Hi yall. Let me start off by saying I don't think it's healthy to focus too much on this subject, regardless of whether you believe in it or not. 

However, what prompted me to write this post was all the talk and questions I see in regards to the belief in Hell. I've explained my views a little bit, by saying that 1. I don't believe Hell is a physical place, 2. I don't believe God "throws" people into Hell, and 3. I believe Hell is the state of being by an individual who has rejected goodness and love, thus rejecting God Himself (since I believe God is those things).

Another belief I have that has been speculated by a few theologians but is not mentioned in the article, is that upon dying, every person gets a final chance to "meet" with God, if you will. And from there they make a conscious and informed decision to either reject or accept Him. (And by accepting or rejecting Him, they are accepting or rejecting love and goodness. So the state of rejection is Hell, the state of acceptance is Heaven.)   

I figured it might be useful to me to lay it all out here so everyone understands where I stand, and so I can refer people back to this post when I get questions or comments regarding Hell. 

Here is a snippet from the article:

Quote:By their account, hell is best understood as the condition of total alienation from all that is good, hopeful and loving in the world. What's more, this condition is chosen by the damned themselves, the ultimate exercise of free will, not a punishment engineered by God.

Hell ''is not a 'place' but a 'state,' a person's 'state of being,' in which a person suffers from the deprivation of God,'' declared La Civilta Cattolica, an influential Jesuit magazine based in Rome and closely tied to the Vatican, in a long editorial in July.

The magazine also stated that it is not God who inflicts pain ''through angels or demons as is illustrated in many paintings or is read in the 'Divine Comedy,' '' but the sinner who triggers his own punishment by deliberately rejecting God's grace, thereby entering a great state of pain.

For those interested in reading more: http://www.nytimes.com/1999/09/18/arts/h...gewanted=1

(The silly part is that the title calls this view a "makeover" but the article goes on to say this view is nothing new in the Church lol)

My interest was always in the afterlife in general. What could possibly entertain one for an eternity? Would not heaven eventually be hell anyway?

The church doesn't like it when people make up their own rules.....

http://www.integratedcatholiclife.org/20...-and-hell/

(August 31, 2015 at 7:20 pm)IATIA Wrote: My interest was always in the afterlife in general.  What could possibly entertain one for an eternity?  Would not heaven eventually be hell anyway?

I think it's hard for us to imagine because we are bound by time and space - things that I believe don't necessarily apply in an entirely different dimension that is the afterlife.

@IATIA
My view exactly. Any version of afterlife that doesn't allow the possibility of its ending will be intolerable beyond imagining. You wouldn't be able to move in either heaven or hell for all the suicide attempts.

(August 31, 2015 at 7:24 pm)Minimalist Wrote: The church doesn't like it when people make up their own rules.....

http://www.integratedcatholiclife.org/20...-and-hell/

Hi Min, did you read the article I linked? An "influential Jesuit magazine based in Rome and closely tied to the Vatican" specifically addressed the beliefs presented in the article. None of my views are made up, and neither are they heretical. 

Lol, trust me, I couldn't have made up any of this stuff.

(August 31, 2015 at 7:16 pm)Catholic_Lady Wrote: Hi yall. Let me start off by saying I don't think it's healthy to focus too much on this subject, regardless of whether you believe in it or not. 

Yes, it isn't a healthy subject. Especially for a child growing up in the 60ies, being constantly pestered by priests with hellworthy sins. Or the simple threat of god taking what's most dear to us, if we sin.

That said, I grew up. I informed myself and one of the results of informing myself, combined with my interest in history and mythology, was meeting the goddess of Hel and her domain. Sounds familiar, doesn't it? In fact, both the english as well as the German word have their roots there.

Also, I started to call bullshit where bullshit's due. If Satan, or Lucifer (The lightbearer), presides over hell, intent on overthrowing Big Daddy, what's his incentive in playing god's torturer? Why would he play god's ball on god's playing field?

(August 31, 2015 at 7:16 pm)Catholic_Lady Wrote: Another belief I have that has been speculated by a few theologians but is not mentioned in the article, is that upon dying, every person gets a final chance to "meet" with God, if you will.

Mormons believe this, too.  That's why they do the baptism for the dead stuff.  They've been doing it since the 1840s, so I suspect your theologians are behind the times and Mormonism really is the One True Religion™ after all.

Quote: And from there they make a conscious and informed decision to either reject or accept Him.

Then what's the point of making people to believe on faith alone in this life?

If God gives everyone a last chance when you're standing in front of the pearly gates and this, presumably, doesn't effect one's free will to accept or reject God in that moment, why not move the meeting up to, I don't know, sometime during this life?

(August 31, 2015 at 7:25 pm)Catholic_Lady Wrote: I think it's hard for us to imagine because we are bound by time and space - things that I believe don't necessarily apply in an entirely different dimension that is the afterlife.

All fine and dandy, but forever is a long long long long long looooooooooooooooooooooooooong time.