All-Forgiving?

This is a religious question that has pondered my mind for a while now. If the God in the Christian bible is all-forgiving, how can anyone go to Hell? Once someone were to go to Hell(if it is real), wouldn't they realized God's existence and immediately ask for forgiveness and be forgiven and allowed passage to Heaven? I know that if I loved someone as much as the Bible claims God loves everyone, I wouldn't be able to send them to a place like Hell for an eternity, so how could God? I've heard Christians say that once you die, it's too late to ask for forgiveness, but if that were true then that would contradict their same claim that God is all-forgiving, wouldn't it?

I dont know the answer to your question, but i DO think God has a breaking point and thats manifesting itself hand in hand with all the evil happening in this world.

If he was "all forgiving" there wouldnt be a tribulation. IMHO. His masterpiece has gone bad.

Originally posted by dgtempe
I dont know the answer to your question, but i DO think God has a breaking point and thats manifesting itself hand in hand with all the evil happening in this world.

I don't understand this either.. judgement day [breaking point] requires all but a handful of people to die.. if this 'evil' is god's wrath.. how can he still be considered better than satan?

You ever heard of " I made you, i can destroy you"?

I can't say I understand why, I'm not that smart.

God offers us forgiveness through the sacrifice His Son made on our behalf. However, we need to take that offer. It would be like me holding out $20 to you. I am giving you $20. However, if you don't reach out and take it, you'll never get the $20 being given to you. If God were to take that proverbial twenty, force open your hand, slam the twenty in it and close your hand, where would free will be?

I am not sure how satisfying these answers will be, but I shall give answer and let you decide.

Originally posted by TenaciousGuy
This is a religious question that has pondered my mind for a while now. If the God in the Christian bible is all-forgiving, how can anyone go to Hell?

I am still trying to define hell. So, for the sake of understanding let's use "seperation from God." With this definition, people go to hell when they allow themselves to be seperated from God.

Once someone were to go to Hell(if it is real), wouldn't they realized God's existence and immediately ask for forgiveness and be forgiven and allowed passage to Heaven?

Answering just the focus of the question going into particular details that make up the question: Not everyone would. Some people still wouldn't accept the Truth even if absolute proof was standing before them.

I know that if I loved someone as much as the Bible claims God loves everyone, I wouldn't be able to send them to a place like Hell for an eternity, so how could God?

Oddly enough, the choice is ours. In essence we send ourselves there.

I've heard Christians say that once you die, it's too late to ask for forgiveness, but if that were true then that would contradict their same claim that God is all-forgiving, wouldn't it?

Well, this is a tricky one. It may be that it is indeed too late to ask for forgiveness when you die. However, to answer your question, one must look a little closer and see if the question contains fallacies.

Do you need to ask to be forgiven? The common answer for this is yes. However, if you read there is a story (Luke 7:37-50) in which sins were forgiven and the one forgiven never asked, one may find that it is not the case.

So, assuming one does not need to ask, a question remains. Can you be forgiven after you die?

With certainty, I know not. However there is a passage in the bible that leads me to believe it is possible.

Mat 12:32 (emphasis mine)
And whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the [world] to come.



[edit on 22-4-2005 by Raphael_UO]

JJ, you are smarter than most. I cant get all philosophical about religion. I am a catholic but tend to worship from home. I've never been inclined to be very religious. Although i must say something tells me to hurry up and get saved real quick.
The way things are going I hope we are spared.

Anyone finding themselves in hell will have chosen to go there. God has provided the way to escape hell.

There is a parable in the Bible about a man who died and went to hell. In that parable the man said nothing about how unfair it was for him to be there. He didn't ask for another chance to choose God or even ask to get out. He even knew he couldn't get out. What he did want was someone to tell his brothers not to come here.