Question about people who are sent to hell

[fred_conty]

Yes, but when people living in the world CHOOSE the world over Jesus, they are exercising their free will, I strongly believe that if people do this and are still sent to hell, then there was no free will to begin with, as if hell is the ONLY outcome to someone NOT choosing God, then there is really only 1 choice.

Really there should be an afterlife place for people who live for the world, without God in their lives, yet are still good people, and do not go about killing, raping, and taking advantage of others, the one single act of choosing God or not choosing God, should not automatically send someone to a place of eternal torture and punishment, or heaven for those who live with God in their lives.Just because someone does not want God in their life, does not mean they worship Satan and demons and are out for the destruction of the world.

Hell was made specifically for Satan and the other fallen angels he swayed to follow him, not humans, so if people end up there, that tells me, in Gods eyes, humans who do not want him in their life are no better than Satan and the demons, who HATE everything about God and mankind, and actively try to destroy it all the time! What kind of logic is this?

I know this has been discussed to death on here, some believe what they believe and others believe what they believe and are not easily swayed, but I for one, cannot believe a God who made a big deal of giving us free will, would punish us for choosing to exercise it, even if meant we chose a life without him in it.

To love someone unconditionally is to accept them and accept whatever they choose to do in life, even if it means the person will live a worldly life, not to punish them for making the wrong choice, and its only wrong in ones viewpoint, Gods. That is what I believe anyway.

You want a third choice, and that is, for those who ignore God and his wishes who are good people, let them go to a natural place for all eternity.

The reason this isn’t possible is because of human nature, that is, we must do things when we live as human beings. And to do things, we are forced to make choices everyday of either right or wrong and there is no other way around that.

If a man choses to lay bricks, that is neither good nor bad in itself. But he must get those bricks to lay. How does he get them. He may buy them, which is ok. Or he may steal them, not ok, or he can make them, ok maybe depending on how he obtained the material to make them.

So a simple neutral act turns out to be a “have to” choice of right or wrong, for there is no way around it. That is why we cannot be neutral toward God, for right or wrong choices must be made all the time.

Suppose I walk around the block. To get exorcise is good. To break into a house is not so good. And it’s just as simple as that. We cannot avoid making good/bad or right/wrong decisions just by the fact we are humans and this forces us in our everyday living to make good or bad choices.

So we really cannot avoid God, who is all good and from which all good comes, in whom there is no evil. So if we chose good, we chose God, and in choosing evil, we do not chose God.

And so a third place cannot be, because there is no way of avoiding good and evil. So every man on this planet is in this position. And there is no such person on this planet who can avoid God in their life in a neutral way.

May God bless and keep you. May God’s face shine on you. May God be kind to you and give you peace.

 

[James1990]

Thanks for the replies!

If theres any more opinions they will be appreciated. I think the part about it being Hades not hell was important and I oversaw that.

Could someone explain? Are we meaning that before Jesus died and resurrected there were heaven bound people and hell bound ppl in the same place? Also, that place acted as purgatory for those who were purgatory bound?

 

[QNDNNDQDCE]

St. Thomas answers the question:

“So great will be the envy of the damned that they will envy the glory even of their kindred, since they themselves are supremely unhappy, for this happens even in this life, when envy increases. Nevertheless they will envy their kindred less than others, and their punishment would be greater if all their kindred were damned, and others saved, than if some of their kindred were saved. For this reason the rich man prayed that his brethren might be warded from damnation: for he knew that some are guarded therefrom. Yet he would rather that his brethren were damned as well as all the rest.”
newadvent.org/summa/5098.htm#article4

He did not will the salvation of his brothers out of charity, but out of selfishness.

 

[Oren]

Hi guys I have 2 questions.

1. In the Gospel, the part about Lazarus and the rich man, I have trouble interpreting it as I see that the rich man still cares for his brothers in some way. I always thought that since he is in hell he has chosen evil and there is no good left in him? But doesnt he care about his brothers at least? Also… the bible says its Hades but im assuming Hades=Hell.
2. Next, Is there any church teaching that people can be saved from hell? If when they are in hell they choose to repent… I understand that they have freewill? Or does freewill only go to those that are saved at death and those that go to hell are slaves of sin? I dont know… I really hope that even those in hell could be saved. As my impression of God is that he is love and that in him ALL things are possible…

Thanks for the replies… This 2 questions has shaken my faith in Jesus alot!

He is in hell. There is good still left in people, but only natural good. It is a good thing for him to want some water for himself to quench his thirst. It is a natural good to want to care for your bodily needs, to alleviate your own suffering and it is a natural good to care for your family too.

No one can be saved from hell. It is eternal. Immediately when you die you are judged and the judgement is final. CCC 1035 The teaching of the Church affirms the existence of hell and its eternity. Immediately after death the souls of those who die in a state of mortal sin descend into hell, where they suffer the punishments of hell, "eternal fire."617 The chief punishment of hell is eternal separation from God, in whom alone man can possess the life and happiness for which he was created and for which he longs.