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Bezant
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If hell does not exist, does a mortal sin matter?
If hell does not exist, does a mortal sin matter?
Thank you so much to both you and thistle.Hum…not sure I have the full answer for you here. There is so much that is speculative about the last things.
I would not use the term “state of mind” …that you had used in the other post.
The language of “state” though is certainly used by the Church.
But such does not exclude also the concept of “place”… but I think it is safe to say that we really do not know how “place” is involved in Hell (or Heaven). Our frame of reference here is quite limited …we use the term place when we think of locations like “Rome”…I think whatever Heaven and Hell is…will far outstrip our minds limited concepts. There is of course I am sure lots of various speculations down through the ages.
“More than a physical place, hell is the state of those who freely and definitively separate themselves from God, the source of all life and joy.” -Bl. Pope John Paul II
Hopefully (in terms of Hell) not something that will be gained by first hand experience either…let us remain in Christ…as the truly living!
There is so much we do not know (though there are certain things we do)…and wonderfully we hope with the certainty of hope that we will find out …in terms of heaven…and of the resurrection and the new heavens and new earth.
(by the way such would also make a wonderful question for Jimmy Akin on his Thurs. radio show…he can perhaps illuminate things more for you)
CCC: vatican.va/archive/ENG0015/__P2O.HTM
Read also these: vatican.va/archive/ENG0015/__P2M.HTM and vatican.va/archive/ENG0015/__P2Q.HTM
Here is a text I found for you by Bl. Pope John Paul II …(note the corrections to the English translations from the Italian.)
catholicculture.org/culture/library/view.cfm?id=1183
Pope Benedict XVI (march 25 2007):
“… this is why he was to die on the Cross and why the Father was to raise him on the third day. Jesus came to tell us that he wants us all in Paradise and that hell, about which little is said in our time, exists and is eternal for those who close their hearts to his love.”
+Sacred :bible1: Scripture below deals with the absolute reality of hell . . . and this is just New :bible1: Testament Scripture . . . there are also multitudes of references to hell in the Old :bible1: Testament . . .
1 Matthew 5:22
But I say to you, that whosoever is angry with his brother, shall be in danger of the judgment. And whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council. And whosoever shall say, Thou Fool, shall be in danger of hell fire.
2 Matthew 5:29
And if thy right eye scandalize thee, pluck it out and cast it from thee. For it is expedient for thee that one of thy members should perish, rather than that thy whole body be cast into hell…etc…
Actually, Jesus never uses the word “hell” in the Gospels. It only occurs once in the NT. This is because the Greek word for Hell is tartaroo or tartarus not “hades.” Hades just meant afterlife. In most cases when you see “hell” in the Gospels, it is a translation of the word Gehenna, which also didn’t mean “hell.” Because Jesus spoke in parables to the people, He is easily drawing the distinction between Purgatory and Heaven. After all, there was a way out of Gehenna.
Also, there are few references to anything we would call “hell” in the OT.
Jesus was speaking of Hell (though of course Hell is a later English word). Gehenna being used for illustration for Hell. He was not there speaking of purgatory. He is quite clear there of the eternal nature of Hell, even in his use of images (the worm not dieing and the flames not being quenched…)Actually, Jesus never uses the word “hell” in the Gospels. It only occurs once in the NT. This is because the Greek word for Hell is tartaroo or tartarus not “hades.” Hades just meant afterlife. In most cases when you see “hell” in the Gospels, it is a translation of the word Gehenna, which also didn’t mean “hell.” Because Jesus spoke in parables to the people, He is easily drawing the distinction between Purgatory and Heaven. After all, there was a way out of Gehenna.
Also, there are few references to anything we would call “hell” in the OT.
Double
Good point, though.
To willfully reject the teaching that there is a “place” or “state” where one’s soul will reside for eternity is a mortal sin. This is more a matter of willfully rejecting Church dogma.
To struggle with understanding what hell is or what is its nature is not.
Well, He’s not here to be asked, but there was no real conception at the time afaik of Hell the way we define it in the Jewish theology. The Romans had such a place, though. The “eternal” fire in Gehenna describes the smoky valley where the fires always burned, not to the future length of time one would be subjected to it.Jesus was speaking of Hell (though of course Hell is a later English word). Gehenna being used for illustration for Hell. He was not there speaking of purgatory. He is quite clear there of the eternal nature of Hell, even in his use of images (the worm not dieing and the flames not being quenched…).
The way Jesus said it denotes the nature of hell…he was using the image to bring across the point… also the Church who has among other things the office of interpreting Scripture also teaches this referring to his words…see above et al.Well, He’s not here to be asked, but there was no real conception at the time afaik of Hell the way we define it in the Jewish theology. The Romans had such a place, though. The “eternal” fire in Gehenna describes the smoky valley where the fires always burned, not to the future length of time one would be subjected to it.
“The way Jesus said it…” was not in English.The way Jesus said it denotes the nature of hell.
+Sacred :bible1: Scripture below deals with the absolute reality of hell . . . and this is just New :bible1: Testament Scripture . . . there are also multitudes of references to hell in the Old :bible1: Testament . . .
1 Matthew 5:22 Jesus own words and teaching
But I say to you, that whosoever is angry with his brother, shall be in danger of the judgment. And whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council. And whosoever shall say, Thou Fool, shall be in danger of hell fire.
2 Matthew 5:29 ]Jesus own words and teaching
+God’s Holy :bible1: Word does not support the above statement . . . below is more Sacred :bible1: Scripture clearly supporting the Jewish, Catholic and Christian reality of hell . . . all of which passages come from the **Old :bible1: Testament ** . . .Also, there are few references to anything we would call “hell” in the OT.
Yes of of course he did not speak English…but he still taught what he taught.“The way Jesus said it…” was not in English.
There is a terrible consequence after death for a life spent doing evil to others. Exactly how that works we cannot know.
+(continuation of previous post)**29 Psalms 48:16
But God will redeem my soul from the hand of hell, when he shall receive me.]
I’m not sure posts that are nothing but Scripture quotes are acceptable on this forum, but I don’t read them.
I will tell you that your translation is not the same as what was being expressed in Hebrew and you might find reading about the Jewish conception of afterlife and it’s development through history enlightening. Sheol, which is the word used in the NABRE which the USCCB puts online for good reason, does not mean “hell.”
I know. But exactly what Jesus meant, why He chose what images He chose, how He expected His audience to understand, these things we cannot know perfectly. I’m only saying that we don’t know much about this except that we do not want to be there.Yes of of course he did not speak English…but he still taught what he taught.
.
"To be ignorant of :bible1: Scripture is to be
ignorant of Christ."
- St. Jerome
Are you publicly stating here that the Church teaching about Hell is wrong?Well, He’s not here to be asked, but there was no real conception at the time afaik of Hell the way we define it in the Jewish theology. The Romans had such a place, though. The “eternal” fire in Gehenna describes the smoky valley where the fires always burned, not to the future length of time one would be subjected to it.
We know plenty. As Jesus and the Church Teaches. And yes we certainly know we do not want to choose that!I know. But exactly what Jesus meant, why He chose what images He chose, how He expected His audience to understand, these things we cannot know perfectly. I’m only saying that we don’t know much about this except that we do not want to be there.