Why does there have to be a hell?
Why does there have to be a hell?
>>Let me rephrase the question. Why should people who are consumed with hatred for God and who want nothing to do with his commandments be forced to spend eternity with him?
God’s love tortures those who hate him.
Dante’s Inferno is fiction.
http://www.orthodoxchristianbooks.com/articles/207/%E2%80%9C-river-fire%E2%80%9D-revisited/
http://www.pelagia.org/htm/b24.en.life_after_death.07.htm
‘Why does there have to be a hell?’
Why would you believe there is not? If there is to be a place of reward, Why would there not be an opposite place of non-reward?
If your child here behaves, reward is given. If he misbehaves, is not punishment?
Our heavenly Father is the same and will reward the behavior He wants (acceptance of His Son as your Savior) and will punish for the behavior that is unacceptable (rejection of His Son). It all comes down to that. Without Jesus, Mother Theresa goes to hell, with Jesus, the worst you could imagine (Pol Pot? Dahmer? Me?) would rejoice in heaven.
There must be hell because God is just.