Why is everyone obsessed with Hell?

[Tis_Bearself]

People who drive out demons and do mighty deeds in the Lord’s name are not saved because they don’t have faith? How does that work? Where are these people doing that with no faith?

They’re probably the Pharisaical Christians or Elmer Gantry types, or sinful priests and the like.
I’m sure there are people who found faith through some ministers, and even priests, who inside may have been rotten to the core. The Lord allowed the mighty deeds to occur so others would find faith. The Lord can use sinful people for his purposes, we see that all through the Scriptures.
Remember the story about St. Teresa of Avila seeing a priest in mortal sin doing the consecration at Mass. She saw a demon clutching him and heard Our Lord saying that for love of her (Teresa) he was allowing this sinful priest to do the consecration and handle Him.
Probably lots of that going around, just look at the scandals in the Church.

 

[PetraG]

They’re probably the Pharisaical Christians or Elmer Gantry types, or sinful priests and the like.
I’m sure there are people who found faith through some ministers, and even priests, who inside may have been rotten to the core. The Lord allowed the mighty deeds to occur so others would find faith. The Lord can use sinful people for his purposes, we see that all through the Scriptures.
Remember the story about St. Teresa of Avila seeing a priest in mortal sin doing the consecration at Mass. She saw a demon clutching him and heard Our Lord saying that for love of her (Teresa) he was allowing this sinful priest to do the consecration and handle Him.
Probably lots of that going around, just look at the scandals in the Church.

Pretty sure Elmer Gantry would not be among those who say, “Lord, Lord!” but would be like the character Rishda Tarkaan in The Last Battle of the Chronicles of Narnia. As Emeth said of him, “And then I understood that he did not believe in Tash at all: for if he had, how could he dare to mock him?”

 

[Tis_Bearself]

IDK, I’m pretty sure if you’ve lived your life trying to smooth talk everybody and pretending to be something you’re not, you’ll try to make a last ditch argument for yourself to the Lord as well.

 

[Rasoleil]

Heard it’s a fun place to visit, but not to live…

 

[GEddie]

For the sake of those who go there, I would hope that Hell really is in Michigan, and Purgatory really is in Colorado.

But there’s always the possibility that that’s not the case.

ICXC NIKA

 

[Frankie65]

To the person obsessed with Hell (I sadly know from experience) God appears to be either 1. evil because he damns sinners (as is still taught in some quarters of the church) or 2. so weak and impotent in the face of humanity to not deserve the name savoir.

Dear Yep. I can get obsessed with Hell. In Mass one day I noticed one of my very devout Catholic friends had a very well thumbed book with him entitled Hell and I would be afraid to read it myself. I kind of envied him even though I know how humble he is and he would be working very hard not to go the place he was reading about.

I don’t see God as either of the options above. I know ultimately it’s down to me where I go and I can get very anxious about this. But I know it’s down to my choices.

 

[Tis_Bearself]

In Mass one day I noticed one of my very devout Catholic friends had a very well thumbed book with him entitled Hell

This sounds fascinating. I’m presuming it was by Fr. Schouppe who also wrote “Purgatory”. Both of these books are available for free online, although I bought a copy of “Purgatory” last weekend as a way of supporting the shrine where I bought it. I read in one of the advertisements for the “Purgatory” book that many people were terrified of reading it. I can imagine that a book on “Hell” would scare people even worse.

 

[tgGodsway]

I grew up in a once-saved-always-saved belief system, so while they technically didn’t believe you could lose your salvation, the worry/obsession was that you never really “got saved” in the first place

Yes, I understand. The Protestant Church actually splits into three distinct positions on this narrow point. The Arminian view, which is a once saved, but now lost, view. Is probably the closest to the Catholic view, yet not exact.

Secondly is the puritan view (probably your experience) which says it is impossible to lose your salvation, however, “real” Christians mature in Christ. If you do not grow and mature in your faith, this is the evidence you were never really saved. … Lastly is the earliest Reformed view, which says, once you are saved by grace through faith, you become eternally justified forever. It is impossible, no matter how immature you may be, to lose eternal life. I believe in this last view.

 

[Vico]

…
Why are people so obsessed with Hell instead of wanting to be good people, loving their neighbors and building a relationship with God?
…

Concupiscence.

Imperfect contrition is a gift of God.

Catechism

1453 The contrition called “imperfect” (or “attrition”) is also a gift of God, a prompting of the Holy Spirit. It is born of the consideration of sin’s ugliness or the fear of eternal damnation and the other penalties threatening the sinner (contrition of fear). Such a stirring of conscience can initiate an interior process which, under the prompting of grace, will be brought to completion by sacramental absolution. By itself however, imperfect contrition cannot obtain the forgiveness of grave sins, but it disposes one to obtain forgiveness in the sacrament of Penance.52

 

[tgGodsway]

At no time are the damned any less the sons of God than they are while they are alive.

This is utter non-sense. The damned have never been sons of God. Adam lost that Son-ship to which the damned were born into. The bible makes no declaration that those born of Adam are sons of God. We were born of Christ and made sons of God through new birth.

 

[Tis_Bearself]

It’s not nonsense if you’re a Catholic.
And a debate over Protestant theology is off topic for the thread. Please start your own thread if you want to debate whether the damned were ever sons of God.