Do we really have faith that Hell exists?

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HickmanJosh said:
Yes hell exists, if we have free will and the option of Choosing Heaven then for it to be a truly free choice there must be an alternative, Hell - where God is not present.
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Do we really choose Heaven? I mean we choose to try to live a good Catholic life and have the hope of going to Heaven but no one really knows if we will go to Heaven or not. I sometimes find it a bit scary to think no matter how much you try to live a good life, you might still end up in hell:eek:
 
Lui said:
Do we really choose Heaven? I mean we choose to try to live a good Catholic life and have the hope of going to Heaven but no one really knows if we will go to Heaven or not. I sometimes find it a bit scary to think no matter how much you try to live a good life, you might still end up in hell:eek:
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Be Not Afraid…

Why do you let your heart be troubled by such things.
Does not God Love you?
Did He not send His son to redeem You?
Why do you fear such a Loving Father who asks only that you Love him in return?

Be Not Afraid

Do not dwell on punishment - Dwell instead on Love.
Do not seek to avoid hell - Seek instead to Glorify Heaven.

You are already a member of the Kingdom by virtue of the mark of Baptism in Faith. You do not need to worry about “getting in” - you are already “in”, you simply need to choose to “stay in” and Love, psoitive, uplifing, glorious Agape Love is the key.

Be Not Afraid.

Peace
James
 
Yes. The devil exists, and so does the realm that he ‘rules’ over.
 
I definitely have faith that Hell really exists. I try very hard to stay in a state of grace so that I don’t go to Hell when I die. I fear Hell a lot. I love God very much too and I want to spend my eternity worshiping Him in Heaven. So yeah, I definitely believe that Hell exists.
 
PiousTemplar said:
I was just wondering, do we truly have faith that Hell exists? If say, we knew it existed for sure, and was proven by science, then everybody would try there absolute hardest to be a Good Christian?
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I’ve posted heaps of times that the night my father died, he appeared in my room, started with an apology, we argued and conversed, and at the end he gave this terrifying scream and disappeared. Going on what was happening at the time, I think he could either see the appearance of hell and / or the devil and / or demons. He was literally terrified to the core. His scream was so frightening I started to scream, and yet all I could see was him.

So I don’t have much doubt hell exists.

However I don’t know that the mere fact “hell exists” would do much to change people. When revivals take place, there is usually a conviction of sin, and that’s not the same thing as mere knowledge that hell is a possibility for sinners.

Human nature isn’t built to dwell on any one thing for long. And it’s surprising what we can get used to. You can take a young, naive boy from ordinary suburban or rural life and put him in the trenches of World War I, and to some extent he’ll cope with the mud, the explosions, the risk of severe wounds, the loss of mates, the sight and stench of rotting bodies. We’re adaptable.

Secondly we’re not motivated very weill by negatives. We might obey someone out of fear, but we won’t admire them for it. Nor will it be a willing obedience.

For example I for one have no excuses about whether Hell exists or not, if what happened the night my father died was anything to go by. But that doesn’t stop me from indulging in my pet weaknesses from time to time. And I don’t think it will stop anybody else either. The kids at school knew that a visit to the headmaster (when I was young) meant six of the best across the hand or the seat of learning. But that didn’t stop the rebels from rebelling. They just covered it up better.

I do think however a lot of people are in for a hell of a shock when they die, if you’ll pardon the expression. But by then it will be too late, as my father found out.

It’s a morbid subject. But a real one.
 
Bob_Crowley said:
I’ve posted heaps of times that the night my father died, he appeared in my room, started with an apology, we argued and conversed, and at the end he gave this terrifying scream and disappeared. Going on what was happening at the time, I think he could either see the appearance of hell and / or the devil and / or demons. He was literally terrified to the core. His scream was so frightening I started to scream, and yet all I could see was him.

So I don’t have much doubt hell exists.

However I don’t know that the mere fact “hell exists” would do much to change people. When revivals take place, there is usually a conviction of sin, and that’s not the same thing as mere knowledge that hell is a possibility for sinners.

Human nature isn’t built to dwell on any one thing for long. And it’s surprising what we can get used to. You can take a young, naive boy from ordinary suburban or rural life and put him in the trenches of World War I, and to some extent he’ll cope with the mud, the explosions, the risk of severe wounds, the loss of mates, the sight and stench of rotting bodies. We’re adaptable.

Secondly we’re not motivated very weill by negatives. We might obey someone out of fear, but we won’t admire them for it. Nor will it be a willing obedience.

For example I for one have no excuses about whether Hell exists or not, if what happened the night my father died was anything to go by. But that doesn’t stop me from indulging in my pet weaknesses from time to time. And I don’t think it will stop anybody else either. The kids at school knew that a visit to the headmaster (when I was young) meant six of the best across the hand or the seat of learning. But that didn’t stop the rebels from rebelling. They just covered it up better.

I do think however a lot of people are in for a hell of a shock when they die, if you’ll pardon the expression. But by then it will be too late, as my father found out.

It’s a morbid subject. But a real one.
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Ahh This is so interesting I had to comment. You know, I am not sure a soul in hell would uh “apologize.” Maybe he was deep in purgatory?

