I have been reading Inferno by Dante. This poem, along with similar artistic works, has been instrumental in shaping much of our thought on both heaven and hell over the past few hundred years. It is disconcerting for me to read something that Dante wrote, which was heavily influenced by Hellenistic mythology and his own politics of the day, that has so much similarities to many of the sermons and Christian talk about hell and heaven today. We need to go back to the New Testament and actually find out what Jesus in particular was talking about in reference to both heaven and hell. I think there are many people who would be surprised. I find it difficult to articulate my understanding of God with the Inferno of Dante, even though this is perhaps the typical conservative Christians view. I believe in justice, and the justice of God, and I don't think that everlasting torment and anguish is in line with this view of Jesus.
As John Pilch wrote: "The purpose of God's judgment is not punitive but redemptive".
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Hi Troy, any theory of "why God would do this... or not do that...." which starts out holding a simplistic model of God from which to make deductions is doomed to deduce too narrowly. As I indicated in a previous comment, perhaps eternal separation from God is an expression of love and respect, not an expression of 'justice'.
ReplyDeleteI can argue logically that it makes no sense for God to allow a person to be as malign and vile and depraved as they want in this life when it affects everyone else but not themselves, but then NOT have that same person allowed to be malign and vile and depraved when THEY are the only one affected by it. (In their little universe of one.) If God respects our freedom so much She/He is willing to endure with us the suffering that freedom often leads to why does that respect stop in eternity and God all of sudden says, "It doesn't matter if you want to live without Me or not, I won't allow it." I think the opposite is more likely - She respects our freedom and choices in this life and will do so in the next and that means, for a few, their choice to live without God will become eternal. On such a esoteric topic I concede I could be awfully wide of the mark. :)