Worship me or I will torture you forever! Wouldn’t God be saying just that if hell existed? Does it make sense that the Almighty God would give us that choice, which isn't a real choice at all?
Does that sound like the appeal of someone strong, wise and loving or the threat of someone that has nothing going for him? Doesn't it sound more like the threat of a loser and a bully that doesn't have anything else going for him but brute force and threats?
Is that a choice or a threat?
Would not an Almighty God have something more appealing to attract worshipers than threat and torture?
How does one who threatens torture ever expect to be loved? How could He ever expect to be respected? The universe would be ruled by fear rather than love. Do you really think that the God who made childbirth, flowers, and love is like that?
Fear is a poor motivator. Love is a positive force.
I prefer the choice that the God of the Bible gives in Deuteronomy thirty verses nineteen and twenty: life or death. You may notice the warm appeal that we all choose life.
However, if we don’t want to live under his authority and by his laws which all for our good then it is our choice?
After all, life is a gift! It needs to be sustained by air, water and food. However, obedience is also needed so that we don’t spoil life for others.
When God brought a deluge in Noah’s day, all those that did not take action to preserve their lives by getting into the ark, were quickly put to death by the massive downpour of water. No threat of hell and torture there.
God had made a provision for salvation. All that they had to do is get into the ark.
In the case of Adam and Eve, it was the same choice: life or death. Obedience was rewarded by life and disobedience would result in death.
Jesus said that there are two roads, the wide and the narrow. The narrow leads to life and the wide leads to destruction and not to everlasting torture.
I don’t buy the worship or torture thing. The choice is life or death. It was always like that and it will always be like that. Our life, our future, our choice to accept it with appreciation or reject it. God does not threaten us. He invites us. What we will choose: eternal life or etenran death (complete non-existernce) is up to us!

Comments
If God would allow torture forever, that would be the most unjust thing in the universe. We cannot sin forever, then how could it be ok to torture us forever..??
I want to worship the God of Love, not someone threatening and scaring us to obey him.
Why don“t people read the Bible?? (Ezekiel 18:4)
Hi, We have a good point of view and we all love to worship a god that is worth being worshiped and love his people. God don't threat you because he don't love you, if he don't love you would never made you, bring you to love, give you a body a brain, feed you, give you all the chances to life a good life and you still not obey him and he give you a chance till you die, so How mercy is this god. If god isn't mercy he will not treat each person with the knowledge he have about him, if a person never had a chance to know about God and how to worship him he will never torture him. He give you forgiveness each time you make a mistake and ask him for mercy even if you do the same mistake again as long as you keep ask him for forgiveness. God only torture the people that they choose to disobey him while they know they are doing so. In case you don't agree with the concept of being torture then why do you live in a country of law, isn't your country having laws for sending people either for ever of for a specific time for killing someone or for stealing something, why do you accept these rules!!
I live in Canada and it is illegal to torture anyone. If a neighbor abuses a child or even uses physical force to discipline his children, we have to report it to the authorities. Torture and abuse are mot allowed, by anyone, even the police forces. Where do you live that allows torture? There is no law of God in the Bible that allows torture, it was always death by stoning, a quick death.
hopeful1. Have you ever seen a stoning?! Before a person is stoned, they are buried up to their waist with hands bond and or left limped by their sides... I can't put the link here since links are not allowed on comments...but, I think really you may want to see this reenactment. No need to respond.. I'm going to send you 2 versions of a film really trying to denounce stoning. It is not a simple and or quick death my friend ever... maybe if a boulder was dropped straight down on someone's head from several stories and then face first. When you see it, don't blame it on the fact of who is doing it.. THIS is the way it is down wherever it is done and has ALWAYS been done throughout history. I'm just saying.
I do not know how it was done in Bible times. However, it would be better to suffer for 10 minutes than be tortured for eternity. That's my take on it.
Thank you for this great discussion, but if you look to this from another prospective you would find that people are not the same, while most people would adhere by love some of them can't respond to love and only afraid by being threaten. As a simple examples take our man made rules, don't you think that government laws that if you steal go to jail is the same thing?! and it's still our choice. If you steal and then go to Jail without anybody telling you so wouldn't you disagree and say that nobody told me there is such a law. The person who is thinking of killing isn't he afraid because he knows for sure he would go to jail. Almighty God loves you and ask you to worship him and it's not hidden that if you didn't you will go to hell, I mean if he didn't threat the people that don't worship him that they will go to hell and if there is nothing called hell then what is the difference between the people whom worship him and those who don't, personally I wouldn't if I knew that there is no difference between me and those whom don't believe. Thanks for this interesting discussion.
Death which is non-existence is the ultimate prison but without torture or suffering and life is life. Thanks for your comment. :)
That sounds like the Devil speaking.
Exactly! How could God torture anyone for eternity. Definitely not the God that I love and worship.