Celebrating Damnation

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newcalling

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I was appalled when Rev. Billy Graham died and many atheists and pagans were celebrating it. I was even more appalled when even some Christians were practically giddy that he was probably in eternal torment, because they disagreed with his beliefs. Then, when Dr. Stephen Hawking died, my goodness I was blown away by the absolute celebration on so many Christian social media pages. I realize the man was an atheist, and actively preached against religion, but I cannot imagine celebrating ANYONE being damned, not even my worst enemy. Eternal damnation is serious stuff, as serious as you can get! God loves all souls, and would have that all come to Him and are saved. Of course, there’s also the error that we ever think we can say if someone is damned, as we are not God (the church can sometimes determine that they are not, hence canonized saints, but I don’t think has ever proven that someone is damned.) However, aside from that error, celebrating someone’s damnation rather than being sorrowful about it just seems way outside of the compassionate and loving spirit I thought Yeshua taught us to have. I have literally cried many times over the thought that someone might be eternally damned, even complete strangers or people who were awful to me. Isn’t that precisely what “pray for those who persecute you” means? Do you think I’m wrong here?
 
You are absolutely correct. Proverbs states “Rejoice not when thine enemy falleth,” and this is what I think all people who profess religious beliefs should live by.
 
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I agree, it’s pretty distasteful. And it’s presumptuous either way – it’s not right to just “canonize” someone and disregard praying for them OR presume that they are in hell and be celebrating about it. God only knows either way.
 
GodSoughtMe: That is wonderful! I wish I had witnessed that attitude, rather than the sickening display I saw. That’s what I like to think, that he got to Heaven (probably after whatever time means in Purgatory) and was just pleasantly surprised at how wrong he was; probably had a fleet of angels to comfort him for whatever hurt his heart and made him think God couldn’t exist or love him. I don’t know, maybe I’m wrong, but I always pray for the best for every soul!
 
newcalling said:
However, aside from that error, celebrating someone’s damnation rather than being sorrowful about it just seems way outside of the compassionate and loving spirit I thought Yeshua taught us to have. I have literally cried many times over the thought that someone might be eternally damned, even complete strangers or people who were awful to me. Isn’t that precisely what “pray for those who persecute you” means? Do you think I’m wrong here?
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No, you are right, and those who want to dance a jig thinking someone is in hell are both uncharitable and may be in for a big surprise down the road if the detested person turns out to be in Heaven, while maybe they themselves don’t make the cut.

Pray for both the deceased atheist or murderer or whoever, and also pray for those who are happy about someone’s damnation, that they both see the light of Christ and change their thinking.
 
We cannot know who is in Hell, so we should not ever suggest someone has gone or is going to Hell. To do so can be to effectively put ourselves in the judgment seat. Only God can judge and the mercy of God is unlimited.

If we do actually get to Heaven ourselves, we might be surprised at who we meet there.
 
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You are so right. “Dancing on someone’s grave” is absolutely distasteful.
 
You are correct. Wishing for or being glad of someone’s damnation is mortally sinful. Wishing for or being glad because of a person’s death is sometimes licit on account of grave harm that they are actively doing to society (this would not apply by any stretch of the imagination to the people you mentioned), but rejoicing that a person is among the damned is never.

There is a good deal of theological opinion that holds Judas’s damnation to be divinely revealed, and some that holds this to also be true of Nero. But aside from these you are correct, there is no possibility of being certain of anyone’s damnation.
 
newcalling said:
Do you think I’m wrong here?
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No, you are right. Pray not only for unbelievers and evildoers, but also for those others, faithful and righteous though they may be, who fall short when it comes to loving unbelievers and evildoers. Be patient with them.
 
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Yeah, I read on a forum (not this one) that some people were talking as if steven hawking was in hell, I mean, how do they even know that for sure? Aren’t we told, we’ll be suprised who ends up in heaven. Doesn’t our lady give some people the grace of repentance at their last moment?

Annoys me too, we should ignore these people and just pray for the dead.
 
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