Is God a God of torture? If so, then the lake of fire and brimstone is a literal place of eternal torture.
If God is not a God of torture, then the lake of fire and brimstone is a figurative place of torment.
There is a huge difference between torture and torment. Torture is administered from without. Torment comes from within. Both are indescribable by the victims.
Hell is a place of torment, not torture, in spite of what early artists and poets have had to say in the matter. Unfortunately, these images of hapless victims forever being tortured by flames and pitchforks have found their way into all too many Christian faiths.
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The Biblical Apologist 