Is the Catholic worldview too dark, considering the doctrine of an eternal hell?

[fred_conty]

I have some questions whether hell really is forever. The very popular Christian writing, The Apocalypse of Peter, says at the end, "My Father will give unto them all the life, the glory, and the kingdom that passeth not away, … It is because of them that have believed in me that I am come. It is also because of them that have believed in me, that, at their word, I shall have pity on men… " Some believe the reason this text is not in the Bible is for this simple statement, that in the end God will not leave people in hell.

If this were true, what would the difference be between hell and purgatory?

 

[steve_b]

If this were true, what would the difference be between hell and purgatory?

well said

 

[eddie_too]

i do not think that the Catholic worldview that a person who believes in Jesus Christ, repents of their sins will spend eternity united completely to God, i.e. Perfect Being is in any way dark.

sorry, but i do not see anything at all dark about the Catholic worldview.

instead is see the Catholic worldview as the most hopeful and joyful worldview that exists.

the doctrine of eternal damnation can not be separated from the doctrine of Eternal Life. without the one, there would not be the other.

 

[eddie_too]

the op’s question is reminiscent of the question posed by some of, how can a loving God create souls He knows will end up in eternal damnation.

of course, those who raise this question are posing a very shallow conundrum. why? because, those who raise this question are implying that a loving God would deny some souls Eternal Life (thus punishing those innocent souls) because other souls chose to reject the loving God’s gift of Eternal Life.

for me, at least, it is an entirely senseless and irrational concept, the idea that the innocent should be punished so that the guilty need not receive their just consequences. i just do not understand such an idea.

instead God chose to accept punishment for Himself so that the guilty might be saved. now that is a loving God.

 

[catholic1seeks]

As a Catholic, I feel depressed and sad for the Catholic worldview, considering its doctrine of an eternal hell. Is the worldview too dark?

People are forced to enter the world, to try to be saved and fight with temptations, sins and difficulties, with the risk of going to the eternal hell throughout their whole lives. And, perhaps many of them eventually go to the hell. Is it too cruel? Considering this, how can we be sincerely happy for everyone’s birth?

I wonder how many people would have chosen to enter the world if they had been asked to choose either to enter the world with the risk of an eternal hell or to “stay in nothingness” for all the eternity.

I even wonder whether died infants are more fortunate than adults, for they no longer risk going to the hell. Maybe they directly go to the heaven. Even if it is worse, they go to the limbo, where they spend their eternity with “natural happiness” and perhaps little pain. Considering this, how can we have sincere wish to save ill infants from death?

I know that there can be no real answer to this question, for the eternal hell is a doctrine of Catholicism, which cannot be changed. I just feel depressed and sad, and want to get some help.

I would not believe this if this were the Catholic view.
Unfortunately, the Catholic (and Christian) view is caricatured to be like this – even from Catholics now and in the past. Regrettably, some Catholics historically have conceived of hell in a way that can only be called arbitrary: Why all the fires? why eternal punishment for temporal sin? Etc.

However, Catholic theology has developed to understand hell primarily from the human’s point of view: It is the natural consequence of one’s own choice. This sounds crazy, for who would choose an eternity of torment? True, it sounds irrational and primitive, but I think that’s because we consider such questions with the old images of fire, brimstone, and a God full of vindictive rage.

But does Jesus seem like that to you? Was he dark, scary, and vindictive? Of course not! But he taught the dreadful possibility of hell…

We should not think of hell as something one just finds himself in. True enough, we struggle with temptation and have to “work” our way until the very end. But note that what puts oneself in hell is a final, lasting choice to reject love of God and love of neighbor – choosing only self. If someone finally chooses that, they cannot be in Heaven, for the definition of Heaven is the opposite of their preferences. God allows what we want.

I think its unfortunate when Catholics express a particular understanding of sin whereby its so easy to fall into mortal sin. There is a common cultural sense in Catholicism in which we think we are always in peril of “falling” into mortal sin. Mortal sin is real and possible, but I do not think one simply slips into it.

I know in my life, I have been extremely anxious, scrupulous, and ashamed many times for thinking my teenage impulses would condemn me to hell. I still struggle with this.

But we need to remember one does not slip into hell. That wouldn’t make sense… at all.

 

[Darryl_B]

As a Catholic, I feel depressed and sad for the Catholic worldview, considering its doctrine of an eternal hell. Is the worldview too dark?

People are forced to enter the world, to try to be saved and fight with temptations, sins and difficulties, with the risk of going to the eternal hell throughout their whole lives. And, perhaps many of them eventually go to the hell. Is it too cruel? Considering this, how can we be sincerely happy for everyone’s birth?

I wonder how many people would have chosen to enter the world if they had been asked to choose either to enter the world with the risk of an eternal hell or to “stay in nothingness” for all the eternity.

I even wonder whether died infants are more fortunate than adults, for they no longer risk going to the hell. Maybe they directly go to the heaven. Even if it is worse, they go to the limbo, where they spend their eternity with “natural happiness” and perhaps little pain. Considering this, how can we have sincere wish to save ill infants from death?

I know that there can be no real answer to this question, for the eternal hell is a doctrine of Catholicism, which cannot be changed. I just feel depressed and sad, and want to get some help.

Catholic sees the dark, and therefore sees and knows the light, and responds accordingly to that light. The world, not seeing the dark not seeing the light can only see gray and responds accordingly. We live each day with our world-view, we should see hope in the hopeless times, peace in the war times, harvest in the famine times. And defeatism will not be the lesson of suffering.