Hell: What Do Local Religious Leaders

[cappie]

Hell: What Do Local Religious Leaders Have To Say?

You may have seen Barbara Walters investigative special on KLTV 7 about Heaven. She asked religious leaders "Where is it? How do we get there?" We thought it might be interesting to ask those same questions about the opposite side of Christian afterlife.

We spoke to East Texas religious leaders about what they believe the Bible says about hell. And what that means in the life of a Christian.

Rev. Jerome Milton, Senior Pastor at Pleasant Hill Baptist Church says, "Hell is a very dark, fire unimaginable torment when you just think about... it's beyond imagination" "The images of hell, many Satan in the catholic church has described it as somewhere that smells, it's fire, just torture." says Bishop Alvaro Corrado with the Catholic Diocese of Tyler says.

No words or pictures can describe what hell will really be like, not according to our religious leaders here in East Texas. Whatever the torture or pain of hell, it's far worse than anything we can imagine. However if God is a loving God, some may ask, why was hell created?

Milton says, "It was never God's intention, He didn't make hell for man. Hell was made for Satan and the fallen angels. Because of man's fallen state and because of people not choosing Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior, you can end up in hell."

They all agree that God does not send us to hell...individual choices determine your fate after death. Dr. Michael Massar, Senior Pastor at First Baptist Church in Tyler says, "You are choosing each day to become holy or more hellish so I think people choose to go to hell by the way they act.

Bishop Corrado says, "People do earn their way to hell they don't go by mistake and not knowing what they are doing it's by free choice by actions that we commit against life and the commandment, especially destruction of life around us."

However, they say the physical torture is not the true punishment...it's the separation from God.

Dr. Jeffrey Wilson, Senior Minister at First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) says, "The absolute absence of God anything that is holy or anything that is divine." "Hell is to be away from those you love and those who love you," says Bishop Corrado.

It's turns out not just the Bible, but Dante's Inferno that still influences the way many think of hell. Bishop Corrada says, "When we are speaking of hell but a distance from God but Dante defines Dante places for people including Popes, Bishops and those people who act viciously against the human race."

But what about the person who lives a selfish, sinful life. Only to accept Christ right before death. Dr. Wilson says, "It's never too late to ask for forgiveness. I believe on your very last breathe that if in your heart you call out to Christ as your Lord and Savior will he forgive you, in a heart beat."

Ultimately, staying out of hell they say it comes down to faith. Rev. Milton says, "It is better to accept Jesus Christ as your personal Savior and have heaven your eternal home than have hell as eternal damnation and eternal torment forever and ever and ever."

We did speak with Jewish leader, Rabbi Catz from the Tyler's Beth El Temple. He said that traditionally Judaism teachers there is an afterlife, but most do not focus on the afterlife rather on life here on earth.

Karolyn Davis, reporting. kdavis@kltv.com

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[TheoGrad07]

Interesting ... I like Dante's literary presentation of Hell, because it gets the idea across ... as for separation from God as the ultimate torment -- Dante's deepest circle of Hell was frozen solid, symbolic of the total absence of love of God (love ... fire ... warmth).

But can we really speak of Hell as a place? After all, evil is an absence or lack of the good that ought to be there. Hell is an absence of God and good ... seems like it could be more an absence, or lack, rather than a presence.

But I think I'm missing something here ...

[Paphnutius]

[quote name='TheoGrad07' date='Dec 21 2005, 07:37 PM']Interesting ... I like Dante's literary presentation of Hell, because it gets the idea across ... as for separation from God as the ultimate torment -- Dante's deepest circle of Hell was frozen solid, symbolic of the total absence of love of God (love ... fire ... warmth).

But can we really speak of Hell as a place?  After all, evil is an absence or lack of the good that ought to be there.  Hell is an absence of God and good ... seems like it could be more an absence, or lack, rather than a presence.

But I think I'm missing something here ... 
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Careful or you are going to get Aloysius in on you.

I have heard it explained that while it is the absence of God (bodily torments included there, Al) God still holds it in existence for justice.

[TheoGrad07]

[quote name='Paphnutius' date='Dec 21 2005, 08:04 PM']Careful or you are going to get Aloysius in on you. 

I have heard it explained that while it is the absence of God (bodily torments included there, Al) God still holds it in existence for justice.
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Sure, God holds hell in existence for justice ... no problem there. But is it a place -- or is it a state of being? And if its a state of being, where is that state of being? I know souls are immaterial, but what about bodies after the resurrection? Are "spiritualized bodies" material?

These questions were initially raised by my 6-year-old sister when she asked me where is where is Heaven, where is God, and where is Hell.