The Philosophy Now Forum

Gary Childress wrote: ↑Sat Oct 24, 2026 9:43 pm

Immanuel Can wrote: ↑Sat Oct 24, 2026 9:42 pm

Gary Childress wrote: ↑Sat Oct 24, 2026 9:39 pm

So, IC. Do you think that God "loves" everyone? Or does God only love some people but not others?

What I think is irrelevant, of course. What God thinks is what determines that. See John 3:16.

Well, what does the Bible say? Does the Bible say God loves everyone or only some but not others? Or does it not say at all whether God loves all or else just some?

You really can't look it up and read for yourself? Really?

It's only the most quoted verse in the entire Bible...and you've never heard It?

Well, okay.

"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life."

Immanuel Can wrote: ↑Sat Oct 24, 2026 9:46 pm

Gary Childress wrote: ↑Sat Oct 24, 2026 9:43 pm

Immanuel Can wrote: ↑Sat Oct 24, 2026 9:42 pm
What I think is irrelevant, of course. What God thinks is what determines that. See John 3:16.

Well, what does the Bible say? Does the Bible say God loves everyone or only some but not others? Or does it not say at all whether God loves all or else just some?

You really can't look it up and read for yourself? Really?

It's only the most quoted verse in the entire Bible...and you've never heard It?

Well, okay.

"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life."

I don't find the Bible very interesting to read, and since you proclaim it to be the ultimate Truth and I don't, I'll trust that you know it better than I do.

So when it is said that God loves the "world", does God also love those in Hell?

Gary Childress wrote: ↑Sat Oct 24, 2026 9:54 pm

Immanuel Can wrote: ↑Sat Oct 24, 2026 9:46 pm

Gary Childress wrote: ↑Sat Oct 24, 2026 9:43 pm

Well, what does the Bible say? Does the Bible say God loves everyone or only some but not others? Or does it not say at all whether God loves all or else just some?

You really can't look it up and read for yourself? Really?

It's only the most quoted verse in the entire Bible...and you've never heard It?

Well, okay.

"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life."

I don't find the Bible very interesting to read

Well, since you've clearly never read any of it, I suppose that's to be expected. Everybody who's ever watched a football game knows John 3:16...that you don't is a source of amazement.

So when it is said that God loves the "world", does God also love those in Hell?

The world isn't Hell.

Immanuel Can wrote: ↑Sat Oct 24, 2026 9:46 pm

Another question: Is God truly male? And if so, why? Why wouldn't God be pangender or maybe have no gender at all? I mean, unless there is a female God, then what is the purpose of God being "Male"? What is so special about maleness that God is male but not female, or not equally both, or neither?

Immanuel Can wrote: ↑Sat Oct 24, 2026 10:04 pm

Gary Childress wrote: ↑Sat Oct 24, 2026 9:54 pm I don't find the Bible very interesting to read

Well, since you've clearly never read any of it, I suppose that's to be expected.

Does it logically follow that if I can't cite John 3:16, then I have not read ANY of the Bible?

Gary Childress wrote: ↑Sat Oct 24, 2026 10:10 pm

Immanuel Can wrote: ↑Sat Oct 24, 2026 10:04 pm

Gary Childress wrote: ↑Sat Oct 24, 2026 9:54 pm I don't find the Bible very interesting to read

Well, since you've clearly never read any of it, I suppose that's to be expected.

Does it logically follow that if I can't cite John 3:16, then I have not read ANY of the Bible?

No, but it's a really good bet.

Immanuel Can wrote: ↑Sat Oct 24, 2026 10:20 pm

Gary Childress wrote: ↑Sat Oct 24, 2026 10:10 pm

Immanuel Can wrote: ↑Sat Oct 24, 2026 10:04 pm
Well, since you've clearly never read any of it, I suppose that's to be expected.

Does it logically follow that if I can't cite John 3:16, then I have not read ANY of the Bible?

No, but it's a really good bet.

Well, I've read parts of the Bible, so apparently it's not a "really good bet".

Gary Childress wrote: ↑Sat Oct 24, 2026 10:35 pm

Immanuel Can wrote: ↑Sat Oct 24, 2026 10:20 pm

Gary Childress wrote: ↑Sat Oct 24, 2026 10:10 pm

Does it logically follow that if I can't cite John 3:16, then I have not read ANY of the Bible?

No, but it's a really good bet.

Well, I've read parts of the Bible, so apparently it's not a "really good bet".

Heck of a miss, though...John 3:16.

Immanuel Can wrote: ↑Sat Oct 24, 2026 10:36 pm

Gary Childress wrote: ↑Sat Oct 24, 2026 10:35 pm

Immanuel Can wrote: ↑Sat Oct 24, 2026 10:20 pm
No, but it's a really good bet.

Well, I've read parts of the Bible, so apparently it's not a "really good bet".

Heck of a miss, though...John 3:16.

I've heard the verse before, but I didn't realize it answered the question of whether God loves everyone or just some people. So God loves people when they are part of the "world", but once they are in Hell, God no longer loves them. Is that correct?

