free-will question, answer attempt

When we die, we are either sent to Heaven to spend a pleasurable eternity with God, or we are sent to Hell, where we will spend the rest of eternity in torment. So, as this caller(from the bible answer man show) asked yesterday, what is the point of free will? There doesn’t seem to be much of a choice. Eternal pleasure? Or eternal torment? Choose to follow God and receive eternal happiness, or choose to deny Him and once dead, suffer for eternity being tormented.

Torment, according to the crack-pot (from the CRI), is defined as being separated from God. If that is what torment is, then what is the big deal? You chose to deny him in life, why is it going to be such a big deal to continue for eternity being separated from Him? Why is that going to be torment?

So this crack-pot went on to discuss how there really is a choice. We can either choose to spend eternity with God, or spend eternity being tormented in Hell. That is a choice right? He didn’t answer the guy’s question. I don’t think so anyway. I figure there would be a much better way to answer this guy’s question. I have been grappling with this, as to how I would answer it.

I could say that in choosing to deny Him during our lifetime, you are free to live as you wish. To try and do things in your own power, without the assistance of God. You wouldn’t have to follow the guidelines set out by Him. You could live life as you please. Then, when you die, you would be sent to Hell, but you did live life the way you wanted to. Isn’t that enough?

Except that this response would only work if the person that was denying God, didn’t believe in an afterlife, or that he would be going to hell for denying God. Because if one did believe that he would end up in hell when he died, who would choose to deny Him? Only to live a short mortal life doing your own will? Unless of course eternity was beyond this person’s comprehension, and all he cared about was living in-the-now.

These are just some thoughts that are running through me head that I am jotting down. They don’t necessarily make sense, they don’t need to. If anyone cares to respond, I am interested in your ideas.