tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7217199.post2610219361495630502..comments2024-03-24T11:30:08.199-07:00Comments on Can you believe?: "We will never see another non-Christian."Johan Maurerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13771067774042071617noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7217199.post-39859064269561309332012-08-13T07:25:16.358-07:002012-08-13T07:25:16.358-07:00Hello, Vail! The eternal flame, wailing, gnashing ...Hello, Vail! The eternal flame, wailing, gnashing of teeth, and other scary biblical hints of hell could just as easily stand for regret and recriminations. Many generations of devout theologians--not just Barclay--have found it impossible to see God as an eternal torturer. I'm not just interested in the variety of interpretations, but also in the motivations behind the choice of which interpretation to emphasize.Johan Maurerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13771067774042071617noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7217199.post-11810170651366967582012-08-11T22:09:32.003-07:002012-08-11T22:09:32.003-07:00About hell -- and saying "no" to God. I...About hell -- and saying "no" to God. I think it depends on our definition of hell. If it is the absence of God -- then certainly some people can choose to live in hell (even forever). But if hell means eternal punishment -- as a believer in restorative justice (as opposed to retributive justice), I do not see that the just answer to saying no to God is to be subject to eternal punishment. The God of my Christian faith is a loving and just God -- but not a God of retributive justice.<br /><br />VailAnonymousnoreply@blogger.com