I
Iceguy50
Guest
After reading Pope John Paul’s comments about hell NOT being a physical place…what is the position of the Church?
Thanks
Thanks
- Status
J
JM3
Guest
I
Iceguy50
Guest
Thank you JM3.
P
PJM
Guest
Thanks for asking
Allow me first to add some insight as to WHY he made this factual comment.
Deut 30:19 " I call heaven and earth to witness this day, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing. Choose therefore life, that both thou and thy seed may live:
Eccl. 15:18 “Before man is life and death, good and evil, that which he shall choose shall be given him”
Of all of the BILLIONS of things in the Universe; all Created and managed by the same Good Good; only One. Only humanity; ** is made in the very image of God [Gen. 1:26-27] ** and has the following abilities and the necessary attributes that make them possible.
Only Man can create; [unlike God, we require things to start with], can reationalize; and can freely choose to love or to hate.
In order to accomplish these things absolutely requires a mind; intellect; FREEWILL and a Soul. In fac;t in man these are a single package of Gifts from God that enable man alone to emulate our God.
AND HERE’S THE KEY!
" John 4:23-24 "But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true adorers shall adore the Father in spirit and in truth. For the Father also seeketh such to adore him. God is a spirit; and they that adore him, must adore him in spirit and in truth.
Each of these Gifts I mention above are like our God in “essence” but not perfecction; and are SPIRITUAL THINGS. THIS IS HOW MAN ALONE CAN AND DOES EMULATE GOD OUR CREATOR. This is proven by knowing: Gen 3:19 :In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread till thou return to the earth, out of which thou wast taken: for dust thou art, and into dust thou shalt return.
**So with death comes the natural decay of our “physical self.” DOES ** Does THAT MEAN WE NO LONGER EXIST? NO!
The Gifts I mentioned above are of “Spiritual and Eternal in essence” similar to God. If and WHEN we “MEET God” we will do so Intuitively because both God and we will be “Spiritual things”. [Jesus of course will retain His perfect and Glorified Body; which we will not emumate until the End Times and once again our then Glorified bodies will be reunited forever with our “Spirtual self.”]
SO HOW THIS RELATED TO BLESSED PAUL II COMMENTS seem to now be clear.
Simply because “hell is not a physical place” IN NO WAY; SHAPE or FORM lessens its reality or its severity of punishment
The most severe punishment will be the absolute affirmation of our Good God’s existence and the FACT that those in hell will KNOW of ther errors; and their sins and expreience TOTAL and complete LOSS;and dispair, knowing now of God; of heaven and their own choice to choose hell instead. 
The promised rewards and or punishment DO NOT change; only our understanding of them.
Heb.6: 10 “For God is not so unjust as to overlook your work and the love which you showed for his sake in serving the saints, as you still do.
**Rom. 2:6 **“Who will render to every man according to his works.”
Rev. 22:12 “Behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to render to every man according to his works”
**Rev. 20:12 **“And I saw the dead, great and small, standing in the presence of the throne, and the books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged by those things which were written in the books, according to their works.
T
thistle
Guest
It doesn’t matter if it is a state, place, or both because Hell is eternal separation from God.
- Status