Free will?! Live by these set of rules I've laid out or spend eternity in a terrible place called hell. THAT is free will?
That is a pretty crappy choice isn't it? My personal theory, most worship/believe/follow not because they want to be good or out of love for their God. But simply because they don't want to burn in hell (or whatever). Me, I just assume I'm going to hell. That way if I'm wrong, pretty much anything else will be a relatively pleasant surprise.
Who said anything about hellfire? The Greek Scriptures, which you probably have no use for refer to Tartarus and Gehenna. Look at those two and see if you come up with a place of eternal torment. I don't see it.
Here's your problem: made-up bullshit begets made-up bullshit. It doesn't matter what the "original" description of hell was because some later "biblical expert" (or for that matter, any ol' illiterate preacher who's figured out the scam) can and will come along later and put his own spin on things. So any later hell has just as much "validity" as the original hell because it's all just bullshit anyway. Read Dante's Inferno about the Nine Circles of Hell. He didn't get that from your Greek Scriptures, but many Christians now believe in the Nine Circles of Hell just because they read it in a book. When you start with a lie, there's no controlling where it ends up.
No here is your problem, look up the true meaning of the word according to the Book I referenced and get back with me. Maybe you will figure it out, but I doubt it. I have no use for reading Dante's Inferno, because it is tripe.
LOL I hear ya. I'd fit in way better in hell anyways. All my friends will be there. Way cooler people in hell too; rockstars, Al Capone, etc.
Then I think you'll find you are out of step with the majority of your fellow theists. I am certain you will find they believe in a god which created everything, not just the nice bits.