Hell?

[HisChildForever]

I saw this on Facebook.

 

When I pull my nose out of theology books and see the world around me -- I don't know, sometimes I feel as if doctrine is so simple or black-and-white but then I just can't see the world and people that way. Maybe it's also because of the people I work with (inmates). But it just doesn't seem so simple or even possible to lump people into one of two categories. Life is a lot more complicated than that. People are more complicated. I'm struggling with this.

[Maggyie]

HCF, I struggle with such "revelations" too. The good thing is that no one is required to accept them as the genuine article in every respect.

 

I've always been told that God is just, therefore there is a Hell. To me Purgatory makes more sense in that regard. Everyone should have to pay for what they've done. But Hell is eternal punishment for temporal sins.

 

The thing is, even Jesus talks about Hell (wailing and gnashing of teeth, it sounds quite horrible).

 

I guess I'm no help am I, except to say that you're not alone. If I think about this aspect of Christianity too much I become very depressed.

 

[Era Might]

I saw this on Facebook.

 

When I pull my nose out of theology books and see the world around me -- I don't know, sometimes I feel as if doctrine is so simple or black-and-white but then I just can't see the world and people that way. Maybe it's also because of the people I work with (inmates). But it just doesn't seem so simple or even possible to lump people into one of two categories. Life is a lot more complicated than that. People are more complicated. I'm struggling with this.

 

I think Jesus also understood that life is complicated:

 

 

 

Jesus said to them, "Truly, I say to you, the tax collectors and the harlots go into the kingdom of God before you [pharisees]. For John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the harlots believed him; and even when you saw it, you did not afterward repent and believe him.

 

--Matthew 21:31-32

 

Christ always had mercy on the multitude. But one of the aspects of the New Testament that has been striking me lately is how it opens up a new dimension of personal responsibility. It reveals to us our capacity to be responsible for our lives, to surrender ourselves to the mercy of God and to discover who we really are, and in that way we are saved from just being part of the pitiable "multitude," but it also gives us a new mercy for the multitude, and gives us a vocation to open up the way for them, just as it was opened up for us. St. Paul had a very beautiful understanding of that vocation:

 

I am speaking the truth in Christ, I am not lying; my conscience bears me witness in the Holy Spirit, that I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. For I could wish that I myself were accursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brethren, my kinsmen by race. 

 

--Romans 9:1-3

Edited October 22, 2013 by Era Might

[Tab'le De'Bah-Rye]

These are my thoughts on the matter and i'm not saying my thoughts have any relation to church doctrine because i'm no theologian though i am familar in a general sense with what the holy roman catholic church teaches and what the holy bible teaches.

 

We are created in the image and likeness of God which is a mystery, we never can have full knowledge or understanding of God and his mercy and justice and as to how it all works, though we are overtime revealed bits and pieces of that mystery of God personally and communally and the mystery of ourselves and humans in general. I hope that helps, perhaps to simple(I don't know) in what you call a complex world, which because of sins committed,witnessed or incurred it can become a bit of a mess/complex, which causes us to over complicate.

 

 

God bless you.

Onward christian souls.

Jesus iz LORD.

 

Jesus " no man knows the state of another mans soul."

Edited October 22, 2013 by Tab'le De'Bah-Rye

[HisChildForever]

HCF, I struggle with such "revelations" too. The good thing is that no one is required to accept them as the genuine article in every respect.

 

I've always been told that God is just, therefore there is a Hell. To me Purgatory makes more sense in that regard. Everyone should have to pay for what they've done. But Hell is eternal punishment for temporal sins.

 

The thing is, even Jesus talks about Hell (wailing and gnashing of teeth, it sounds quite horrible).

 

I guess I'm no help am I, except to say that you're not alone. If I think about this aspect of Christianity too much I become very depressed.

 

Right...

 

I see a lot of pain and suffering every day, it hurts my heart that these same people could very well continue their suffering (tenfold) after death because they either don't adhere to a religion or are non-Christian.

