RE: On Hell and Forgiveness
August 30, 2018 at 9:58 am
(This post was last modified: August 30, 2018 at 10:00 am by Catholic_Lady.)
(August 30, 2018 at 9:18 am)polymath257 Wrote:(August 30, 2018 at 8:24 am)SteveII Wrote: Not having a body will probably put a dent in enjoying, well...just everything. Think about that for a minute. No input, no output.
In heaven, we are promised a new body that does not decay. It seems our souls are designed to be embodied for optimal performance.
Sorry, not a specific answer to your question, but seemed relevant to point out that such talk about having anything in hell is wrong.
Again, I don't see the logic. Why would we not be able to experience happiness even if disembodied? Why would it be excluded simply because we are removed from the 'pure' version?
Why would we not be able to experience intellectual stimulation? be able to think deeply about various concepts?
If hell is is simply being separated from God, I fail to see the negative side. If it is torture, that simply makes the creator evil. Either way, 'furthest from Him is best'.
No, not from the "pure" version. There is only one version.
(August 30, 2018 at 9:42 am)Crossless2.0 Wrote:(August 30, 2018 at 9:31 am)Catholic_Lady Wrote: Since God is love, and therefore joy itself, the absence of Him would mean the absence of joy. So if that is true, then no, it is not possible for there to be any other alternative. The same way that you can't be wet but have an absence of water. It isn't a punishment, just a fact of life.
God is good, which is precisely why He allows us to choose Him, or to choose "not Him." He gives us the freedom and independence to be our own person and doesn't force us to accept something we don't want.
Now liberally insert 'allegedly' or 'I speculate' or 'I read in a book' into your post, and you'll immediately clear the air of that lingering odor of dishonest assertion that always accompanies Christian talk of the afterlife.
That is what I was implying when I said "if all this is true."
I believe it, but there is a chance that I could be wrong.
"Of course, everyone will claim they respect someone who tries to speak the truth, but in reality, this is a rare quality. Most respect those who speak truths they agree with, and their respect for the speaking only extends as far as their realm of personal agreement. It is less common, almost to the point of becoming a saintly virtue, that someone truly respects and loves the truth seeker, even when their conclusions differ wildly."
-walsh
-walsh