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Wondering
Guest
Can a Catholic in his heart hate Satan? He is the enemy. I need a real answer soon.
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Bud_Stewart
Guest
Great question.
My answer, I am not a trained apologist, is yes. Since we don’t hate the sinner, but do hate, and since Staten is the embodiment of sin, the answer would be YES!
My answer, I am not a trained apologist, is yes. Since we don’t hate the sinner, but do hate, and since Staten is the embodiment of sin, the answer would be YES!
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hsmom2four
Guest
Hmm… this is interesting as my kids have been asking me this and similar questions. I hope more people get on this thread 
Besides that question, they wondered:
Besides that question, they wondered:
- How can God be omnipresent (everywhere) if He isn’t in Hell?
- Since devils are fallen angels, and angels were created with free will as humans are, can the devils exercise their free will, repent of their sins, and return to Heaven?
- If God is love, does God love Satan?
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Max
Guest
I’m not an apologist myself, but I can think of rational answers to each of the 3 questions. Correct me if I’m wrong anyone!
- Hell by definition is the very absence of God isn’t it?
- Well, think about it. Those who go to hell suffer eternal damnation, no? I don’t think demons are an exception to that rule, and to be condemned to hell in the first place would require for the soul to be completely hopeless as far as accepting and loving God. So, the Devil or demons in hell would probably have no desire for God’s forgiveness anyways.
- I believe that God can’t love satan, because God doesn’t love sin. And Satan is the very manifestation of sin itself.
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Servulus
Guest
Can we hate the devil?
If to hate is “to have a great aversion to, with a strong desire that evil should befall the person toward whom the feeling is directed”, the devil seems to be the only ideal candidate.
If God is omnipresent, how come He is not in Hell?
Properly speaking, Hell is not a place, but rather a conditiion of eternal separation from God.
How come the devil and his minions can’t repent?
Part of this has to do with our understanding of things and our being bound by time. I can commit a sin now, and later in time realize what I have done. I can then repent, then express my sorrow to God, and even later, do pennance. For the fallen angels, who are purely spiritual beings existing outside of time, there is only “now”. It is the same “now” in which they rejected God, and the “now” in which they shall forever be. For the same reason, the angels and the saints cannot possibly sin. Their eternal “now” is a perfect unity with God.
If to hate is “to have a great aversion to, with a strong desire that evil should befall the person toward whom the feeling is directed”, the devil seems to be the only ideal candidate.
If God is omnipresent, how come He is not in Hell?
Properly speaking, Hell is not a place, but rather a conditiion of eternal separation from God.
How come the devil and his minions can’t repent?
Part of this has to do with our understanding of things and our being bound by time. I can commit a sin now, and later in time realize what I have done. I can then repent, then express my sorrow to God, and even later, do pennance. For the fallen angels, who are purely spiritual beings existing outside of time, there is only “now”. It is the same “now” in which they rejected God, and the “now” in which they shall forever be. For the same reason, the angels and the saints cannot possibly sin. Their eternal “now” is a perfect unity with God.
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meglin
Guest
Let us look at Merriam-Webster’s definition…
Main Entry: 1hate
Function: noun
1 : intense hostility and aversion usually deriving from fear, anger, or sense of injury: extreme dislike or antipathy.
2 : an object of hatred
Main Entry: 2hate
Function: verb
1 : to feel extreme enmity toward.
2 : to have a strong aversion to : find very distasteful.
I would say…yes.
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meglin
Guest
I’m not sure if that’s 100% accurate…
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Servulus
Guest
Meglin:
My basis was the Catechism of the Catholic Church (on which I’m certainly no expert!). Here’s the citation:
1033 We cannot be united with God unless we freely choose to love him. But we cannot love God if we sin gravely against him, against our neighbor or against ourselves: “He who does not love remains in death. Anyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.” Our Lord warns us that we shall be separated from him if we fail to meet the serious needs of the poor and the little ones who are his brethren. To die in mortal sin without repenting and accepting God’s merciful love means remaining separated from him for ever by our own free choice. This state of definitive self-exclusion from communion with God and the blessed is called “hell.”
The last sentence seems to refer to a condition rather than a physical location.
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meglin
Guest
Servulus,
Before I begin, let me apologize if my response sounded a bit terse. I meant no disrespect.
If you read just a little further…look at 1035:
1035: The teaching of the Church affirms the existence of hell and its eternity. Immediately after death the souls of those who die in a state of mortal sin descend into hell, where they suffer the punishments of hell, “eternal fire.” The chief punishment of hell is eternal separation from God, in whom alone man can possess the life and happiness for which he was created and for which he longs.
I read this as hell being a real place where one has the punishment of separation.
Thoughts?
Before I begin, let me apologize if my response sounded a bit terse. I meant no disrespect.
If you read just a little further…look at 1035:
1035: The teaching of the Church affirms the existence of hell and its eternity. Immediately after death the souls of those who die in a state of mortal sin descend into hell, where they suffer the punishments of hell, “eternal fire.” The chief punishment of hell is eternal separation from God, in whom alone man can possess the life and happiness for which he was created and for which he longs.
I read this as hell being a real place where one has the punishment of separation.
Thoughts?
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ally
Guest
I’ve often wondered how come the devil is allowed to have so much fun tempting sinners. Evildoers enjoy having people fall into sin.
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Servulus
Guest
I think we’re in complete agreement on the reality of Hell which is, after all, the key element here. Whether it has geographic coordinates is certainly something on which we can speculate, especially in our present condition of limited understanding. Thanks for your perspective, and please say a prayer for me.
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meglin
Guest
Agreed…I will my friend…and do the same for me.
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scaxter
Guest
Wondering,
We are to “reject” Satan and all his pompous ways. We are to hate the sin, but love the sinner. God said he would put “enmity” between his offspring and hers [of course “her” is Mother Mary, and her offspring is Jesus. We too are her adopted offspring]. Enmity according to Websters means “ill-will, especially hatred.”
Be careful you aren’t spending too much time “wallowing” in hatred which would please the devil vs. doing something about changing a bad situation, or sinful situation **into something better, something consisting of holiness which leads you closer to God. **
We are to “reject” Satan and all his pompous ways. We are to hate the sin, but love the sinner. God said he would put “enmity” between his offspring and hers [of course “her” is Mother Mary, and her offspring is Jesus. We too are her adopted offspring]. Enmity according to Websters means “ill-will, especially hatred.”
Be careful you aren’t spending too much time “wallowing” in hatred which would please the devil vs. doing something about changing a bad situation, or sinful situation **into something better, something consisting of holiness which leads you closer to God. **
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