An Eternal Hell Doesn't Make Sense

[tonyrey]

There is no choice in hell, as traditionally taught. There was choice in this life. At the point of death our choices become “fixed,” at least in their direction (toward God or away).

At least, that’s the traditional view, and I’m not convinced that it’s untenable.

Edwin

A fixed choice isn’t a choice, Edwin! Nor does rejecting God imply that we lose our free will in every respect. Just as there are degrees of sanctity there are degrees of wickedness. That is the basis of the belief in Purgatory. Only God knows precisely to what extent we repent and to what extent we are punished by our sins. One thing we do know is that nothing except ourselves can separate us from Him and everyone else. We alone are responsible for our destiny. So eternal Hell does make sense if we really believe in freedom without arbitrary limitations!

 

[tonyrey]

How can a person be said to continue to sin in hell when they don’t have the freedom to do otherwise? Ought implies can. It doesn’t make sense to say that people in hell are “sinning” since they have not the freedom to do otherwise. If they did, some of them could repent and leave hell. If you say that they just all happen to be obstinate sinners whom God has always known would be so, why create them in the first place? If God has the power to create free beings who will always just happen to choose evil, for eternity, then why didn’t he just create free beings who will always just happen to choose good, for eternity?

There are degrees of freedom. We can reach the stage where we are free to sin but unwilling to repent. Why should that be impossible? Freedom is more important than anything else in this life and the next. As Sartre observed, we are not persons unless we have the power to exercise our power to make decisions and commit ourselves.

How would the annihilation of the “wicked” be the triumph of evil over good? To me it would seem rather the total opposite. To continuously sustain the existence of the “wicked” in hell seems rather more like the triumph of evil over good. Indeed, an eternal triumph. Satan’s rebellion lasts forever.

The very fact that God accepts an eternal revolt against Him demonstrates He is not an imperious autocrat but a loving Father! His gift of freedom to us is not provisional but unconditional. Even in Hell we are fulfilling the purpose for which He created us: to determine our own destiny whereas annihilation of rebels would be an act of destruction and amount to moral defeat. Evil doesn’t triumph over good because its scope is confined to those who opt for “splendid isolation” and it has no effect on anyone else whereas the saints in heaven enjoy the glorious “freedom of the sons of God”. The teaching of Jesus is applicable even beyond the grave:

“But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have?”

Matthew 5:45

God doesn’t change His tune simply because we are dead! His love transcends everything and everyone He has created…