Eternal torment VS Annihilation

God has no joy torturing souls forever
Thats why he sent his son to the cross

Stop blaming God for peoples free will choices.

No, I am not blaming him. Since scriptures don't say he will do it. He will destroy them instead. But unlike Jerusalem they cannot be rebuilt.

Also, regardless whether or not Matthew 25:31-46 teaches Eternal Concious Torment, there is something more interesting. Many of us - including myself - had been taught the sheep were Christiains and the goats were non-Christians, which however doesn't make sense. There is no mention of salvation, only of their deeds.

Why are you fighting so hard for extermination? Are you afraid you are going to hell and you want to make sure it is not long lived?

I am afraid of OTHERS going there. We are commanded to love our enemies.

By all the underscoring above, it sure seems like you think I have an issue with the word absent. I don't my brother.

Even after the analogy I posed, my point isn't clear for some reason. Likely my fault.

Here's my point as clear as i can make it.

"is to be" is not found anywhere in the scripture.
"and would prefer to be" is.

"is to be" states a fact.
"and would prefer to be" states a desire.

Also, regardless whether or not Matthew 25:31-46 teaches Eternal Concious Torment, there is something more interesting. Many of us - including myself - had been taught the sheep were Christiains and the goats were non-Christians, which however doesn't make sense. There is no mention of salvation, only of their deeds.

Salvation is by faith, but real faith bear fruit
D
Jesus talking about the fruit of love. It is consistence with John 15

If a branch abide to the vine It Will bear fruit.

A branch that not bear fruit Will be burned

I love my enemies. So did Christ he died for them.

It does not mean they will not be tormented with satan and his angels day and night forever and ever.

its like me offering freedom to a group of people. Those who follow me are freed, those who do not suffer, is it my fault their suffering, and will their suffering be any shorter?

You believe you cannot go to hell?

Believe it or not, eternal torment could be called temporary punishment too. Because unlike for annihilation, in that case the wicked, who have free will could escape from hell. Also, Lazarus had been sent to the same place as the rich man, just that he had been comforted by Abraham.

But the point is the same, which is that to be present in the body is to be away from the Lord. And to be away from the body is to be in the presence of the Lord. My point being that, at the time of death for the believer, their spirit departs from the body and goes to be in the presence of the Lord. The fact that it is a desire demonstrates that this is what Paul is looking forward to, i.e. to depart and be with the Lord.

You believe you cannot go to hell?

Where does it say that they will receive resurrected bodies?

"And to be away from the body is to be in the presence of the Lord."

so what i hear you saying is that even though it doesn't say to be absent (away) from the body is TO BE present with the lord, you continue to say it does. Check...

Pointing out the obvious in this chat forum is painfully fruitless. I've read people over and over saying "stop assuming what it says and read it for what it actually states". I think to myself, yeah should be obvious, but clearly, not.

-itbtsyp out.

"and I have the same hope in God as these men themselves have, that there will be a resurrection of both the righteous and the wicked." - Acts 24:15

"And many who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake, some to everlasting life, but others to shame and everlasting contempt." - Dan.12:2

"The sea gave up its dead, and Death and Hades gave up their dead, and each one was judged according to his deeds." - Rev.20:11-15

Below is the definition of the word "anastasis" translated as "resurrection."

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Strong's Concordance
anastasis: a standing up, i.e. a resurrection, a raising up, rising
Original Word: ἀνάστασις, εως, ἡ
Part of Speech: Noun, Feminine
Transliteration: anastasis
Phonetic Spelling: (an-as'-tas-is)
Definition: a standing up, a resurrection, a raising up, rising
Usage: a rising again, resurrection.

HELPS Word-studies
386 anástasis (from 303 /aná, "up, again" and 2476 /hístēmi, "to stand") – literally, "stand up" (or "stand again"), referring to physical resurrection (of the body).

Christ's physical resurrection is the foundation of Christianity, which also guarantees the future resurrection of all believers (see Jn 6:39,40,44).

[386 /anástasis ("resurrection") refers to the physical, bodily resurrection of Christ – and people (both of the redeemed and the unredeemed).]
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The resurrection of the unrighteous dead takes place at the great white throne judgment (Rev.20:11-15) where the spirits of the unrighteous will be released from Hades and will be reunited with their resurrected bodies, where they will be judged for every sin they ever committed, where they will then be cast into the lake of fire. Those resurrected bodies will be indestructable, mete for their eternal punishment.

Both Lazarus and the rich man went under the earth into Hades. However, it was by God's design that Lazarus was comforted and the rich man was in torment in flame.

Also, I don't where you came up with this but, just as there is no escaping from Hades, neither will there will be any escaping from the lake of fire. For it is written: "There is nothing in all creation that is hidden from Him. All things are laid bare and open before Him." The Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials and to hold the unrighteous for punishment on the day of judgment. If escape was possible, then I'm sure that the beast who is currently in the Abyss could have found a way to escape, as well as those four angels who have been held bound for all this time. The same goes for Satan after he is thrown into the Abyss. Yet scripture states that he will be restricted there so that he won't be able to deceive the nations during that time.

It looks like none of us has the answer.