An Omniscient God and a Fiery Hell?

[Gottle_of_Geer]

I’ve been trying to reconcile this for a long time and still can’t think of any satisfying answer:

If God were an omniscient being – all-knowing that is, how could he in all his infinite mercy allow for people to be created who he would know would end up in hell?

Where is there any contradiction between His infinite mercy & omniscience, & the damnation of the wicked ?​

If he knows everything that will happen, the whole timeline before it is acted out, than he will know which beings will have internal weaknesses preventing them from achieving salvation.

Arrogance, drunkedness, stupidity, foolishness, greed, envy, lust, cruelty, pride, insatiability, inability to believe in Him at all…

These can all be simply the result of mental disorders, brain-damage, bad environments, and a plethora of factors we have no control over, so why must these people burn in the fires of eternal damnation? If some people are “saved”, why do the rest have to spend the whole of eternity suffering when God could simply be merciful and re-arrange their neurons to be good and faithful Catholics?

Damnation is the punishment for sin. Sin is a deliberate act; unintentional sin is a contradiction in terms. People don’t “go to Hell” by mistake - they, or rather we, go because we fully deserve to. Damnation is a lot of things; but one thing it is not - it is not unjust, not in the slightest.​

You’re forgetting something - namely, the reason for damnation. Which is, sin. We do not see sin with clear eyes - God does, because He is Holiness in Person; whereas we are protected from seeing the full consequences of our sins. Sin is so great an evil that God had to bleed, had to suffer the shameful & obscene penalty of the cross, & had to suffer & die, in order to save us from Hell (which is the punishment for unrepented sin) & to reconcile us to His Father (from Whom we were separated by sin).

It is not possible to “make sense” of sin - it is supremely irrational; so it is impossible to give a rational account of it.So it always remains profoundly mysterious. This makes it very hard to value rightly; which is why we need Divine Revelation to teach us what sin is, why it is so serious, & what comes of it. Reason can suggest that there is a Hell, but only Divine Revelation can show us that there is one, & that it is the righteous punishment for sin.

If we want to be treated as morally responsible human beings, we have to take the consequences of our actions. If OTOH God stepped in every time we sinned, to get rid of the consequences of our sinfulness, that would make the world unpredictable: if buildings turned to rubber or paper every time a motorist was in danger of crashing, they would be little use for living in. If the motorist is out of God’s friendship when he smashes himself to bits, that is his fault; it’s not the fault of whatever material object kills him.

Where we lack control, for reasons outside our control, there is no moral responsibility, and thus, no culpability. Where there is no culpability, there can be no punishment - let alone damnation.

Please, I don’t want any lame answers about seeking truth and wisdom or carrying your own cross. There are so many people who simply have no access to “the truth.” I’m lucky enough to come on here as often as I wish, both because I have the chemical tendency to enjoy this as well as something people for thousands of years weren’t lucky enough to have (I need not name it as you are looking at one).

All answers are going to be lame.​

I can’t escape from asking these questions, they originate in the chemical pathways of my mind, so did God know a thousand years ago whether I was bound for hell???

As the French Proverb says:

“To know all is to forgive all.”

So how can infinite knowledge and infinite punishment exist?

:dts:

1. Time is not related to God in the same way as it is to us - if it is related to Him at all.​

2. God’s knowledge is infinite - the punishment of damnation is not; it is by its very nature less than what is deserved. Damnation cannot be infinite, because no punishment can possibly be severe enough to punish us as we deserve; because we are finite; & God is not finite. Only an infinite being can be infinitely punished by an infinite being - that’s one reason why only God could make satisfaction for the sin of man.

 

[Maggie1951]

I don’t believe anyone knows the answer to this question. It’s a matter of faith.

I’ve read all people have this innate knowledge that there is something higher than them. Seeing the world about them, they start asking questions, looking for answers. In other words, people are pre-wired to search for something higher; in their search, hopefully they will hear about that Being or find that Being on their own. Those who never hear the Word of God will have God’s Mercy.

You can look in the Bible, Church Tradition, Catholic Answers for your answer. But in the end, the answer will only be given upon your death.

And like Abraham (I believe it was Abraham in the New Testament) you’ll be unable to warn others.

You have to have faith. As it turns out, we know God’s gave a set of rules and laws to the Israelites that turned out to be a protection for them while on this earth. God has spoken through both the Bible and Church Tradition. We either follow those rules (which aren’t hard to follow) or we find out after our death when it’s too late, that we should have followed those rules.

I don’t have the perfect answer for you because there is no perfect answer in this world of vast knowledge with many places to look and find answers that suit your particular belief. But your particular belief may not be the right one.

Life is a miracle. We’re given a wonderful organ called the brain. Satan is also a ‘god’. He will throw everything in your path to bring you to his side. Your brain has a choice to choose evil or good. God or Satan. Heaven or Hell. Life or Death.

The only sin God will not forgive is the sin against the Holy Spirit.

Be careful.

 

[rickAnthony]

Gee, if God is omniscient, omnipotent, and omnipresent…well, then. Is God in Hell?

Of course He is.

So, what is He doing there?

Why, He is loving the damned, of course.

For me, this exchange makes clear what Hell is about. God has not “sent” anyone to Hell. God has given us all a free will, for without this we cannot be the image of Himself. Anyone in Hell has chosen, of their own free will, to be there – ie: to be separated from Him, from all love, all good, and all that is desirable – and knows they have chosen this themself and their choice is for all eternity – and none-the-less God still loves them. And that is why it is Hell.

 

[Kathrin]

But why would somebody CHOOSE to stay in hell for all eternity?
Are there people who are just so “evil”?
Who just want nothing to do with God?
Even after they have died… and KNOW???

Kathrin

 

[Kay_Cee]

But why would somebody CHOOSE to stay in hell for all eternity?
Are there people who are just so “evil”?
Who just want nothing to do with God?
Even after they have died… and KNOW???

Kathrin

It’s the height of stupidity, but it does happen.

I can think of some folk who fit all the criterea you list above, except they did not die–at least not physically.

They are demons. And since they are angels, they knew even better than we do who God is. Yet they still chose hell.

 

[Teflon93]

It’s the height of stupidity, but it does happen.

I can think of some folk who fit all the criterea you list above, except they did not die–at least not physically.

They are demons. And since they are angels, they knew even better than we do who God is. Yet they still chose hell.

I agree. Anyone wanting to see a good example can watch “Intervention” on A&E—people deep in drug and alcohol addiction resemble the damned so much they may well be the closest thing we can find on Earth.

 

[Ahimsa]

But why would somebody CHOOSE to stay in hell for all eternity?
Are there people who are just so “evil”?
Who just want nothing to do with God?
Even after they have died… and KNOW???

Kathrin

No one expects the Spanish Inquisition.

Or: there is no reason to suppose that someone in ‘hell’ considers hell to be painful, or painful enough to leave.