If God loves everyone, why would he send some of those he loves to hell for eternity?

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If God loves us all, why would he send some people to hell for eternity? There’s a monologue available on YouTube by the famous American comedian and social critic George Carlin in which he mocks Christians by talking about hell.
And the invisible man has a list of ten things he does not want you to do, and if you do any of these ten things, He has a special place full of fire and smoke and burning and torture and anguish where He will send you to live and suffer and burn and choke and scream and cry for ever and ever till the end of time. But He loves you.
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As a Christian, I don’t agree with Carlin’s mocking tone, but he does have a point when he talks about hell. I’ve always been troubled by the notion of hell, especially that anyone would be sent there for eternity by a loving God, and am not even sure if I really believe in hell, at least in any literal sense.:How can God love all of us and still send some of those he loves to hell for eternity?
 
Pope Saint John Paul II

Hell is the State of Those who Reject God

At the General Audience of Wednesday, 28 July 1999, the Holy Father reflected on hell as the definitive rejection of God. In his catechesis, the Pope said that care should be taken to interpret correctly the images of hell in Sacred Scripture, and explained that “hell is the ultimate consequence of sin itself… Rather than a place, hell indicates the state of those who freely and definitively separate themselves from God, the source of all life and joy”.
  1. God is the infinitely good and merciful Father. But man, called to respond to him freely, can unfortunately choose to reject his love and forgiveness once and for all, thus separating himself for ever from joyful communion with him. It is precisely this tragic situation that Christian doctrine explains when it speaks of eternal damnation or hell. It is not a punishment imposed externally by God but a development of premises already set by people in this life. The very dimension of unhappiness which this obscure condition brings can in a certain way be sensed in the light of some of the terrible experiences we have suffered which, as is commonly said, make life “hell”.
In a theological sense however, hell is something else: it is the ultimate consequence of sin itself, which turns against the person who committed it. It is the state of those who definitively reject the Father’s mercy, even at the last moment of their life.

Hell is a state of eternal damnation
  1. To describe this reality Sacred Scripture uses a symbolical language which will gradually be explained. In the Old Testament the condition of the dead had not yet been fully disclosed by Revelation. Moreover it was thought that the dead were amassed in Sheol, a land of darkness (cf. Ez. 28:8; 31:14; Jb. 10:21f.; 38:17; Ps 30:10; 88:7, 13), a pit from which one cannot reascend (cf. Jb. 7:9), a place in which it is impossible to praise God (cf. Is 38:18; Ps 6:6).
The New Testament sheds new light on the condition of the dead, proclaiming above all that Christ by his Resurrection conquered death and extended his liberating power to the kingdom of the dead.

Redemption nevertheless remains an offer of salvation which it is up to people to accept freely. This is why they will all be judged “by what they [have done]” (Rv 20:13). By using images, the New Testament presents the place destined for evildoers as a fiery furnace, where people will “weep and gnash their teeth” (Mt 13:42; cf. 25:30, 41), or like Gehenna with its “unquenchable fire” (Mk 9:43). All this is narrated in the parable of the rich man, which explains that hell is a place of eternal suffering, with no possibility of return, nor of the alleviation of pain (cf. Lk. 16:19-3 1).

The Book of Revelation also figuratively portrays in a “pool of fire” those who exclude themselves from the book of life, thus meeting with a “second death” (Rv. 20:13f.). Whoever continues to be closed to the Gospel is therefore preparing for 'eternal destruction and exclusion from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might" (2 Thes 1:9).
  1. The images of hell that Sacred Scripture presents to us must be correctly interpreted. They show the complete frustration and emptiness of life without God. Rather* than a place, hell indicates the state of those who freely and definitively separate themselves from God, the source of all life and joy. This is how the Catechism of the Catholic Church summarizes the truths of faith on this subject: “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’” (n. 1033).
“Eternal damnation”, therefore, is not attributed to God’s initiative because in his merciful love he can only desire the salvation of the beings he created. In reality, it is the creature who closes himself to his love. Damnation consists precisely in definitive separation from God, freely chosen by the human person and confirmed with death that seals his choice for ever. God’s judgement ratifies this state.

Peace
 
Thorolfr said:
If God loves us all, why would he send some people to hell for eternity? There’s a monologue available on YouTube by the famous American comedian and social critic George Carlin in which he mocks Christians by talking about hell.

