Making Hell make sense

[thistle]

That might take too long.

What do you think might happen, what would society be like, what would people do if there was no threat of hell?

I don’t have an opinion on this as I would not presume to know the minds of people. Only God knows that!

 

[RobynP]

This is a very good point. In your experience, have you known people with hatred so strong that they refuse to reconcile

Unfortunately yes

Which is partly why the idea that someone could hate God so much they would reject him forever isn’t that hard for me to believe.

I don’t WANT it to be true, but I’ve seen how self-destructive we humans can be.

 

[Gorgias]

I’m not sure that God has the respiratory system, nor the impatience, to get blue in the face!

LOL!

non capisco

You said, “if the person dies before having time to experience enough suffering… God does all possible to show the sinner his error.” Therefore, “God causes suffering – qua suffering! – in order to teach us a lesson.” That’s hardly Catholic thought…

 

[OneSheep]

Unfortunately yes

Which is partly why the idea that someone could hate God so much they would reject him forever isn’t that hard for me to believe.

I don’t WANT it to be true, but I’ve seen how self-destructive we humans can be.

Hmmm. But do you see that people eventually come to realize that because of the hate, they themselves are the ones who suffer? For some people it does take a very long time, maybe longer than they have years to live.

The question is, "why does she/he want to hang onto the hatred, even when it causes suffering? The person is enslaved by desire for justice, maybe?

 

[OneSheep]

I don’t have an opinion on this as I would not presume to know the minds of people. Only God knows that!

Thistle, have you ever heard of “cognitive empathy”? It is the ability to read what is going on in the minds of other people. Of course, no one ever knows for sure, but with experience, self-reflection and age, one can come up with a range of pretty good guesses about what people are thinking in certain situations.

Cognitive empathy plays a big role in the gift of Understanding. For example, is it part of your prayer to use the gift of Understanding to reflect on what was going through your mind during your daily choices? Some people have a great deal of difficulty with this.

You said, “if the person dies before having time to experience enough suffering… God does all possible to show the sinner his error.” Therefore, “God causes suffering – qua suffering! – in order to teach us a lesson.” That’s hardly Catholic thought…

Have you ever been in an endurance sport, or on a sports team? There is a bit of suffering involved, right? The suffering is not evil. If God shows someone the hurt they caused when the person hadn’t realized it, there is going to be some suffering.

 

[Gorgias]

Cognitive empathy plays a big role in the gift of Understanding. For example, is it part of your prayer to use the gift of Understanding to reflect on what was going through your mind during your daily choices?

LOL! I think you just appealed to “cognitive empathy” to speak to understanding one’s own self!

 

[OneSheep]

LOL! I think you just appealed to “cognitive empathy” to speak to understanding one’s own self!

Well, yes, knowing yourself, your own thoughts, is a great practice in knowing the thoughts of others. Discerning the feelings and motives underlying the thoughts is a great practice also. You must have heard many people talk about the importance of self-awareness, right?

Self-awareness is a journey. Human thought/feelings/drives are not random, there are patterns.

 

[Gorgias]

You must have heard many people talk about the importance of self-awareness, right?

Of course. However, you were using a discussion of empathy – that is, putting yourself in others’ shoes – to talk about self-awareness. The notion of “putting yourself in your own shoes” is what’s funny…

 

[OneSheep]

The notion of “putting yourself in your own shoes” is what’s funny…

Yes, it is funny, but it is the process of becoming more conscious. For example, we can look upon a time that we chose to sin, and say “I should have known better”, and then the awareness, understanding, doesn’t happen. All that happened was a self-judgment. Instead, one can reflect, “what was happening in my mind? What was I thinking, feeling?” Have you ever practiced the Examen? It is self-reflective prayer, and it has the side effect of building cognitive empathy.