Is the concept of an eternal hell for non-believers Not contrary to God’s merciful nature?

Heaven and Hell are human constructs, but God is not?

Mod: Lets not go down that rabbit hole, the existence of God is not up for debate in this forum.

Given that God allows hell which is essentially an infinite never ending torture, much worse than anything any human could ever do to any other human. Then this means that God doesn't oppose suffering, he only opposes suffering when he's not the one who directs it.

God being omnipotent means he also controls hell. (Or allows it to happen)

Oh. And 'sinners' do not choose hell even if they were told about it.

If I order a vindaloo knowing that it's spicy and after one taste, I know its much too spicy for me. I can choose to not eat the rest. Only a sadist would force me to eat the entire curry because that was my 'choice'

Indeed, you can believe in 'God' and fully accept that it/he/she exists.

That doesn't mean though that you have to believe in any concepts like heaven or hell. One doesn't follow from the other.

Doubtless many people hope for 'a heaven' but do they believe in it fully? Live a good Christian life and heaven will be your reward. Praise be to Allah and join your ancestors in Jannah. Concepts of heaven & hell are clearly social constructs.

So you can believe in a God and hope for heaven but then you have to wait to find out.

I agree. What would be the purpose of a Christian believing in God if it was not to reap the reward of heaven? I always assumed Christians believed that this life was a kind of test run to get as many "brownie points" as is necessary to enter heaven.

Why, what has heaven really got to do with living a good Christian life? Do you think that people will only do things if they are promised rewards? Given little stars to pin on their exercise books? That's a pretty sad view of humanity and Christianity or any religion.

You can believe in God and live a good Christian life and have no expectation of heaven or hell or anything else for that matter. To live such a life is a reward in itself.

Furze99 said:

"Do you think that people will only do things if they are promised rewards? Given little stars to pin on their exercise books?"

I think people will go to great lengths to gain rewards. Indulgences (granted they are seldom used these days) were extremely popular down through the ages.

I think you have to believe a religion fully or not believe it at all. If parts are illogical then, you can become a scholar of that religion and get a career out of it. You might get a well paid role in some university studying it.

If you don't want to blindly accept doctrine then why follow a religion at all ? Is it not possible to live a decent moral life without it ?

I would say the concept of mercy is contrary to Gods terrifying nature

Yes maybe, but when were humans ever perfect or even logical?

Even within the officers, the priests of any religion there is clearly considerable variation in individuality as regards the dogma and doctrine, including as to what heaven, hell and purgatory are and so on.

There is the concept of Apocastasis, taught of St Gregory of Nyssa and others that all eventually will attain salvation, but for most there might be some degree of punishment, not as sadism, but to separate the good and bad in every soul. It is something of a minority opinion, but Bishop Robert Barron and other others have considered it.