A
- Status
A
Anthony_V
Guest
Sure! No problem, my friend.Anthony V, I perused the links you provided and I must say they do address many points of contention I have. Bad theology or theology ill understood does a great disservice to our faith and relationship with God. Anyhow, if I can make your virtue of patience more perfect)), and I’m sorry if you already answered that one, but what makes God decide to keep the damned souls and the demons alive? Is it justice, because they can’t ever repay God (an infinite being, ergo the punishment can never cease on that account alone), or does it have more to do with the fact that God can’t un-create a soul or an angel because of his nature/attributes? That unrelenting resolve and determination to keep miserable beings alive long past a point in eternity where it could be determined that God’s justice has partially been satisfied troubles me. From scripture, I think we can safely say that the damned wish to die to see an end to their torment, are demons thought to share the same frame of mind? God bless.
I certainly cannot discern everything about God. And it is well that I don’t! Otherwise God could fit entirely inside my insufficient mind and, alas, he would not be God! God’s motives are often unclear in terms of particulars. What we do know is that he is love and acts out of love. Perhaps we will understand better at the last judgment, when all is revealed.
[BIBLEDRB]1 Tim 3:16[/BIBLEDRB]
R
Roscoe_Turner
Guest
I still don’t understand the distinction you are making. Even if the connection is infinitesimal there is still a connection.
Is it something along the lines of heaven is 100% and Hell is .0001% connection. So one cannot totally be separated from God but in a practical sense you might as well be.
A
Anthony_V
Guest
Yes! That is correct, at least in my understanding. The practical comes into play because we, as finite subjects, have a finite range of experience when outside of eternity. So the 0.0000000000…∞…1 might as well be nil. Perhaps you could find some better material elsewhere, but that is the best I have for you.
R
Roscoe_Turner
Guest
But doesn’t that leave Hell open to not being an absolute state? There is a chance, however infinitesimal, of redemption. Which isn’t how the Church doctrine reads, once you die that’s it. No Chance.Yes! That is correct, at least in my understanding. The practical comes into play because we, as finite subjects, have a finite range of experience when outside of eternity. So the 0.0000000000…∞…1 might as well be nil. Perhaps you could find some better material elsewhere, but that is the best I have for you.
R
Robertanthony
Guest
Ok, thanks.
A
Anthony_V
Guest
I meant absolute in the sense of not being absolute non-existence. Whether one exists or not is a prerequisite, but still independent, of whether one has a personal relationship with God. Objectively speaking, I suppose you could say all things have a relationship with God, but that is extrapolating the connotation of the word beyond its connotative paradigm. It is fruitless, unless you simply like semantic argumentation. Theology is an intuitive and organic science, not a rationalist (in the Cartesian sense) and precise science. We participate in faith as subjects, rather than us subjecting God (albeit as an object of faith) to our own questions. The questions must change in light of dogma. That’s why we have dogmas–the objects of our faith–to which we adhere. The Holy Spirit informs the Body of Christ, the Church, into a theological direction by giving us dogmas, “checkpoints”, if you will. My advice for you would be to get in touch with the Director of Catechesis for your diocese, perhaps talk to a Catholic theology professor at a nearby Catholic university, or even sign up for some theology classes for the sake of learning. This is nearing the end of my knowledge spectrum–I am self-taught, and only 18 at that (19 on the 27th
)! So as much as I’d like to dive deeper, I can’t say I would have much certainty in what I am saying. Check back in 4 years when I start theology, and maybe I can answer more of your questions. 
What I will say, though, is that If a person with a well formed conscience in a state of grace commits a mortal sin, they destroy their relationship with God. But they do not cease to exist! There is some non-nominal distinction between the subjective and objective relating between God and creation. The act of participating in God’s being is not of the same magnitude as grace, because then nature would BE grace for the sake of its own existing. Certainly that is not the case, because the Church has rejected the idea of natural grace over and against Pelagianism.
I hope this helps!
Peace
Anthony
R
Roscoe_Turner
Guest
Thank you for you time and insight. I think you’ll make a great Priest if that your calling.
A
Anthony_V
Guest
D
desales09
Guest
Sorry for the late “thank you all for the responses” post I’m just now getting to…some interesting stuff to read here…
A
Anthony_V
Guest
You’re welcome, my friend!
I hope we could offer sufficient assistance to you.
- Status