Gary Childress wrote: ↑Sat Oct 24, 2026 10:47 pm

Immanuel Can wrote: ↑Sat Oct 24, 2026 10:36 pm

Gary Childress wrote: ↑Sat Oct 24, 2026 10:35 pm

Well, I've read parts of the Bible, so apparently it's not a "really good bet".

Heck of a miss, though...John 3:16.

I've heard the verse before, but I didn't realize it answered the question of whether God loves everyone or just some people. So God loves people when they are part of the "world", but once they are in Hell, God no longer loves them. Is that correct?

There's not a single verse I can think of that would imply what God's particular attitude to people in Hell is, but I can tell you for sure what their attitude to Him has been...it's what got them where they are, in the first place.

Immanuel Can wrote: ↑Sat Oct 24, 2026 11:55 pm

Gary Childress wrote: ↑Sat Oct 24, 2026 10:47 pm

Immanuel Can wrote: ↑Sat Oct 24, 2026 10:36 pm
Heck of a miss, though...John 3:16.

I've heard the verse before, but I didn't realize it answered the question of whether God loves everyone or just some people. So God loves people when they are part of the "world", but once they are in Hell, God no longer loves them. Is that correct?

There's not a single verse I can think of that would imply what God's particular attitude to people in Hell is, but I can tell you for sure what their attitude to Him has been...it's what got them where they are, in the first place.

Well, believe what you want. Believe I'm going to Hell and warmongers, militant nationalists, greed-filled industrialists, and xenophobes are going to Heaven. Believe my mental illness is all my fault. Believe that my mental illness resulted from rejecting God. Whatever floats your boat and allows you to think highly of yourself. I think you've wasted your time on what is no more than 2000 year old human mythology. I may be the one diagnosed, leaving loons like you to run around free, barking at "leftists" and "atheists", but I guess that's the way an absurd, godless world works.

Gary Childress wrote: ↑Sun Oct 25, 2026 11:23 am

Immanuel Can wrote: ↑Sat Oct 24, 2026 11:55 pm

Gary Childress wrote: ↑Sat Oct 24, 2026 10:47 pm

I've heard the verse before, but I didn't realize it answered the question of whether God loves everyone or just some people. So God loves people when they are part of the "world", but once they are in Hell, God no longer loves them. Is that correct?

There's not a single verse I can think of that would imply what God's particular attitude to people in Hell is, but I can tell you for sure what their attitude to Him has been...it's what got them where they are, in the first place.

Well, believe what you want.

It has nothing to do with me "wanting" anything, or not "wanting" anything. It has everything to do with what the Bible says. And yes, you can believe it, or not.

But all choices have outcomes. Choose yours wisely.

Immanuel Can wrote: ↑Sun Oct 25, 2026 2:00 pm

Gary Childress wrote: ↑Sun Oct 25, 2026 11:23 am

Immanuel Can wrote: ↑Sat Oct 24, 2026 11:55 pm There's not a single verse I can think of that would imply what God's particular attitude to people in Hell is, but I can tell you for sure what their attitude to Him has been...it's what got them where they are, in the first place.

Well, believe what you want.

It has nothing to do with me "wanting" anything, or not "wanting" anything. It has everything to do with what the Bible says. And yes, you can believe it, or not.

But all choices have outcomes. Choose yours wisely.

But IC. You seem to insist that humans can choose to believe or not believe what they believe. Is that true or is that not true?

Gary Childress wrote: ↑Sun Oct 25, 2026 6:21 pm

Immanuel Can wrote: ↑Sun Oct 25, 2026 2:00 pm

Gary Childress wrote: ↑Sun Oct 25, 2026 11:23 am

Well, believe what you want.

It has nothing to do with me "wanting" anything, or not "wanting" anything. It has everything to do with what the Bible says. And yes, you can believe it, or not.

But all choices have outcomes. Choose yours wisely.

But IC. You seem to insist that humans can choose to believe or not believe what they believe. Is that true or is that not true?

Well, what do you believe about it? Or should I ask what the impersonal universe made you believe about it? Which is the right question to ask you?

Immanuel Can wrote: ↑Sun Oct 25, 2026 10:46 pm

Gary Childress wrote: ↑Sun Oct 25, 2026 6:21 pm

Immanuel Can wrote: ↑Sun Oct 25, 2026 2:00 pm
It has nothing to do with me "wanting" anything, or not "wanting" anything. It has everything to do with what the Bible says. And yes, you can believe it, or not.

But all choices have outcomes. Choose yours wisely.

But IC. You seem to insist that humans can choose to believe or not believe what they believe. Is that true or is that not true?

Well, what do you believe about it? Or should I ask what the impersonal universe made you believe about it? Which is the right question to ask you?

So, since you didn't provide confirmation one way or the other but instead asked me to answer the question I asked you, I assume you must be undecided on whether a person can choose to believe or not believe something. I can't say I know the definitive answer either. Perhaps some things we can choose to believe or not believe, and some things are perhaps too deeply embedded in our psyches to make a free choice one way or the other.