What the Hell?

"If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter into life maimed than with two hands to go into Gehenna, into the unquenchable fire." - Mark 9:43

God who is infinitely good and very the source of goodness itself, is also and at the same time infinitely just. Nevertheless it may be said that it does not seem fitting that our punishment is for so long since it only took us a few moments to commit? However sin is neither measure by the duration (i.e. it only takes a few seconds to kill someone with yet for this, people are sentence to a life time in prison, that is their whole earthly life!) or by the number of times we commit it, but rather by the degree of the person offended which determines the gravity of the offense. A spiritual adviser and coworker once explained sin in this way to me: if a student takes a knife to school and throws it at a teacher, who is in a position of authority over the student, the punishment may be something like suspension. If the student throws the knife at the principal, who is in a position of authority over the school, the punishment would probably be expulsion. If the student were to throw that same knife at a police officer, who is in a position of authority over the city, the punishment may be imprisonment for a moderate amount of time. And if that student threw the same knife at the President of the United States, who is in authority over the nation, the punishment would be life in prison or even death. You see that as the authority or position of the person being offended gets greater, so does the punishment for that offense. This is simply because the offense is measure by the degree of the person offended. Now when we sin we offend God, who is infinite and so it is only just that the punishment be infinite. Further on the same note, this is the very reason why only Christ could save us and no other, since only He (God) is infinite and yet at the same time He had to be man [the incarnation (John 1) since it was man who committed the offense and thus it was Christ who bound us back to God in fact that is what the very word religion means]. However eternal torment is not only fitting but affirms well the greatness of God who is not only able to destroy the body as any human can do but is also able to send souls to Hell as their eternal punishment for offending an eternal King (Matt 10:28).

It has become a formality that everyone is automatically whisked to heaven. Purgatory is ignored and the chance that a departed soul might be in hell is no longer part of the equation. Only monsters such as Hitler and Stalin could possibly be suffering with the fallen angels. Thanks to ill-educated teachers many people have been convinced that Christ is tolerant of sin, non judgmental, and pluralistic in His view of salvation. People actually believe that Jesus would never allow anyone to be cast down into everlasting torment because He is a God of love. This idea is contrary to the Bible and Church teaching. It is true that Christ loves all of mankind even those in the pit of unquenchable fire. It is also true that He desires all to be saved and to embrace the truth, but the reality is some people because of their pride decide to reject Him and prefer the darkness of sin thus casting themselves into the bowels of hell. "And this is the verdict, that the light came into the world, but people preferred darkness to light, because their works were evil" (John 3:19). If people would just open up their Bibles and read, they would discover that the Jesus of the Gospels bears no resemblance to the fabrication created by the "feel good" ministers of our day. Christ forewarns us that there will not be universal salvation of mankind. "The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will collect out of his kingdom all who cause others to sin and all evildoers. They will throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth" (Matt 13: 41- 42). Christ's teachings are not ambiguous. The rejection of the free gift of salvation offered by Christ through sin or unbelief carries with it a clear a defined outcome.

One needs to understand the magnitude of importance Jesus placed on avoiding damnation. If you were to take a Bible where the words of Christ are highlighted in red, and go through it, one would discover that Jesus spent one third of His ministry on this unpleasant subject. The Catholic Church understanding the significance of this fact has always taught the reality of hell. As a matter of fact, the new Catechism of the Catholic Church states: "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.' 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" (CCC 1035). Priests, deacons, and religious instructors that are faithful to Christ and the Church unashamedly preach about the doctrine of hell because they love their fellow man as themselves and want everyone to live in God's grace forever. On the other hand, those who remain silent on this subject or deny its existence have instilled a false sense of security and self confidence concerning salvation. This is quite evident in Christians that have foolishly subscribed to the religious concoction that a person cannot sin once they believe in Jesus and even if they would sin, no punishment will be due them because they are already saved. The Bible unquestionably denies this theology. "I am not aware of anything against myself, but I am not thereby acquitted. It is the Lord who judges me" (1 Corinthians 4: 4).

The Church teaches and the bible confirms that Christ will bring the faithful to everlasting life through His instruments of justification and sanctification, the seven sacraments. In baptism, we are born again, cleansed from all sin, and permanently claimed as a child of God. The sacrament of confession is where Christ lovingly waits to forgive the repentant sinner. Confirmation completes the baptismal promises, places an indelible mark upon the soul, and gives one the strength to endure the struggles of this life. Holy Orders are God's unique channel of dispensing His sacraments to the faithful. Marriage builds up the kingdom of God through love and procreation. The Holy Eucharist is the source and summit of the Christian life. "He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day" (John 6:54). The Anointing of the Sick forgives sin, heals the body if it is God's will, and strengthens the soul for the journey home. This is the path of sanctification in the Catholic Church. Those who die in perfect communion with Christ through the sanctifying grace of His sacraments will be given the bliss of seeing God in the face, the beatific vision. People that pass on in a state of grace, but still have temporal punishment to atone for will enter heaven only after they have been cleansed in the fires of purgatory (see next week's blog). All Catholics must never forget that it would be a miracle for any invincible ignorant soul to be saved, because it is impossible to keep the whole moral law without Christ's grace bestowed through His sacraments. "For all have sinned, and do need the glory of God" (Roman 3:23). Therefore the conversion of the world to Jesus and His Church is paramount so all will have a true hope of salvation. Lastly, those who live an unrepentant life of sin and debauchery and the prideful that choose by their own freewill to reject either Christ will not like where they end up. "If anyone remains not in me, he shall be cast forth as a branch, and shall wither, and they shall gather him up, and cast him into the fire, and burned" (John 15: 6).

If a person chooses not to believe in hell, it does not nullify its existence. The denial of this doctrine only calls God a liar and says that the crucifixion was a useless and vain sacrifice. So the next time you are confronted by a person that makes an absurd statement such as, there is no hell or that everyone goes to heaven because God would never allow anyone to suffer eternal damnation. Just read them Christ's own words and watch them squirm. "Enter by the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is easy, that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard, that leads to life, and those who find it are few" (Matthew 7:13 -14). If you choose to turn away from God and find your own path in life, you may life well, but you will fall into the torment of Hell after death. Hell in and of itself is the absence of the presence of God. The bible teaches us that the wages of sin is death, not just physical death, but the death of the eternal soul of a person. Every time you sin, you pull yourself further and further for the grace of God. This is of course, an abbreviated, truncated, and paraphrase version of the Church's teaching on Hell. The Church describes Hell as a real place that is as eternal as God, where the damned seek not repentance and suffer true pains. If you long for disconnection of the true happiness God can give, then begin on a path of mortal sin and book your ticket to Hell.

"Do you not know that the unjust will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators nor idolaters nor adulterers nor boy prostitutes nor sodomites nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor robbers will inherit the kingdom of God." (1 Corinthians 6:9-10)