As a Christian, I don’t agree with Carlin’s mocking tone, but he does have a point when he talks about hell. I’ve always been troubled by the notion of hell, especially that anyone would be sent there for eternity by a loving God, and am not even sure if I really believe in hell, at least in any literal sense.:How can God love all of us and still send some of those he loves to hell for eternity?
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Blaming God for people going to Hell is like blaming a woman who was constantly beat, put down, abused, etc by her husband for the divorce.
 
hazcompat said:
In reality, it is the creature who closes himself to his love. Damnation consists precisely in definitive separation from God, freely chosen by the human person and confirmed with death that seals his choice for ever. God’s judgement ratifies this state.
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A person’s lifetime is pretty short when compared to eternity, so why would sins committed in that short time cause God to seal that choice for ever? Most people don’t necessarily make choices for ever and can still change their minds.
 
oldcatholicguy said:
Blaming God for people going to Hell is like blaming a woman who was constantly beat, put down, abused, etc by her husband for the divorce.
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But God is the one with all the power. You can’t compare an omnipotent God to a powerless, beat and abused wife.
 
This thread I participated on a while ago has a pretty lengthy discussion on a pretty similar topic.

forums.catholic-questions.org/showthread.php?t=890040

The distinction one needs to make, however, is that God doesn’t send anyone to Hell. The people in Hell chose to be there. I’m absolutely certain no one in Hell ended up there accidentally. And Hell is not a literal “on fire forever” kind of situation. A quote I’ve seen before and repeated several times goes something like, the fire of God’s love that warms the Saints in Heaven is the same fire that torments the souls in Hell. If a soul wants nothing more than to be rid of God for all eternity, but then God is Love, omnipresent and unconditional, then no matter how far they run, a soul in Hell will always have to experience that infinite love, despite it being the one thing they hate most.
 
Thorolfr said:
But God is the one with all the power. You can’t compare an omnipotent God to a powerless, beat and abused wife.
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-Comparing God to an abused wife who ends the relationship with her abuser is valid when we are talking about who get’s blamed for the relationship ending (which is what you are doing in the OP).

-The comparison doesn’t work when we talk about the ending of the relationship. Unlike the abused wife, God will never end the relationship with the abuser. No matter how badly He is abused; and no matter how many times the abuser comes crying to Him, says “Oh baby I’m so sorry I hurt you. I’ll never do it again” and really means it, and then goes on and abuses Him again.

-People that end up in Hell end up there because after all the abuse God puts up with from them, after all the times He forgives them for the abuse, and after all the times He begs them not to end their relationship with Him, they tell God- “Thanks, but I’m better off without you” and they, not God, end the relationship.
 
Kurisu35712 said:
A quote I’ve seen before and repeated several times goes something like, the fire of God’s love that warms the Saints in Heaven is the same fire that torments the souls in Hell. If a soul wants nothing more than to be rid of God for all eternity, but then God is Love, omnipresent and unconditional, then no matter how far they run, a soul in Hell will always have to experience that infinite love, despite it being the one thing they hate most.
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👍

That’s a nice way of looking at this that I hadn’t heard before.
 
Thorolfr said:
A person’s lifetime is pretty short when compared to eternity, so why would sins committed in that short time cause God to seal that choice for ever? Most people don’t necessarily make choices for ever and can still change their minds.
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Your above is based on the assumption that God a) did not provide the person enough time to make their choice and b) that He does not know that said choice is their final choice.
 
God’s Charity is always at work. The fault is not in God. It lies in the final choice the soul has made in choosing not to be with God. It is necessary to have Hell otherwise Justice would not come to pass in the end. Souls that have done wrong who refuse to pass through the door of His Mercy must in the end pass through the door of His Justice and for those souls, such a place opens up into Hell.

That is why we should pray for sinners, particularly the unrepentant variety. Because Hell is real and it is eternal.
 
hazcompat said:
Pope Saint John Paul II

Hell is the State of Those who Reject God

At the General Audience of Wednesday, 28 July 1999, the Holy Father reflected on hell as the definitive rejection of God. In his catechesis, the Pope said that care should be taken to interpret correctly the images of hell in Sacred Scripture, and explained that “hell is the ultimate consequence of sin itself… Rather than a place, hell indicates the state of those who freely and definitively separate themselves from God, the source of all life and joy”.
  1. God is the infinitely good and merciful Father. But man, called to respond to him freely, can unfortunately choose to reject his love and forgiveness once and for all, thus separating himself for ever from joyful communion with him. It is precisely this tragic situation that Christian doctrine explains when it speaks of eternal damnation or hell. It is not a punishment imposed externally by God but a development of premises already set by people in this life. The very dimension of unhappiness which this obscure condition brings can in a certain way be sensed in the light of some of the terrible experiences we have suffered which, as is commonly said, make life “hell”.
In a theological sense however, hell is something else: it is the ultimate consequence of sin itself, which turns against the person who committed it. It is the state of those who definitively reject the Father’s mercy, even at the last moment of their life.

