Both of my sisters think that hell is funny and cool

[fred_conty]

Hi, I have 2 sisters. Both aren’t “real Catholics” (the older one is 22 and never goes to church, the younger is 15 and goes to church only because my dad forces her to when he can). Lately I have been seeing them post stuff on facebook that is very disturbing to me. One of them was a meme that said: “I already know I’m going to hell, so at this point it’s go big or go home!” My mother, who is not a practicing Catholic and is divorced from my devout caqtholic father, liked the picture and even commented on how funny it was. My 15 year old sister posted a statu update tonight that said: “I like to take extra hot showers to practice burning in hell.” It makes me very upset when they say things like this, and the 15 year old has recently gotten into reading books about wicca and posts pictures of herself wearing very dark makeup with captions like “My favorite color is black like my soul.” After my parents divorced my mom encouraged this kind of behavior. They say I am a prude when I get offended and to get the stick out of my ***. My dad doesnt know because he is hardly in the picture at all, my mom pretty much cut him off from my underage sister and my other sister barely visits him. All this, I believe, is a direct result of my mom cheating on my dad and ending their 25 year marriage. There is nothing I can do, I know but pray for them. Neither of them would ever listen to what I have to say. But it makes my heart hurt when I see the influence Satan has had on my family and I just want to hide away and pretend its not happening! Any advice/kind words/prayers?

They are fortunate to have you in their family…the only one who knows Jesus and has shown fidelity to him. You have a very important part to play in their lives. Your prayers and steadfastness is impressive to Jesus. You haven’t given way to their hurtful remarks. And these remarks are important not only because they draw you closer to Jesus but also because they are the crown of thorns to be offered at the Mass for them. Our salvation came thru his sufferings, and it could well be that their salvation will come thru your sufferings for them. Do it out of love for them, and out of love for Jesus.

They are indeed blessed to have you in their family. And I will remember you in prayer.

 

[Mystical_Seeker]

Maybe you could shock them by learning a few jokes about hell and be ready to spout one off here and there.

For me, it helps when people think I’m all about Jesus, but then are surprised that something I say comes across “particularly human” to them in a “non-stereotypical Christian” way. If I can keep a good humor about them, and even share in their jokes, then I get one foot in each side.

I had a boss once that was a very devout Christian – actually refused to work on Saturday, which was what He considered the sabbath – but he was good natured and chuckled at the childish things we said. He would never use foul language himself, but he also smiled and never tried to “fix” the way anybody else talked and didn’t mind entering their world of what they thought was funny.

This can be quite a selling point. Somebody who does “I am bothered by the way you speak” does not come across to those doing the bothering, as a way of life to desire. Why should they pay heed to a God that takes away their pleasure in life and makes them serious and judgmental and spooked by words that go by? Look at Pope Francis who has sinners all over the globe who have no intent of becoming Christians, hanging on his every word because he is gentle and humble and smiles a lot and doesn’t act “better than” sinners or let their sins discourage him.

That’s why I so liked my pastor’s reply about having a chaplain in hell. He clearly believes in hell but his light handling of the subject in casual conversation both makes it easier to talk about and proves that satan does not have the power to keep us feeling doomed and gloomy all the time.

 

[truetofaith]

I’m a Christian, but there is no chance I will ever believe in hell. If this place was real (which its not) - do you not think Jesus would have spoken about it a bit more than he did? How much did he talk about hell? hmmm, nothing.

Here is a question - Jesus actually told us where Heaven is… anyone on here remember?

“man will search high and low for the kingdom of God but will never find it - for what he does not know is that - the kingdom is inside him”. We are already in Heaven guys… we are spirits already - Perhaps hell is something we can visit now - if we are not careful with our life chooses…

live in love/follow the teachings of Christ - you are already there… no fear of the boogie man. The hell story is just first testament nonsense. How many people read that one… we don’t belive people lived to be 900 anymore, we don’t believe in a lot of the text from the first commandment… yet some people believe in hell…

This is just kids being kids… nothing to fear, nothing that will not pass

Jesus spoke a lot about hell…Matt. 25 sheep & goats, for one.