http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2013/jul/26/desmond-tutu-id-pick-hell-over-anti-gay-heaven/So, this made me happy and all, I posted it on IGI and got just two responses from religious folks who simply said, more or less "he's wrong"
so, whatever
but what fascinates me, kind of, is the range of ideas about what we can know about "God's will" - even as an Atheist, I speak and think about this, just more as a metaphor (what is god's will? means what is best, most honest, truest, kindest, .....????)
Some folks really think God is a guy with a will, and it can be known. it's in the bible and there are people who can interpret it RIGHT, so you can be sure, this is what god wants.
There are plenty of other religious folks who seem to fall into line somewhat with Bishop Tutu - that there are possibilities, and that, if God is really the asshole that some say he is, then we can reject him (with various notions of consequences - therefore I am an atheist, therefore, I will go to hell if they're right - okay, then)
I think if you look at the history of religion, and even how it plays out today for some, the notion of God was not necessarily someone who had your best interests in mind at all. Gods have been vengeful and capricious and pretty sociopathic, including the one I was (sort of) raised with. Interesting this notion that God loves us, and is somehow pleasant, and trying to reconcile that with stories where that's clearly not the case.