A questionable saying of St. Thomas Aquinas

[mschrank]

“that the saints may enjoy their beatitude and the grace of God more abundantly they are permitted to see the punishment of the damned in hell”

I have found this quote repeated verbatim on many atheist websites, can anyone give a context or source for this quote? Also, is it really a Christian attitude to take if the quote is genuine?

 

[christcnection1]

“that the saints may enjoy their beatitude and the grace of God more abundantly they are permitted to see the punishment of the damned in hell”

I have found this quote repeated verbatim on many atheist websites, can anyone give a context or source for this quote? Also, is it really a Christian attitude to take if the quote is genuine?

I am not sure if this is a quote from him; however, if it is, I don’t see anything wrong with it.

The quote is not saying that the Saints will enjoy seeing others in hell. Rather, it’s saying they will appreciate their own salvation more, because they will have a better sense of those in hell.

Likewise, when we go through the “storms of life,” we appreciate the good times more. After we are forgiven a horrific sin, we come to appreciate God’s mercy and love more.

The quote seems to be about gratefulness to God for His mercy, so that they will have a better appreciation for Him for all eternity.

 

[Contarini]

“that the saints may enjoy their beatitude and the grace of God more abundantly they are permitted to see the punishment of the damned in hell”

I have found this quote repeated verbatim on many atheist websites, can anyone give a context or source for this quote? Also, is it really a Christian attitude to take if the quote is genuine?

In the supplement to the Third Part of the Summa (which was compiled by someone else from Aquinas’s commentary on the Sentences, since he never finished the Summa), Question 94, Article 3, Aquinas responds this way:

A thing may be a matter of rejoicing in two ways. First directly, when one rejoices in a thing as such: and thus the saints will not rejoice in the punishment of the wicked. Secondly, indirectly, by reason namely of something annexed to it: and in this way the saints will rejoice in the punishment of the wicked, by considering therein the order of Divine justice and their own deliverance, which will fill them with joy. And thus the Divine justice and their own deliverance will be the direct cause of the joy of the blessed: while the punishment of the damned will cause it indirectly.

Edwin

 

[mschrank]

Thank you!

See. I knew there was more to it than that.

 

[cpayne]

Richard Dawkins has quoted this passage out of context. I wrote to the editor of Time magazine to complain about this, and was told that he would take it up with Dawkins personally the next time he saw him. Who knows whether he did or not, but I thought it was interesting that the editor of the magazine evidently knew Dawkins as a friend.

 

[Newbie2]

Richard Dawkins has quoted this passage out of context. I wrote to the editor of Time magazine to complain about this, and was told that he would take it up with Dawkins personally the next time he saw him. Who knows whether he did or not, but I thought it was interesting that the editor of the magazine evidently knew Dawkins as a friend.

Don’t count on it. They’re probably having a good laugh out of it.

 

[Contarini]

Richard Dawkins has quoted this passage out of context. I wrote to the editor of Time magazine to complain about this, and was told that he would take it up with Dawkins personally the next time he saw him. Who knows whether he did or not, but I thought it was interesting that the editor of the magazine evidently knew Dawkins as a friend.

Until his recent online debate with Douglas Wilson, Dawkins didn’t even know the difference between Jews and Samaritans. His ignorance about the religion he presumes to attack is pretty astounding, especially coming from someone brought up in a nominally Christian society (i.e., I am more lenient when a Muslim or a Hindu makes mistakes like this in the course of criticizing Christianity).

Edwin