Hell is a state of eternal damnation
  1. To describe this reality Sacred Scripture uses a symbolical language which will gradually be explained. In the Old Testament the condition of the dead had not yet been fully disclosed by Revelation. Moreover it was thought that the dead were amassed in Sheol, a land of darkness (cf. Ez. 28:8; 31:14; Jb. 10:21f.; 38:17; Ps 30:10; 88:7, 13), a pit from which one cannot reascend (cf. Jb. 7:9), a place in which it is impossible to praise God (cf. Is 38:18; Ps 6:6).
The New Testament sheds new light on the condition of the dead, proclaiming above all that Christ by his Resurrection conquered death and extended his liberating power to the kingdom of the dead.

Redemption nevertheless remains an offer of salvation which it is up to people to accept freely. This is why they will all be judged “by what they [have done]” (Rv 20:13). By using images, the New Testament presents the place destined for evildoers as a fiery furnace, where people will “weep and gnash their teeth” (Mt 13:42; cf. 25:30, 41), or like Gehenna with its “unquenchable fire” (Mk 9:43). All this is narrated in the parable of the rich man, which explains that hell is a place of eternal suffering, with no possibility of return, nor of the alleviation of pain (cf. Lk. 16:19-3 1).

The Book of Revelation also figuratively portrays in a “pool of fire” those who exclude themselves from the book of life, thus meeting with a “second death” (Rv. 20:13f.). Whoever continues to be closed to the Gospel is therefore preparing for 'eternal destruction and exclusion from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might" (2 Thes 1:9).
  1. The images of hell that Sacred Scripture presents to us must be correctly interpreted. They show the complete frustration and emptiness of life without God. Rather* than a place, hell indicates the state of those who freely and definitively separate themselves from God, the source of all life and joy. This is how the Catechism of the Catholic Church summarizes the truths of faith on this subject: “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’” (n. 1033).
“Eternal damnation”, therefore, is not attributed to God’s initiative because in his merciful love he can only desire the salvation of the beings he created. In reality, it is the creature who closes himself to his love. Damnation consists precisely in definitive separation from God, freely chosen by the human person and confirmed with death that seals his choice for ever. God’s judgement ratifies this state.

Peace
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👍 very helpful
 
The only thing people can do is to repeat what the Church’s teachings are what are sins against God, but no one can say with certainty who is going to hell, only God knows that. No living human being knows should be speaking like they know, IMO and I am not sure why people would want to.
 
right, we don’t know who is in hell, but we do know it exists, and that we should be living our lives in a way that it is not a concern for us, and helping others to do the same. one way to do that, is to not minimize it’s reality.
 
bisco said:
right, we don’t know who is in hell, but we do know it exists, and that we should be living our lives in a way that it is not a concern for us, and helping others to do the same. one way to do that, is to not minimize it’s reality.
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We do not know hell exist, we are taught it exist. It is not fact and reality s different for every living human being. Don’t you think for those the Jews that suffered and dies at the hands of the Hitler experience a hell all of their own. Those people that watch their loved ones die in the wars that have gone on and still go on have suffered through a hell. Those that suffer with sever depression or mental illness also live in a kind of hell. We have no idea what comes after life, we only have our teachings and beliefs.
 
  1. Hell is a doctrine of the Catholic Faith.
  2. Faith is indeed a certain way or type of knowing.
 
Thorolfr said:
A person’s lifetime is pretty short when compared to eternity, so why would sins committed in that short time cause God to seal that choice for ever? Most people don’t necessarily make choices for ever and can still change their minds.
Click to expand...
It is not the sin, it is the intent of the heart. You cannot earn a hell free eternity by works or lack of works. It is by grace you are saved, through faith, NOT of works lest anyone should boast.

When you sin, you interrupt the flow of grace in your life. The grace continues when there is a repentance of heart an a knowledge of sin. It is my intent to have a relationship with Jesus that is the heart of the matter, not the rules.

Relationship is our guide here.
I have a relationship with my wife.
She tells me that doing X will cause her pain. I have the choice to do X and cause her pain, or not. The question is the value of the relationship in my heart. If X is more valuable to me, I would cause her pain. If I love my wife, I will seek to not do X, even though I might slip.

That does not mean if I do Y, NOT knowing it hurts her, to find out later it does, I must still repent and ask forgiveness for Y. Even if I didn’t know.

Neither X nor Y determine the existence of my relationship with my wife, my understanding and my heart determine the validity of this relationship. It doesn’t mean that X or Y are okay, because they still hurt. There are still wounds and patterns which must be fixed.

That is the beauty of purgatory. It is the purging of the wounds and scars of this life in a beautiful place, so that I can spend eternity with my creator. It is not hell and it is not punishment, it is being made holy.

So it is with God. It is not about the rules, unless you love Him. Relationship with Jesus is the key to the christian walk.
 
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