Friday, September 11, 2009

Argument from the inadequacy of eternal punishment

This argument presumes the existence of eternal punishment and that God is loving, just and/or merciful. It can be split in 3 distinct arguments depending on which property you decide to focus on since every one of them is inconsistent with the idea of eternal punishment:

A(1)
  1. A loving God wouldn't torture those He loves.
  2. If God tortures those He loves, a loving God does not exist.
  3. God tortures those He loves.
  4. Therefore, a loving God does not exist.
A(2)
  1. A just God wouldn't punish a person eternally, He would proportion the time of the penalty to the brief lifetime when the offense occurred.
  2. If God punishes persons eternally, a just God does not exist.
  3. God punishes persons eternally.
  4. Therefore, a just God does not exist.
A(3)
  1. A merciful God wouldn't be forever unforgiving.
  2. If God is forever unforgiving, a merciful God does not exist.
  3. God is forever unforgiving.
  4. Therefore, a merciful God does not exist.

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