Catholic Lady,
Nice to see you again. I lurk at TTA mostly. When I got my degree in religious studies, it was from Saint Leo University, so I am decently fluent in the catholic christian view. In fact, this was one of the stand out quotes I saved from one of my textbooks on hell...it explains it quite well actually and seems to be in line a bit with your perspective...
Source is Reason, Faith and Tradition by Martin C. Albl, Chapter 7 page 188 – describing hell.
"We begin with a reminder of limitations of our language. Since hell, according to Christian doctrine, is a supernatural reality, it can only be described in analogies. Holy Scripture teaches us the essence of hell in images. When it speaks of the fire of hell, it is not to be understood in a grossly realistic sense. The images of fire and pain were ways of expressing the essential Christian understanding of hell – that it is a separation from God. We may define heaven as simply being with God, and hell, in contrast, is simply being without God. It is thus an existence without goodness and without meaning."
Nice to see you again. I lurk at TTA mostly. When I got my degree in religious studies, it was from Saint Leo University, so I am decently fluent in the catholic christian view. In fact, this was one of the stand out quotes I saved from one of my textbooks on hell...it explains it quite well actually and seems to be in line a bit with your perspective...
Source is Reason, Faith and Tradition by Martin C. Albl, Chapter 7 page 188 – describing hell.
"We begin with a reminder of limitations of our language. Since hell, according to Christian doctrine, is a supernatural reality, it can only be described in analogies. Holy Scripture teaches us the essence of hell in images. When it speaks of the fire of hell, it is not to be understood in a grossly realistic sense. The images of fire and pain were ways of expressing the essential Christian understanding of hell – that it is a separation from God. We may define heaven as simply being with God, and hell, in contrast, is simply being without God. It is thus an existence without goodness and without meaning."
You, not a mythical god, are the author of your book of life, make it one worth reading..and living.
