position":0},"title":"You’re right. Christians need a healthy fear of hell","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"May 14, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: During the five years I attended a church in my area, I never heard the preacher once mention Hell or God's wrath, or the fact that Christians need a holy fear of God. Your \"If I Don't Preach on Hell\" summary was excellent. Is a church that doesn't preach\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":21696,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/if-a-person-says-if-im-lying-may-i-go-to-hell-and-then-lies-will-god-forgive-them-if-they-repent\/","url_meta":{"origin":25034,"position":1},"title":"If a person says “If I’m lying, may I go to hell” and then lies, will God forgive them if they repent?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"January 11, 2010","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: I can't really remember if I have ever done this, but I am kind of sure I have. I hope I\u00a0never said this, but if someone says to a person: \"If I am lying, may I go to hell,\" and then they lie, will they go to hell even\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":35386,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/why-do-the-jews-teach-different-doctrines-from-the-new-testament\/","url_meta":{"origin":25034,"position":2},"title":"Why do the Jews teach different doctrines from the New Testament?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"October 20, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: I was wondering why the Jews think Satan isn't evil and of God to test people. They think that hell isn't eternal. And that the Messiah will be a normal man, not the Son of God, who will rebuild the church in Israel and bring people back to Judaism.\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":25036,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/does-god-send-people-to-hell\/","url_meta":{"origin":25034,"position":3},"title":"Does God Send People to Hell?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"August 21, 2010","format":false,"excerpt":"by Jesse M Kelly via Preceptor, p.12 - Vol.57, No.6, June 2008. While discussing the subject of \"Hell\" with a lady acquaintance one day, she said to me, \"I just cannot conceive of a merciful God sending one to Hell to suffer eternally.\" We readily agreed with her. God doesn't\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/08\/choice-225x300.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":12626,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/how-could-a-loving-god-send-me-to-hell\/","url_meta":{"origin":25034,"position":4},"title":"How Could a Loving God Send Me to Hell?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"October 9, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"by Tanner Campbell The very thought of Hell is terrifying. Such a thought is an intense provoker for many to repent of their sins and revere the word of the Lord. However, others think little of Hell. For example, you may have heard someone say something like \"how could a\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Article"","block_context":{"text":"Article","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/article\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":47934,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/with-all-the-sexual-sins-in-the-world-there-must-be-a-lot-of-people-in-hell\/","url_meta":{"origin":25034,"position":5},"title":"With all the sexual sins in the world, there must be a lot of people in hell","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"April 20, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: Hello, I think there are many people who are sinners nowadays, since more and more people do not marry or are no longer virgins before marriage, and many people have sex with several people in their life. There are also more and more children born out of wedlock. Does\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25034","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=25034"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25034\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=25034"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=25034"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=25034"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Answer:<\/h2>\n