In response to the objection to Templeton's Challenge in Lee Strobel's book, "The case for Faith", JP Moreland makes the following arugment:
Lee Strobel: The Case For Faith, pp. 448-449, Nook Edition (Note: This is the Special Edition with a combined Case For Christ and Case For Faith).
Questions to think about and discuss in his answer:
1. Is Hell not a place of torture? Is JP Moreland teetering on the edge of Rob Bell Theology here?
2. Does God not have a choice in what He chooses to do with His creation?
3. Is Hell nothing more than mere separation from God forever?
Moreland shook his head. "God doesn't torture people in Hell,...Templeton also makes it sound like God is a spoiled child who says to people, 'Look, if you're not willing to obey my arbitrary rules, then I'm going to sentence you for it...' Well, of course, if God is just a child with arbitrary rules, then it would be capricious for Him to sentence people. But that's not at all what is going on here.
God is the most generous, loving,...being in the cosmos.... And if we fail over and over again to live for the purpose for which we were made,...then God will have absolutely no choice but to give us what we've asked for all along in our lives, which is separation from Him.
And that is Hell....
Lee Strobel: The Case For Faith, pp. 448-449, Nook Edition (Note: This is the Special Edition with a combined Case For Christ and Case For Faith).
Questions to think about and discuss in his answer:
1. Is Hell not a place of torture? Is JP Moreland teetering on the edge of Rob Bell Theology here?
2. Does God not have a choice in what He chooses to do with His creation?
3. Is Hell nothing more than mere separation from God forever?