It’s always fascinating to hear the different interpretations of divine judgment held by believers today and how much those interpretations have changed in the last 50 years or so. At one time this discussion would have revolved strictly around hellfire and eternal punishment and still does among fundamentalists. But divine judgment, like many other doctrines such as women as church leaders; have fortunately evolved to what many consider to be a more accurate interpretation of a God of love and acceptance. I, for one, am excited about that kind of progression in the right direction — people are only as good as their interpretation of God.
Like most, my own understanding of divine judgment started with a conflict between logic, emotion and belief. Trying to understand how God could be both lovingly merciful and a vengeful terror.
I was raised as a Jehovah’s Witness and as you know like most Christian groups they believe their truth is the ultimate and that their group will be the only one safe from divine judgment at Armageddon or after life on earth.
To me, even as a child that didn’t seem just or loving to the billions of people who are not Jehovah’s Witnesses, and I think many people would agree.
Years after my escape from that organization, I became involved with mainstream Christianity to the point of studying to be a pastor and filled a position of family Bible counselor in the Seattle/Portland area.
As a single parent of two small children my role as both father and mother put me directly at odds with the teachings of divine judgment once again. Let me try to explain.
How many people remember the Scripture Matthew 7:11? Jesus talks about parents; “If you, although being wicked, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more so will your father who is in the heavens give good things.”
I have no way of knowing how many people reading this post have small children in their households. But, let’s say you have more than one child. One of those children you lovingly take the time to explain all of your rules to, what’s acceptable to you and what you expect from them. You choose the child or children; select them let’s say, over your other children whom you leave in utter darkness and ignorance regarding your rules of acceptable behavior.
Now, when the children you did not select for enlightenment but, instead, brought up in ignorance, live lives that are contrary to your rules you brutally punish them for their ignorance.
Does that sound rational or insane?
I guess my point is: If sane parents can’t imagine carrying out such unloving and unjust judgments against their children…
How do you go about worshipping or believing in a God that will?
Especially, when that God is father to around 6 billion ignorant children that will be, destroyed, simply because they were born in the wrong country, culture and religion.
That means 6 billion children who will either be stuffed into a fiery furnace for eternity or suffer some other kind of punishment where as, the preferred children will be richly rewarded simply for being in the right religion at the right time.
Reason dictates that with 6 billion lives at stake the loving and concerned heavenly father of Matt 7:11 would make his life saving true religion more obvious to everyone in the world. He or she would loudly, clearly and often sound a warning, if eternal punishment or some other divine judgment was the fate of all unbelievers.
With over 50 English translations of the Bible you would expect a loving God to mention hell or divine judgment thousands of times as a clear warning. Wouldn’t you?
Would 500 times be enough? God uses the word heaven over 600 times. Would you be surprised if God mentioned it only 100 times? Would it seem cold hearted if he only mentioned it 50 times? Surely, he would definitely mention it at least once in each of the 27 books of the New Testament, right?
Apparently not, with the lives of 6 billion unbelievers at stake most translations only mention hell or divine judgment 12 to 14 times with the KJV of course being the king of hell, mentioning it only 22 times in the New Testament. Not even once per book.
It just does not make sense that the creator, an all powerful, all knowing sovereign would do such a terrible job of warning mankind of their terrible fate.
Most often when I share these analogies with Christians they’re greeted with the dismissive statement “God’s wisdom and plans are beyond our grasp and understanding.” Which interestingly is the same answer I received from the Jehovah’s Witnesses.
I believe we use this appropriately prescribed answer because then we can avoid examining our conflicting beliefs and thoughts regarding divine judgment and other conflicting doctrine.
But, if Gods wisdom is far beyond our understanding:
How can we pretend to understand anything about God?
For me personally divine judgment of any kind goes against a larger interpretation of an inherently loving, forgiving and just God, especially, if you view all humankind as God’s children.
Join SpokaneFAVS for a discussion on Divine Judgement at its next Coffee Talk at 10 a.m., April 4 at Indaba Coffee/The Book Parlor. Pittman is a panelist.
Brien, let me start by saying I don’t want to see anyone spend eternity in hell but it seems that you lean toward being what is called a universalist. God’s judgment on sinners is Scriptural and true but man is responsible for his own condemnation by rejecting God’s Son Jesus. Look at it this way, if a murderer was standing before a judge and this man committed the most heinous crimes but the judge decided that he seemed to be a good enough person that he would let him go free what would you say about that judge? So one who rejects Jesus and is at enmity with God but would seem to be a good person deserves to be in Heaven? God is love and patient and gives all people the opportunity to turn to Him but again if they do not they are responsible for where they spend eternity.
As a Jew, and a humanist/liberal/heathenish one at that, I really kind of want the end times to come just so we can stop all the hypothesizing. Also, we’re the chosen people, so we get a free pass, right?