God will not be completely absent from hell - R. C. Sproul

[Libby]

Read something kind of shocking (to me) on a Facebook group, I belong to. One the participants posted this quote from R. C. Sproul.


On earth even atheists enjoy the benefits of God’s goodness. But in hell, these blessings will be nonexistent. Those consigned there will remember God’s goodness, and will even have some awareness of the unending pleasures of heaven, but they will have no access to them.

This does not mean that God will be completely absent from hell. He is and will remain omnipresent (Ps. 139:7–8). To be separated from the Lord and cast into hell does not mean that a person will finally be free of God. That person will remain eternally accountable to Him. He will remain Lord over the person’s existence. But in hell, a person will be forever separated from God in His kindness, mercy, grace, and goodness. He will be consigned to deal with Him in His holy wrath.

http://www.ligonier.org/blog/4-truths-about-hell/

I have always thought of "hell" (if there is such a place) as being a complete absence of God. I have always had trouble with anthropomorphizing of God...giving him negative human attributes, like anger and hate.

Opinions?

[Libby]

I know this is not a Mormon topic, per se, but we can probably work that in, somehow. :)

Other areas of the board are dead and I knew I probably wouldn't get any conversation on this, anywhere else.

[alanmolstad]

hell is very real......and is a real danger.
So much so that it is the only reason Christ was sent into the world to save us from.......hell.

[Libby]

What bothers me about his statement is that it makes it sound like God is actively torturing people (God's wrath at work). I know a lot of people have no problem with viewing God in this way, but I really do.

God is everything good. God is pure and Holy and cannot tolerate sin in the least degree. What has he to do with hell? That is Satan's domain.

[Phoenix]

What bothers me about his statement is that it makes it sound like God is actively torturing people (God's wrath at work). I know a lot of people have no problem with viewing God in this way, but I really do.
Then you have something in common with the LDS, because they have a problem with it, too.
It's Calvinists who feel forced to believe that God is literally everywhere, even in the place where He banished Satan to. Calvinists feel they should have no problem believing that God tortures people. Just ask Jonathan Edwards.


God is everything good. God is pure and Holy and cannot tolerate sin in the least degree. What has he to do with hell? That is Satan's domain.
LDS doctrine is that a major part of the punishment of being in perdition with Satan, is the tangible loss that one will feel from being totally separated from God's presence and even influence. That is undoubtedly a horrific thing.

[alanmolstad]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YT4AqFaUDnYall we should say about what Hell is like, should be based on the descriptions of Hell as found in the Bible.

And we have some very good descriptions of what Hell is like, and what type of "suffering" goes on there....


So rather than waste a lot of time with all kinds of mushy "Oh God would never do that!!!" stuff, just center your ideas about what Hell is like for the lost on the Scriptures that tell us what Hell is like for the lost......




So we dont need to try to lesson the sufferings of hell by inventing the idea, "Oh its just a feeling....." , because Jesus tells us what it's like for the lost in hell......

Read the words of Christ on the topic and then you will know for sure what the Lost feel in hell...