Do we remember our loved ones in hell?

  • Thread starter Thread starter chefmomster2
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
C

chefmomster2

Guest
I have been bothered by this issue for some time.

My son has issues. At one time his intent was to murder me and then commit suicide. He also left the Catholic church when he turned 18. (He actually "left much earlier, but that was as long as we could enforce his attendance at church.) He claims to be an atheist.

Despite all of this his father and I love him very, very much. We did everything possible to get him the help he needed. Thankfully, he is doing better these days. He still has problems, but our relationship is better. Last year he told me he loved me! That was the first time I’d heard that in 8 years.

My biggest fear for him was when he was a teenager. He was actually devising a plan to kill me. I was not afraid for me. I was afraid that he would go to hell. That led to my question that I ask here…

Assuming he went to hell (not a judgment, just for this question) how could I possibly be in complete happiness in heaven (assuming I got there) if I knew my son was in hell? A friend told me that I would be made to forget him. That thought is also painful.

I trust the Lord’s promise of eternal happiness, but I just don’t know how this works? Do you?
 
chefmomster2 said:
I have been bothered by this issue for some time.

My son has issues. At one time his intent was to murder me and then commit suicide. He also left the Catholic church when he turned 18. (He actually "left much earlier, but that was as long as we could enforce his attendance at church.) He claims to be an atheist.

Despite all of this his father and I love him very, very much. We did everything possible to get him the help he needed. Thankfully, he is doing better these days. He still has problems, but our relationship is better. Last year he told me he loved me! That was the first time I’d heard that in 8 years.

My biggest fear for him was when he was a teenager. He was actually devising a plan to kill me. I was not afraid for me. I was afraid that he would go to hell. That led to my question that I ask here…

Assuming he went to hell (not a judgment, just for this question) how could I possibly be in complete happiness in heaven (assuming I got there) if I knew my son was in hell? A friend told me that I would be made to forget him. That thought is also painful.

I trust the Lord’s promise of eternal happiness, but I just don’t know how this works? Do you?
Click to expand...
I see in your signature you have a quote by C.S. Lewis. Have you read his book “The Great Divorce”? The closest you will come to an answer to your question is found in that book.

But I pray that your son will experience profound conversion of heart. :highprayer:

Hail Mary, Full of Grace. The Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. :highprayer:
 
:hmmm:

These are things I wonder about as well. How can we experience eternal happiness without our loved ones? Or them without us? (maybe that last question is arrogant and presumptuous on my part).

I will keep you and your son (and family) in my prayers.
 
chefmomster2 said:
I have been bothered by this issue for some time.

My son has issues. At one time his intent was to murder me and then commit suicide. He also left the Catholic church when he turned 18. (He actually "left much earlier, but that was as long as we could enforce his attendance at church.) He claims to be an atheist.

Despite all of this his father and I love him very, very much. We did everything possible to get him the help he needed. Thankfully, he is doing better these days. He still has problems, but our relationship is better. Last year he told me he loved me! That was the first time I’d heard that in 8 years.

My biggest fear for him was when he was a teenager. He was actually devising a plan to kill me. I was not afraid for me. I was afraid that he would go to hell. That led to my question that I ask here…

Assuming he went to hell (not a judgment, just for this question) how could I possibly be in complete happiness in heaven (assuming I got there) if I knew my son was in hell? A friend told me that I would be made to forget him. That thought is also painful.

I trust the Lord’s promise of eternal happiness, but I just don’t know how this works? Do you?
Click to expand...
I can only say, that through my own near death experience, I came to understand that if we go to heaven we will know and understand everything. In that must certainly come the understanding of why someone might be in hell and we would not be disturbed or hurt by this. About the only other thing I could possibly add, is that what we think we KNOW and UNDERSTAND is so far from our ability to truly KNOW and UNDERSTAND I can find no words to explain it.

During my near death experience I also came to understand that every single thing we say, in fact, every little sound of every letter has meaning beyond our comprehension. I so wish I could explain this, but it is impossible. Suffice it to say there are none of us that know or understand a single thing in this world. No one.

