To: OOPisforLiberals
"It has no place in the universe of a loving God." I'm hardly a theologian but just a thought. Hell is often thought of as a place of physical pain. What if Hell was a place that was absent of God and His Grace? Perhaps He sees that as a fitting situation to those that choose to reject Him in life.
To: Proud_texan
That is in fact the exact position of many Catholic theologians.
39 posted on
11/30/2004 1:19:15 AM PST by
shibumi
(John Galt is alive and well. He tends bar in a casino restaurant.)
To: Proud_texan; MissAmericanPie; OOPisforLiberals; Biblical Proportions
I'm no theologian, either, but I have a few thoughts on the subject that might be lend some value to the discussion. One of my deeply held beliefs seems applicable here, and since there is a specific quote on the subject, I'll paraphrase it as I understand it first, and leave the quote for you to peruse.
Paraphrasing:
God's plan is to reform the sinner. If the his punishment here on earth hasn't sucessfully reformed him, the good man's heaven would be a hell to the sinner. If a man doesn't know purity and affection on earth, he cannot find bliss and comfort in the company of God, who is Truth and Love, simply by kicking the bucket. You have to suffer until you cease to love sin. Justice demands repentance, and repentance gains Go'ds forgiveness.
And the quote:
"The design of Love is to reform the sinner. If the sinner's punishment here has been insufficient to reform him, the good man's heaven would be a hell to the sinner. They, who know not purity and affection by experience, can never find bliss in the blessed company of Truth and Love simply through translation into another sphere. Divine Science reveals the necessity of sufficient suffering, either before or after death, to quench the love of sin. To remit the penalty due for sin, would be for Truth to pardon error. Escape from punishment is not in accordance with God's government, since justice is the handmaid of mercy."
-Science and Health with Key to the Scriptues, by Mary Baker Eddy
That's a win win as far as I can see. So, answering the title of the thread, no, I don't think it is ok to wish someone is in hell, but if they are, it is to their benefit. Moreover, corrective action certainly does 'have a place in the universe of a loving God.' How else could we learn?
41 posted on
11/30/2004 1:40:33 AM PST by
NationSoConceived
("Truth bestows no pardon upon error, but wipes it out in the most effectual manner." - M.B.E.)
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson