Let us suppose, for the sake of discussion, that you have a friend. Moreover, this is the best friend you've ever had or could hope to have! A friend you would even die for if dying for them were necessary.
Now further suppose that your friend is one of those insufferable people who -- try as he or she might -- cannot yet believe that there is conclusive evidence for the existence of a deity or deities.
That's to say they are willing to examine in good faith any new reasons or evidence that you or anyone else present them with for the existence of a deity or deities, but they always come up short of being convinced by such reasons and evidence that a deity or deities exist.
Last, let's suppose that you believe your friend will suffer eternal torment if they cannot bring themselves to honestly believe in the existence of a deity or deities. And by eternal torment, I mean something horrific, something worse even than being forced to listen for all of eternity to the lame jokes of that buffoon, Sunstone. Indeed, much much worse than that! Seriously worse!
If such were the case, and you honestly believed they were at risk of eternal torture, would you yourself pray to your god or gods to suffer with them for all of eternity? Would you choose, if you could, to be tormented as they would be tormented? Or would you part ways, yourself going to heaven, and they to hell? Why or why not?
I ask the question in part because I have known in my life of at least two people who rejected salvation on those very grounds -- that a friend or friends of theirs would suffer even if they themselves were saved.
By the way,. I ask that you answer the question as if there were no way to weasel out of the dilemma. I am not the least interested in what a good lawyer you would make. I am interested solely in whether you'd be willing to spend eternity in hell for the sake of the best friend or friends you'll ever have.
Now further suppose that your friend is one of those insufferable people who -- try as he or she might -- cannot yet believe that there is conclusive evidence for the existence of a deity or deities.
That's to say they are willing to examine in good faith any new reasons or evidence that you or anyone else present them with for the existence of a deity or deities, but they always come up short of being convinced by such reasons and evidence that a deity or deities exist.
Last, let's suppose that you believe your friend will suffer eternal torment if they cannot bring themselves to honestly believe in the existence of a deity or deities. And by eternal torment, I mean something horrific, something worse even than being forced to listen for all of eternity to the lame jokes of that buffoon, Sunstone. Indeed, much much worse than that! Seriously worse!
If such were the case, and you honestly believed they were at risk of eternal torture, would you yourself pray to your god or gods to suffer with them for all of eternity? Would you choose, if you could, to be tormented as they would be tormented? Or would you part ways, yourself going to heaven, and they to hell? Why or why not?
I ask the question in part because I have known in my life of at least two people who rejected salvation on those very grounds -- that a friend or friends of theirs would suffer even if they themselves were saved.
By the way,. I ask that you answer the question as if there were no way to weasel out of the dilemma. I am not the least interested in what a good lawyer you would make. I am interested solely in whether you'd be willing to spend eternity in hell for the sake of the best friend or friends you'll ever have.