[HisChildForever]

I think Jesus also understood that life is complicated:

 

 

Christ always had mercy on the multitude. But one of the aspects of the New Testament that has been striking me lately is how it opens up a new dimension of personal responsibility. It reveals to us our capacity to be responsible for our lives, to surrender ourselves to the mercy of God and to discover who we really are, and in that way we are saved from just being part of the pitiable "multitude," but it also gives us a new mercy for the multitude, and gives us a vocation to open up the way for them, just as it was opened up for us. St. Paul had a very beautiful understanding of that vocation:

 

To be honest, half the time I find the Gospels to be less rigid than Catholic doctrine.

 

We are created in the image and likeness of God which is a mystery, we never can have full knowledge or understanding of God and his mercy and justice and as to how it all works, though we are overtime revealed bits and pieces of that mystery of God personally and communally and the mystery of ourselves and humans in general. I hope that helps, perhaps to simple(I don't know) in what you call a complex world, which because of sins committed,witnessed or incurred it can become a bit of a mess/complex, which causes us to over complicate.

 

I usually use this type of thinking to calm my thoughts -- God is just but He's also merciful and compassionate.

[Anastasia13]

To be honest, half the time I find the Gospels to be less rigid than Catholic doctrine.

 

Have you ever looked into any branch of Eastern Christianity? I have scarcely found such a compassionate view of our souls and lives as I did when I started looking into it.

[Anastasia13]

I usually use this type of thinking to calm my thoughts -- God is just but He's also merciful and compassionate.

 

Glory be to God the Father.

 

I'm not a church scholar, obviously, but my two cents: My protestant eschatological education includes two judgements, one of the living and the dead and then one based on works at least for the living. I read something about different crowns that people get based on different things in life, and there are a couple verses in scripture that mention highest heaven(s). My understanding of Orthodox understanding of hell includes more of the discomfort of those who have chosen to reject God being unable to escape his presence. Perhaps in this interpretation, the degree of discomfort is similar to their level of rejection of God.

 

Does Rome's understanding allow for levels of heaven or hell?

Edited October 23, 2013 by Light and Truth

[Tab'le De'Bah-Rye]

Glory be to God the Father.

 

I'm not a church scholar, obviously, but my two cents: My protestant eschatological education includes two judgements, one of the living and the dead and then one based on works at least for the living. I read something about different crowns that people get based on different things in life, and there are a couple verses in scripture that mention highest heaven(s). My understanding of Orthodox understanding of hell includes more of the discomfort of those who have chosen to reject God being unable to escape his presence. Perhaps in this interpretation, the degree of discomfort is similar to their level of rejection of God.

 

Does Rome's understanding allow for levels of heaven or hell?

 

 

As far as i'm aware yes. Unsure if it's dogma or doctrinal but i have heard the church teaches or previously taught that there are levels of hell, unsure about heaven though in holy scripture jesus says " there are many rooms in my fathers house." So i like to believe there are also levels of heaven or some kind of growth and exploration. And also hell is very real, that is why we as saints must call upon the mercy of God to save especially those souls in most need. Hope that helps.

Edited October 23, 2013 by Tab'le De'Bah-Rye

[CatherineM]

I spent time on three different death rows. I never met a man there who was sane and sober when committing his crime. Being around convicts will vastly change the way you look at life. It's easy on the outside to simply see the crime they committed and see them as evil-doers. On the inside though, you see people who are sick, scarred, and damaged in ways that would shock Most of us.

[HisChildForever]

Have you ever looked into any branch of Eastern Christianity? I have scarcely found such a compassionate view of our souls and lives as I did when I started looking into it.

 

I'm really not interested, and I say that with respect. But feel free to post quotes here, I'm curious to that extent.

[4588686]

Human being cannot comprehend what eternity is.  What it is to exist in eternity.  That idea that somebody could meaningful choose eternal damnation doesn't make sense.  

[ToJesusMyHeart]

Thank you for posting this.

[Tab'le De'Bah-Rye]

Human being cannot comprehend what eternity is.  What it is to exist in eternity.  That idea that somebody could meaningful choose eternal damnation doesn't make sense.  

 

Doesn't make sense to me either, though supposedly it is possible. Satan did.

[Era Might]

Human being cannot comprehend what eternity is.  What it is to exist in eternity.  That idea that somebody could meaningful choose eternal damnation doesn't make sense.  

 

I think that's the secret to understanding eternity...it is an eternal present. We only can't comprehend it because we do everything we can in this life to escape the present, until (and unless) we have a moment of clarity and actually enter our existence.