[Joshua]

As I have been reading I came accross an idea that explains one reason why people choose Hell over God. There are many self-righteous, self-absorbed people (narcissistic if you will) who've rejected God their whole lives. There is this mentality that they want their own way and it,s either my way or the highway. I have run into this a lot with members of different cult groups especially the leadership of these kinds of groups. Now, picture this, You are in a room with somebody who is extremely attractive, very good looking, and a lot smarter than you. In a social type situation, people want to listen to this person, not you. Add to that the idea that you don't really care for this individual but you find yourself locked in this room with this situation going on around you 24 hours a day for fourty years. Would you consider this a difficult situation? You would try to get out of this kind of situation if you could I imagine. Take this situation and multiply it by 100,000 and you might get a glimps of what God is like. For a self-absorbed, narcissistic person would Heaven be more like Hell? God is the most beautiful, intelligent, morally pure being ever. If people are not willing to fall head over heels in love with him then being in Gods presents, doing the kinds of things that many of the other people around him would be doing would become overwhelmingly difficult. This has given me a little bit of insight as to why people don't choose God and would rather choose Hell. Not smart in my oppinion but it happens never the less. Your comments and ideas on this are eagerly welcomed.

 

[Simon]

[Simon]

I think more often it is really a genuine nonbelief

[Stained]

I think they just get tired of the fight and somewhere in the back of their mind(s) there is a doubt about God being on the other side in the first place.  If you believe in nothing you'll believe anything.  People cry not because they're weak, people cry because they've been strong for so long.  The world is such a place that beats you back and beats you back until you just can't take it any more.  (Then) your mind looks for an out, you drop your natural defenses and then you're puddy for someone else to shape.  OMG, please help them and me while your at it, please.

and please don't be everybody's fool.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u55fpsbzAfk 

Yours,

Stained

[Simon]

Atheists and theists within other religions do not just believe anything just because the hold a different opinion.

[Joshua]

Is it a genuine nonbelief based on their own feelings or ideas about the things that will change in their lives if they do choose God? Is it easier to not believe in God rather than give up drinking or sex outside of marriage? These are real questions and they demand real answers. Is it a form of selfishness and or narcississum? A sort of I want my way and anything that gets in the way of my way will not be tollerated? There seems to be a lot of truth in this idea the more it's explored.

[Elievalkyrie]

Don't know if you want to hear this, I'm guessing not, but since this forum IS open to all opinion…

People that chooses Hell instead of God are not, in the first place, "chosen" by God. That means that since God did not choose them in the beginning, then they are unable to choose God and are destined to go to Hell. 

[Joshua]

I think this is stating the obvious. Gods Word teaches us that there are the chosen, the great multitude, and those who's hearts are hardened. I really am not talking about this. I am speaking to human nature. We have a problem admitting when we are wrong mostly because we feel that we are losing something. This idea that we will be losing something and not getting our own way or that we will somehow be losing something keeps us from making the choices that we really should be making. There are people who are chosen that still have not accepted God. Why? This topic may have a big part of that. There are people that are part of the great multitude that have not come to the realization of God and the gift that he has given us. There are choices being made here! The ones with hardend hearts the Bible tells us that God hardens their hearts only after they have rejected him reapeatedly. It's their choice and why do they make that choice? Good chance it's selfishness.

[Elievalkyrie]

Since you are talking about human nature. That is also simply explained by the bible. There are people that does not choose God simply because they are unable to. I believe the bible stated clearly, "None is righteous, no not one; no one seeks for God."

John Piper, a theologian stated, "Men do seek God. But they do not seek him for who He is. They seek Him in a pinch as one who might preserve them from death or enhance their worldly enjoyments." There is no genuine seeking for God. So we could say, even when it seems that man "seeks" God, he does NOT.

Men, as children of wrath, will and can only do evil. They are spiritually dead. Many of man's works can be considered "good". But the bible states that, "Whatever does not proceed from faith is sin". You may think you are doing good but in God's eyes, but you are not unless you do it out of faith.

[Joshua]

I like that Elie. Nicely put! This is something I can get behind you on.

[Elievalkyrie]

Oh, goodie. Glad I made sense there. I am open for more discussions on this. lol.

[Joshua]

I'm sure that when the Bible says you must die to self this is when we can truly seek God. Any ideas or comments?

[Elievalkyrie]

I am not very sure what you mean by “die to self”…can you expound on it some more?

[Joshua]

I wish I could quote the scripture here. I've never really been good at that. Perhaps someone else can help us with it. It might be mentioned in the same place as taking up your cross and following Jesus. For he who loves his life will lose it and those who lose their lives for Jesus sake will find it. When you love Jesus more than you love yourself only then will you be able to seek after Him.

[Elievalkyrie]

If you are having trouble finding verses in the bible. You can google it, just type the words you are trying to find and put bible verse in the end (e.g. thus says the LORD bible verse). Google usually gives you a list that contains that certain phrase.

The one you are looking for is from Luke 17:33, it is also found in Matthew 10:39.

This verse just basically says that people that love themselves more than they love God will not have eternal life. This could be also be a lesson for those who only do good works for the sake of trying to attain eternal salvation (like certain religions we know.lol). God knows our hearts, He knows if we do something out of love for Him or just to gain something in the end.