Actually I can imagine it. I know the lock on the door of hell is on the inside. I once wrote this dialogue about someone who doesn’t feel they need God. Here are his reasons and tell me what you think:
Dialogue with God
Person: You give me this gift of life which I didn’t ask for but then expect me to do this, that and the other thing because of it. And if I don’t I’ll probably go to hell, right God? I mean, I can’t even turn the gift down (suicide) without some horrible consequence.
God: I love you and want to have a relationship with you.
Person: Well, what does it say about your love if the gift is flawed to begin with by original sin? I had nothing to do with any of that Adam & Eve stuff and now I’m at a considerable disadvantage. How just and loving is that! Maybe you owe me an apology for creating me as a flawed human, God.
God: Yes, original sin didn’t involve you.
Person: Good, I can demand compensation… and maybe satisfaction.
God: Look, according to Anselm, satisfaction usually applies to me.
Person: Let me get this straight. You give me a severely flawed gift which I didn’t ask for, and then expect me to feel obliged to you and do everything you say. If I turn down this gift terrible things happen to me, right! But what you really want is a relationship with me, like the gift is some box of chocolates. I can’t say, “Thanks God, but I’m trying to cut back and I just got out of a bad relationship and need some space.” And if I don’t do what you say... I’m a goner.
God: This is for your own good.
Person: Of course you would say that… But see, you call all the shots, like some celestial dictator, and I either have to obey or suffer the terrible consequences. You say I’m free. Yes, I’m free to do what I want, but not free from the terrible repercussions that follow if I don’t do what you say. And what I want is to just live my life simply, without this added turmoil of whether I’m going to heaven or going to hell. I mean life is hard enough and I don’t need to complicate it with wondering if I’m bound for eternal damnation because I’m not in some lovey-dove relationship with a God that is pinning for me.
God: You’ve over simplified this.
God offers you the Truth and His love, peace and happiness.
You can choose to accept God as good and worthy of worship as the Creator or reject Him (and accept evil). Yes God made you in His image for eternity.
If you say that God doesn’t exist, then you don’t know the Truth of God’s existence, and if don’t seek the Truth then you gamble on the outcome after your earthly death. Your choice.
All humans are affected by sin and the consequences (even if we did not commit the sin), so we are tested in this life. God knew you before you were born. You choose how to live your life, God tries to give you graces to help you.
All you have to do is be good, righteous, Love God and your neighbor. And not sin. God has great mercy if you are truly sorry for any sins. God will test you to see if you are worthy of His love and eternal life with Him.
God, the Creator offers a wonderful life in Heaven with Him, yet you want to choose other options (evil and sinful) to show your superiority to God and your ignorance of the Truth. Adam and Eve in Heaven were tempted by Satan to be superior to God and we all suffered the consequences.
God truly loves each of us as a person, but he does not love the sin and we need to be cleansed of any sins before entering Heaven.
Oh, by the way, don’t listen to the temptations of Satan, you seem to know exactly the consequences of sin by your arguments.
Remember, that God sent His only son to offer His Body and Blood to die on the cross for our sins and salvation and he conquered death (and evil Satan) as He rose on Easter Sunday.
I used the “you” as the person; not you personally.