Anyway, I understand your point about Hell. It’s not the strongest motivator to avoid sin but one of THE strongest. When we are at a certain level spiritually it’s very important. I think if hell wasn’t a permanent thing there wouldn’t be much reason for people to concern themselves with their relationship with God. Like if fire wasn’t hot a child will never learn to avoid touching it. The reality of hell leads to the need of God and his mercy and gradually we’ll become holier for it.

And the strongest motivator for doing His will is just Love of Him and fear of offending Him as you would any loved one. However, He won’t force that upon people. They have to accept it. I don’t know if I’ll ever get to that level in this life but I pray for the grace often. I thank God for the improvements I make because of Him as He slowly builds my trust with him with in me.
 
Lui said:
Do we really choose Heaven? I mean we choose to try to live a good Catholic life and have the hope of going to Heaven but no one really knows if we will go to Heaven or not. I sometimes find it a bit scary to think no matter how much you try to live a good life, you might still end up in hell:eek:
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The more you give yourself to God, the more He gives Himself to you. He never withholds His Presence or grace from anyone that is seeking Him.

Also, remember the Confessional :). If you confess and are sorry for your sins and truly planning to try not to commit them again, your sins will be forgiven and Heaven will be open to you. Confession wipes the soul completely clean! Also, according to St. Padre Pio, the mercy of God is so great that when you go to Confession and confess all the serious sins you can remember, God’s mercy is so great that He covers you so that all the sins you don’t remember are wiped out.

When you step out of the Confessional, your soul is in a state of grace. The Confessional is an open doorway into Heaven.

I might not know that I am going to Heaven, but I have strong reason to believe I am aimed there when I step out of the confessional, sorry for my sins and planning to try not to commit them again. If we make a good Confession, our sins are wiped out completely. The Sacrament of Reconciliation also gives us grace to strengthen us to not sin again, so that it will be easier to do what is right in the future, and not fall into the same sins so easily again. Its grace gradually helps us grow in holiness, if we are willing to cooperate with it.

We need to keep doing all our responsibilities, of course, seeking holiness, praying, doing good works, following the Church’s teachings to the best of our ability, but when we fail, the Confessional always, invariably cleanses us of our sins, if we make a good confession. God is that merciful.

So don’t be afraid, but trust in His Mercy and go to Confession frequently! Jesus will pardon you every time, cleaning you of your sins every time, and helping you in your efforts to become more holy.
 
Kontrak said:
Ahh This is so interesting I had to comment. You know, I am not sure a soul in hell would uh “apologize.” Maybe he was deep in purgatory?
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Often, when people die, their spirits seem to hover around for a little while before being taken to their ultimate destination, judging from some of the accounts of near death experiences – not that I’m saying these are completely reliable, by ANY means. But that might have happened to Bob’s father. This was the night the man died, so the conversation probably happened very shortly after his death.

I think I read of a similar experience in the life of Padre Pio . . .
 
Kontrak said:
Ahh This is so interesting I had to comment. You know, I am not sure a soul in hell would uh “apologize.” Maybe he was deep in purgatory?
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He’d only just died. If I’d had the presence of mind to note the time, I think I could have given the coroner a very accurate account of the exact time of death.

Hence he hadn’t yet gone to hell or purgatory. What I think I saw was his reaction to hell’s approach for the first time. Pure fear.
 
Bob_Crowley said:
He’d only just died. If I’d had the presence of mind to note the time, I think I could have given the coroner a very accurate account of the exact time of death.

Hence he hadn’t yet gone to hell or purgatory. What I think I saw was his reaction to hell’s approach for the first time. Pure fear.
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You know I wasn’t really thinking about it at the time, but the way I wrote that sounded a little crass. I’m sorry for your loss.
 
http://payingattentiontothesky.files.wordpress.com/2009/09/hellbosch3.jpg?w=300&h=704

Reading selections from an article Cardinal Dulles wrote in First Things back in 2003. There were references to some controversies at the time which I have removed as they seemed too topical for my wants, but I’ve kept the overall survey aspect of the Church’s teachings on hell – it is an invaluable resource and timeless overview of the topic.

Whether it be commenting on the New Testament or Paul or dealing with contemporary theologians writings on the topic, Cardinal Dulles presents his materials and interpretations with consummate skill. Reading him always causes me pain at his absence, wondering what we have been missing.

“We are forbidden to seek our own salvation in a selfish and egotistical way. We are keepers of our brothers and sisters. The more we work for their salvation, the more of God’s favor we can expect for ourselves. Those of us who believe and make use of the means that God has provided for the forgiveness of sins and the reform of life have no reason to fear. We can be sure that Christ, who died on the Cross for us, will not fail to give us the grace we need. We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, and that if we persevere in that love, nothing whatever can separate us from Christ (cf. Romans 8:28-39). That is all the assurance we can have, and it should be enough.”
Avery Cardinal Dulles, *The Population of Hell *

dj
 
Bob_Crowley said:
I’ve posted heaps of times that the night my father died, he appeared in my room, started with an apology, we argued and conversed, and at the end he gave this terrifying scream and disappeared.
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Doesn’t it depress you to think your father might be in hell. My father is as anti-religious as it gets. You could think that he inventd Atheism and is totally intolerant to anyone who believes in God. He says people only believe in God because they are brain-washed. Otherwise he is a pretty moral person.

I sometimes wonder what will happen to him after he dies:(
 
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