While I do think that there will be levels of punishment in Hell, because justice demands it, I don’t think that there will be levels of reward in Heaven. I present two reasons for this.
1: Levels / variations in amount imply a finite source. The only reasons that there would need to be levels is if there were something preventing everyone from sharing in the source equally. Since God is infinite, there would be no reason for levels.
2: Justice doesn’t demand it. Examples have been given about how a person who lives a consecrated life may experience a greater version of the beatific vision than someone else. This doesn’t really make sense for one main reason: If the consecrated life were available equally to all people, then maybe I could see it; but as Catholics we understand it to be a calling, and one which not all people are called to. Why should someone who is called to a consecrated life be rewarded more fully than someone who is called to the life of a parent?
As evidence, I present:
[BIBLEDRB]Matthew 20:1-16[/BIBLEDRB]
As for Hell, I stated that I think Justice demands it. I present this reasoning:
Hell is, ultimately, the result of rejecting God and His Truth in our lives. Rejection, however, takes many forms. There is the rejection that comes from fear, say of a Muslim who wishes to convert, but fears the pain it will likely cause him, and the ill effects his family will also probably suffer. I would argue that this rejection, born of prudence, is not the same as, say, a man who kills for hire. The latter has rejected the natural law out of greed, and so his rejection is far worse than the other’s.
Even within this latter example, there is probably a spectrum. Consider someone who kills out of desperation, for food or other necessities… While this action is still an abhorrent reject of God, and could not be justified through natural law, the reasons behind it are far superior to those of the man who kills for money, and so I would argue that the one killing out of desperation would suffer a lesser punishment than the one who kills for hire.
At the other end of the spectrum, what of a person who was never baptized. Perhaps there is someone who has heard the word of God, and is in the process of considering it / considering conversion. They have not made the final decision because they simply have not learned enough to do so. Otherwise, however, this person is a good person and lives a good life that would make any Christian proud. If this person were to die before their baptism, is it just for them to suffer the same torments as the man who kills for hire?
So, there’s my two cents on the subject.
