Understanding Hell

[Epiphanius]

I hear and read a lot of quite detailed descriptions of Hell. There is much talk of the ‘stench’ of Hell and how the ‘food’ is vile and no matter how much you eat it will never satisfy your hunger etc.

I find all this very confusing because I thought that Heaven and Hell etc. were not physical realms but spiritual. If that is true how can one smell and eat when there are no physical atoms to sense?

I guess I understood these descriptions as a kind of a proximate ‘translation’, an attempt to articulate something we are incapable of understanding (because of our existence in the physical word) by using descriptive language that we do understand.

If anyone could help me get a better understanding on the Catholic Church’s teaching on this I would be much appreciated.

Thanks.

 

[AdamP88]

As Catholics we believe in a ressurection of the body. We humans are both spiritual and physical creatures. It is not our natural state to exist in spirit alone. At the end of time we will be reunited with our bodies and will live in the physical place that is heaven or hell.

The only spiritual realm is purgatory, since if you are there you have not yet been reunited with the body.

 

[Epiphanius]

Does that mean no one is currently in heaven or hell since the end of time has not occurred yet?

 

[Tis_Bearself]

Does that mean no one is currently in heaven or hell since the end of time has not occurred yet?

No. Catechism sections 1021 et seq (1035 deals specifically with Hell) makes clear you get judged immediately upon death and sent to Heaven, Purgatory or Hell right then.

http://www.vatican.va/archive/ccc_css/archive/catechism/p123a12.htm

The souls that go to Heaven or Hell are not in their physical earthly bodies. They experience the joys of Heaven or pains of Hell as souls. At the Last Judgment they will be restored to their incorrupt physical bodies, as discussed in the Catechism. Then the person, body and soul, is sent back to Heaven or Hell.

http://www.vatican.va/archive/ccc_css/archive/catechism/p123a11.htm

 

[anna]

Understandable we ourselves do not no what hell feels like and pray to God we never will.We know what the teachings are and that is enough for me. I do think that once the body is reunited with the soul that the conception of being there for all eternity is nothing more .than horrific Knowing that we will never see God, or never be comforted is hell enough, physical pain from the fires of hell, unimaginable but yet real enough for one to want to lead a good life at the worst may have to go to Purgatory Remembering this is All Souls day let us pray for those who have left us and may be in Purgatory. God Bless:

 

[Techno2000]

I hear and read a lot of quite detailed descriptions of Hell. There is much talk of the ‘stench’ of Hell and how the ‘food’ is vile and no matter how much you eat it will never satisfy your hunger etc.

I find all this very confusing because I thought that Heaven and Hell etc. were not physical realms but spiritual. If that is true how can one smell and eat when there are no physical atoms to sense?

I guess I understood these descriptions as a kind of a proximate ‘translation’, an attempt to articulate something we are incapable of understanding (because of our existence in the physical word) by using descriptive language that we do understand.

If anyone could help me get a better understanding on the Catholic Church’s teaching on this I would be much appreciated.

Thanks.

http://olrl.org/doctrine/cry.shtml

 

[StarMapp]

Fr. Ripperger (exorcist) on Hell

 

[SalamKhan]

Physical realms. Of course, I’m not aware of what Catholics believe about the punishment of souls in Hell prior to the ressurection.

For what it’s worth, in Islam we believe that the reward of Paradise and punishment of Hell come after the ressurection.

 

[2towers]

I have read this one before. These things should be reviewed periodically as a reminder of what can happen. I tend to slip into a mild denial and have to remind myself what is at stake. Thanks for posting.

 

[mhmtas63]

Physical realms. Of course, I’m not aware of what Catholics believe about the punishment of souls in Hell prior to the ressurection.

For what it’s worth, in Islam we believe that the reward of Paradise and punishment of Hell come after the ressurection.

“Tis_Bearself: The souls that go to Heaven or Hell are not in their physical earthly bodies. They experience the joys of Heaven or pains of Hell as souls.”

Bearself’s thought is mentioned in hadiths(life in grave is a garden from Heaven or a hole from Hell). There is life in grave as spiritually. And a soul can enjoy or suffer according to be good or evil. But soul will get body in the last judgement.