Moreover, in this case it sounds like your son has some serious mental health issues, and certainly only God knows how culpable he would be for any of his thoughts or actions. Do not give up on the hope that your son will be united with God at the end of his life. It is not for us to know or understand this.

You certainly have my heart and prayers. What you are dealing with is not easy. Keep your son in your prayers and never stop asking God for His mercy.
 
Cricket2 said:
Suffice it to say there are none of us that know or understand a single thing in this world.
Click to expand...
That’s certainly the truth! Thank you! 🙂
Cricket2 said:
Do not give up on the hope that your son will be united with God at the end of his life. Keep your son in your prayers and never stop asking God for His mercy.
Click to expand...
I agree that I think his culpability is likely diminished. And, I have faith. God can accomplish great things! 👍

I could never, ever give up on him. He is my son and I love him absolutely unconditionally. Besides, we have come ever so far! 🙂
 
There is no such thing as having loved ones in Hell. Everybody that you love will be in Heaven. Your entire family will be in Heaven. Those who are not of your family will be in Hell, and you will not mourn them, because you will come to understand fully that they rejected what was suppose to be theirs.

Of course, this explanation is only going to sink so deep into the mind of any parent, and so it must be taken on faith rather than on feeling. Parents have a natural love for their children, instilled by God, but in Heaven, our love will be supernatural.
 
SoulSolace said:
:hmmm:

These are things I wonder about as well. How can we experience eternal happiness without our loved ones? Or them without us? (maybe that last question is arrogant and presumptuous on my part).

I will keep you and your son (and family) in my prayers.
Click to expand...
Thank you for your prayers! Prayers are how we survived!
 
chefmomster2 said:
That’s certainly the truth! Thank you! 🙂

I agree that I think his culpability is likely diminished. And, I have faith. God can accomplish great things! 👍

I could never, ever give up on him. He is my son and I love him absolutely unconditionally. Besides, we have come ever so far! 🙂
Click to expand...
If you can never give up on your son, I doubt G-d can either. I tend to believe that whatever love, compassion, and mercy humans have in their heart for others, G-d has infinitely more of this. So fear not, G-d will provide a way for your son.
 
Continue to pray for your son–remember St. Monica–God will do the rest. Telling you that he loves you is a good sign. Praying for each of you./SIZE]
 
TK421 said:
There is no such thing as having loved ones in Hell. Everybody that you love will be in Heaven. Your entire family will be in Heaven. Those who are not of your family will be in Hell, and you will not mourn them, because you will come to understand fully that they rejected what was suppose to be theirs.
Click to expand...
I am not sure I can agree with your second point, as much as I appreciate your first.

If my son was truly to end up in Hell, I would certainly understand why since I would know that he had rejected God. (That is the reason for each soul in hell.) But, I would love him with my whole heart. I have never been able to do anything else. Certainly I have been angry with him. There are many, many things he has said and done which were awful. But, I love him despite those things of which I do not approve. If not me, then who? I would never forsake my child.

Perhaps I don’t understand your words. Could you explain? 🤷
 
The OP asks an Eternal question : "Do we remember our loved ones [if we are] in hell?"

Jesus Christ said YES.

Jesus talked to people about Abraham’s Bosom.
This is the place that all dead Jews go to.
There is a Fun part, and a Fiery un-Fun part.

The teaching was about a man in the Hellish part, who was talking about his Relatives.

If this is the way that God provided for pre-Christian times, then, it would make sense that God devised the “NEW” Abraham’s Bosom ( HELL ) in a similar manner (certainly it has the same FIRE-everywhere motif).
 
4love2God said:
The OP asks an Eternal question : "Do we remember our loved ones [if we are] in hell?"

I should have worded the question better. I’m sorry.

Do we remember our loved ones who are in hell if we are in heaven?

Thank you!
Click to expand...
 
👍
meltzerboy said:
If you can never give up on your son, I doubt G-d can either. I tend to believe that whatever love, compassion, and mercy humans have in their heart for others, G-d has infinitely more of this. So fear not, G-d will provide a way for your son.
Click to expand...
👍

Yes, I like the way you put that. If we as mere humans with our ‘little’ way of love, wouldn’t give up, then it makes sense that G-d, who is infinite love, will be ever merciful.
(abbr. for respect of your beliefs)
 
OK, the question is different** : “Do we remember our Loved Ones who are in Hell, if we are in Heaven?”**

If I am in Heaven, and if I can remember any of my Loved Ones who are living in Heaven … then it seems only logical that I could also remember my Loved Ones who are living in Hell (and those who are still living here on Earth).

