[Trinity_Tx]

"Is the ransom due to the Father, then? To suggest this is to propose a theory of a violent, irrational Father demanding appeasement before souls can be released from a devil who's almost his agent.

Exactly.

...and no amount of esoteric philosophizing by humans can distract some of us from such a conflict of conscience.

The idea of a benevolent God who is omniscient and omnipotent, yet requires so much cognitive dissonance in terms of both justice and intellect is only rational to me as a concept of men.

And that was an almost devastating reality for me to have finally faced after a life trying to believe in what I was taught in Sunday School.

[Romulus]

The idea of a benevolent God who is omniscient and omnipotent, yet requires so much cognitive dissonance in terms of both justice and intellect is only rational to me as a concept of men.

A lot of nuttiness gets put forth under the banner of Christianity, but if you're looking for a rational, intellectually rigorous approach that maintains integrity with scripture, you have to look to the Catholic Church. I'm sorry you feel let down by your education, but if you take a look at the Catholic Encyclopaedia and the Catechism of the Catholic Church, you'll find reliable reference that respect your intelligence and need for integrity.