You're Included - God's Wrath, Hell, and the Role of Science

For Interview Transcripts, Study Guides, and Discussion Topics: www.gci.org/YI076
Dr. Torrance discusses how the wrath of God and hell come about because of God's love. He also explores how good science indicates God's existence.
Dr. Alan J. Torrance is professor of systematic theology at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland. His is the author of "Persons in Communion: Trinitarian Description and Human Participation" and "The Theological Grounds for Advocating Forgiveness and Reconciliation in the Sociopolitical Realm."
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[@JohnHMarsden]

Thank you for this interview, it has helped me understand things better.

[@Kashabba1]

The wrath of God is His Love found in the necessity of freewill which Love demands. The consequences of sin in its self is wrath, often attributed to the Father . The Fathers anger is always toward the perpetrator and cause of sin . His discipline is His love protecting His children from pitfalls that lead them into sin .

[@anniemiller7729]

God's wrath seems too late many times but he is longsuffering to all and lets freewill work in his sovereign, loving plan for long term results we cannot perceive. His ways are not our ways for sure!

[@billthomas76]

Is he saying that we should not use the title of father for our biological father?

[@anselman3156]

It is obvious from the New Testament that Jesus did NOT give an absolute command never to call people "father". The apostles wrote advice to fathers, and Paul spoke of himself as a spiritual father. Jesus' instruction was quite specific in the context of the Jewish religious scene in his day-not to honour any of these teachers as religious "fathers". The eternal commandment stands "Honour thy father and thy mother". Call your Dad "father"!

[@johnstewart7025]

The business about fine tuning -- how rare life is in the cosmic perspective -- could be looking at the situation backwards. If I win the lottery, the odds were huge, but once I have won it and have the money, it seems the most likely thing in the world that I be rich instead of you.

[@77goanywhere]

John Stewart No comparison. In cosmological terms the likelihood that there will be a winner at all is virtually zero.
You need to read up on the issue to appreciate the reason that so many cosmologists find the case for creation based on the fine tuning argument so compelling.

[@johnstewart7025]

I think I see what you are saying. However, the idea that there is an unlimited number of universes in the multiverse would seem to make this universe perfectly possible "naturally." I skimmed an article by Stephen Hawking released just before he died, which stated that the existence of the universe might be explained by natural laws as we can understand them. In other words, the "singularity" at the Big Bang may not represent a breakdown of the natural laws after all.

[@TheAskesis1]

What is he saying?

[@lightning9279]

Good question.