In fact, the Church teaches that people in Heaven (especially the Saints) know about people on Earth.
And, they can pray for us and maybe even intercede for us to God Himself.
So, if people in Heaven know about people on Earth, it seems that they will also remember people who USED to live on Earth (but who are now in Hell).

I doubt that God would give everyone in Heaven a selective Memory Block … just about those who have been sent off into Hell.
Also, there would seem to be NO reason for God to want to do that.

Certainly Jesus taught us that Husbands and Wives are no longer considered such in Heaven.
But, it doesn’t say that this is because they don’t remember that each other ever existed.
 
chefmomster2 said:
Assuming he went to hell (not a judgment, just for this question) how could I possibly be in complete happiness in heaven (assuming I got there) if I knew my son was in hell? A friend told me that I would be made to forget him. That thought is also painful.

I trust the Lord’s promise of eternal happiness, but I just don’t know how this works? Do you?
Click to expand...
No idea how this works. I simply cannot imagine being happy in Heaven and knowing that my loved ones are in hell. I am sure that God knows what He is doing and that indeed we must trust His promises. But because what you describe is so difficult to imagine I prefer to not think about it too much and just go on faith.

Praying for your son.
 
Contra Mundum said :** “I simply cannot imagine being happy in Heaven, and [yet] knowing that my loved ones are in hell.”**

I am so sorry that you consider living with God the Father and Jesus Christ as no reason to be Happy in Heaven.
That, and the fact that Satan will no longer be able to adversely affect you, should make Life in Heaven a relatively positive experience.

I assume that living in Heaven is going to be a WOW experience.
And, part of that WOW is no longer worrying about all the stupid things that used to upset us on Earth.

I would ask you Contra Mundum :
Obviously, you have a Relative or 2 who lived a Sin-filled life, and would most likely have been sent on a one-way trip to Hell.
So, if that is True, why are you NOT in a permanent state of un-Happiness here on Earth?

If you can answer this question, then you will understand that in Heaven, it must be a whole lot easier to accept the things that God has allowed to occur.
 
👍
4love2God said:
Contra Mundum said :** “I simply cannot imagine being happy in Heaven, and [yet] knowing that my loved ones are in hell.”**

I am so sorry that you consider living with God the Father and Jesus Christ as no reason to be Happy in Heaven.
Click to expand...
I must say that I find the tone of your comment a bit offensive. I don’t think I said anything so stupid or offensive to God in my post hat deserves such a condescending attitude. I stand by my statement. I cannot *imagine *being happy in Heaven without my loved ones. That does not mean that I will be unhappy in Heaven without my loved ones, but simply that this reality surpasses my human understanding at this point in my life. Makes sense?
 
You don’t like the TONE of what I said, not what I said.

OK, Contra Mundum, let me try it again.

I think that if (or when) you get to Heaven some day, and get to live near Jesus Christ and God the Father, that you will be plenty Happy.

I think that in Heaven you could care less that any (or even All) of your Loved Ones are burning in Hell.
I say this last sentence because, when you get to Heaven, you will begin to understand that God is Just in all that He does.
And, that if Jesus decides to send your Loved Ones to Hell, that it is a Just action.
And, since it is Just, you should be Happy about it.
Edit addition

Now that I think about it, I think that you could start believing that all actions taken personally by Jesus Christ are Just … while you are still living here on Earth, and so, the actions of Jesus should not make you feel upset.
 
4love2God said:
And, that if Jesus decides to send your Loved Ones to Hell, that it is a Just action.
And, since it is Just, you should be Happy about it.
Edit addition

Now that I think about it, I think that you could start believing that all actions taken personally by Jesus Christ are Just … while you are still living here on Earth, and so, the actions of Jesus should not make you feel upset.
Click to expand...
Dear friend,

I think you have completely misunderstood my comments on this thread. I will leave it at that and not engage in discussing it further. God bless.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top