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Heaven, Hell & Afterlife
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Add to FavoritesHell is a personal spot you create for yourself when your mind in racked with guilt, fear, or worry. I happen to think that humans beat themselves up more than they would any of their fellow man. People know their own weaknesses and fears and they can create a much scarier hell for themselves than the bible could muster up.
To consider Hell a reality that "evil-doers" will have to face in the afterlife is preposterous. Especially when the basis of Hell is brought up only by certain faiths, some of those faiths reverting to myths over time. If Hell is real, then so shouldn't the Greek Hades be real as well? They couldn't possibly be in the same place, as both faiths are very different. Even if there was many separate Hells, what happens to those people that have no concept of that because their beliefs do not include a Hell? Which Hell would they go to? What if they hadn't committed any wrong act in their lives, minus being born in the wrong part of the world?
The one version of Hell that I keep returning to is Mary K. Baxter's that she so vaguely recollected in a "Divine Revelation of Hell". She claims that Jesus Christ himself came to her in a dream and gave her a personal tour of Hell. In this Hell, there were separate areas for different wrong-doers. These separations included special spots for those who never knew the word of Jesus Christ, for those who commited acts of Witchcraft or Sorcery, even a spot for fallen Christians...do you hear me? I said FALLEN CHRISTIANS. Christians too go to Hell, apparently. I couldn't believe that someone would have the audacity to think so highly of their religion that is could without a doubt surpass any other faith that could be thousands of years older than their own religion. If all this was real, then God does not play fair. Some of these people wouldn't have a clue as to where they've landed themselves and why they weren't able to acheive their oneness with the deity that brought their lives fufillment. The whole concept is just wrong and anyone who has the nerve to say "You're going to Hell!" also has a tremendous disrespect for history.
Yet, as we go through the new millenia we begin to see Hell, a real Hell all around us. Some of wish for more innocent times, recalling half a century ago there was no sign of the atrocities we face now. Some of us have paved our own Hell, filled with regret for something we had done in the past, no able to move on. Some people even create a societal Hell for everyone they come into contact with. When you've experienced earthly Hell and death ends up being a sweet release from the pain of living how could it be worse in the afterlife? The afterlife is sopposed to be a time of rest from the task of living, to give the chance to someone else perhaps who probably will manifest their own Hell later on in life. The reason why some people accept death with such prowice is to realease them from Hell. If there is a God, even still should Hell be preposterous to Him if indeed He knows everything that goes on daily on planet earth...God can't be that cruel.....can He?
Learn more about this author, Barbara Stiles.
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Real
Hell, exactly like Heaven, is a real place.
Much like San Francisco, CA, the moon, or the inside of your stomach, Hell exists. One may say, "Ah, but if you cannot see Hell, how do you know it's really there?" Do we see the past? The real past? No. Do we see Napoleon? Hitler? We have photos, recordings, and films of of past events and historical personalities. The word of those who have experienced such events are used as testaments to the veracity of said 'reality', but we ourselves cannot experience them, hold them, react to them in realtime, our time.
The future is also real, a place, despite our having not experienced it yet ourselves. We 'trust' that the future will come, we 'believe' if you will. We base our lives on planning for this eventuality, anticipating it, and working to improve it, all the while deriding those who are 'foolish' to not prepare. But again, I ask how do we 'know' the future exists? Simple. We rely on past experience to tell us of the existence of future, that and the related experiences of others.
Just ask a parent why they want their child to get good grades, stay out of trouble and try their best. Because the future, and the resulting good or bad of that future, is real. Very real.
Hell is the same. We know of it through Tradition, Biblical Revelations and by Natural Law. The consistent belief even in pagan faiths of justice, punishment for wrongdoing, karma, whatever, all point to the same place. But then there is undeniable balance in nature. Stimulus is countered by Response. Action by Reaction. Hit the ball and it will fly.
Immoral actions, acts against God that is, His Truth, not ours, must come to balance as well. That balance comes in either eternal punishment or reward. One cannot add to one's memoirs after death. The story is done. The same is true for the hope of any given individual who rejects Truth. When we die, hope becomes 'is'. And the continual search for said 'Truth', which in reality is whatever works for the seeker, is not good enough. God is the Judge. And God is Truth.
The one who believes one plus one is three because that works for him will be left 'believing' something incorrect, something false. The sinner rejects God simply by cleaving to untruths. That's not God's fault - He tried. He died! What more do we want?
As for a 'Loving God' not allowing Hell, that is an illogical notion. Do loving parents will their children to reject them and live a life of bombing around, ruining their lives, ruining other people's lives by irresponsible behavior? NO! Not good parents. And God is all good. But no one can force somebody to love them. Even God, who could force us if He willed it so, has given us that liberty to reject HIm. That is how deep His Love is. So deep that it hurts Him, not us, not unless we reject Him to the end.
And yet, sometimes wayward children come home. Many don't or rather, they won't. It's not the love of the parent that is the question, but the choice of the wanderer. Having wandered the desert for 27 years, I choose home. I won't insist on going to the moon or to Hell to prove it is really there, not anymore. I am just very grateful that Our Good Lord, who in His mercy created Hell for those bent on rejecting Him despite His love, let me stick around to change my mind.
Learn more about this author, P. A. la Duca.
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