Why Is Hell Hot - It's A Serius Question

[thessalonian]

Okay so yesterday I heard a discussion with an aethist who was complaining about hell being torture for eternity. The radio host did not handle it very well. I called in and said that it was love for God to send people to hell. Actually I believe that he allows them to choose hell. But it was love because our free will is honored in allowing us not to be with him for eternity. True love does not force one to be with you. To kidnap a woman one claims to love is not love but possession of an object. Anyway with regard to my question, why is hell hot, it is my understanding that cold is the absence of heat. Heat is genererated by our sun and God keeps that going by his power. So if cold is simply the absence of heat, which is given by God, how can hell be hot? Or is hot a metaphore?

[Pontifex]

[quote name='thessalonian' post='1540201' date='May 24 2008, 01:44 PM']Okay so yesterday I heard a discussion with an aethist who was complaining about hell being torture for eternity. The radio host did not handle it very well. I called in and said that it was love for God to send people to hell. Actually I believe that he allows them to choose hell. But it was love because our free will is honored in allowing us not to be with him for eternity. True love does not force one to be with you. To kidnap a woman one claims to love is not love but possession of an object. Anyway with regard to my question, why is hell hot, it is my understanding that cold is the absence of heat. Heat is genererated by our sun and God keeps that going by his power. So if cold is simply the absence of heat, which is given by God, how can hell be hot? Or is hot a metaphore?[/quote]


Hell is the furthest point away from God. It is the the absence of triune God's presence. Therefore, it is torture. God is love and it is safe to say that God sends no one to hell. It is better to say that people choose to go to hell. The flames are most likely a metaphor but the regardless the end result is a life completely turned in on itself, enslaved completely to sin.

A good book to read is regards to how people end up in hell is "The Great Divorce" by C.S. Lewis. It is written in a very creative manner but the end conclusion is that people choose to go to hell. He lays out some amazing reasons as to why people choose this dark place


Blessings,

Fr. Pontifex

Edited May 25, 2008 by Pontifex

[Theoketos]

Although it is private revelation, I "enjoy" and also use St. John Bosco's vision of Hell.

In it he makes a point about certain damned souls feeling the presence of God whilst in Hell. This would be terrifying in that Hell is an attempt to completely reject God for all eternity. This is torture because they would still feel the Love of God though eternally rejecting it. It would similar to wallowing in self pity and vain false humility. The anger would be, metaphorically, stinky and hot, or fire and brimstone.