Offshoot discussion of "what religion are you" thread

[Rían]

Originally posted by GrayMouser
Hmmmm, getting into deep waters here but as I understand it one of the reasons for the terrible anguish of the damned is that they do finally realise the wisdom and goodness of God, and know that it was their own wickedness in rejecting it that caused them to be there.

They're not just saying "Boy, this hurts, I wish I had been good," they realise fully and clearly the heinous nature of their sins, the worst of which is they pain they have caused the Lord by their rejection of His Love, and they do repent- but too late.

I thought the idea of the sinner proudly holding to his sin and defying God was just a part of Romantic imagery.

( And I think Lewis was being somewhat of a heretic with his speculations that the damned lose some of their individuality and awareness- I mean, that's the point, isn't it?)

Yes, deep waters indeed - and also definitely some speculation, but based on logical interpretation (IMO ) of the scriptures saying that God desires that all would be saved and that God is omniscient. Maybe this quote can say it better than my attempts to express what I mean (answering the question "why doesn't God give people a second chance? [after they are in hell]) (the 'incubation period' refers to time in hell):

from The Case for Faith, by Lee Strobel
Besides, that would make life before death utterly irrelevant. Then the question would be, why didn't God create people from the beginning with an incubation period? Why did he create them on earth for seventy-five years and let them die and then put them in the incubation period if it was the incubation period that they really needed in the first place? Here's the truth, Lee: this life is the incubation period!