Comments on: To Hell and Back http://www.thurible.net/20070810/to-hell-and-back/ The Blog of the Provost of St Mary's Cathedral, Glasgow Tue, 27 Jul 2010 17:12:47 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0 By: Rob+ http://www.thurible.net/20070810/to-hell-and-back/comment-page-1/#comment-4139 Rob+ Sun, 12 Aug 2007 00:48:48 +0000 http://www.thurible.net/20070810/to-hell-and-back/#comment-4139 My 8 year old Zac says, "Daddy, people can't be in Hell, because Jesus loves us too much to let us go there. If we went there, he'd come right down and take us out." Sounds like good theology to me. My 8 year old Zac says, “Daddy, people can’t be in Hell, because Jesus loves us too much to let us go there. If we went there, he’d come right down and take us out.”

Sounds like good theology to me.

]]> By: MadPriest http://www.thurible.net/20070810/to-hell-and-back/comment-page-1/#comment-4138 MadPriest Sat, 11 Aug 2007 09:18:33 +0000 http://www.thurible.net/20070810/to-hell-and-back/#comment-4138 The oppression and injustices I suffer from in life are mild when compared to those suffered by the majority of people in the world. So I really don't think I have any right to get rid of the concept of eternal punishment for those who bring so much suffering to so many people. I think any theology of hell must emerge from those for whom hell maybe regarded as part of their hope for a redemption of their earthly situation. Of course, those who suffer much may decide to forgive much. But that, I feel, is their decision, not mine. The oppression and injustices I suffer from in life are mild when compared to those suffered by the majority of people in the world. So I really don’t think I have any right to get rid of the concept of eternal punishment for those who bring so much suffering to so many people. I think any theology of hell must emerge from those for whom hell maybe regarded as part of their hope for a redemption of their earthly situation. Of course, those who suffer much may decide to forgive much. But that, I feel, is their decision, not mine.

]]> By: Andrew http://www.thurible.net/20070810/to-hell-and-back/comment-page-1/#comment-4135 Andrew Fri, 10 Aug 2007 18:47:29 +0000 http://www.thurible.net/20070810/to-hell-and-back/#comment-4135 CS Lewis gives us the picture of all those good, worthy, atheists we all know waking up in Heaven and wondering where they are ... CS Lewis gives us the picture of all those good, worthy, atheists we all know waking up in Heaven and wondering where they are …

]]> By: noxious nurd http://www.thurible.net/20070810/to-hell-and-back/comment-page-1/#comment-4134 noxious nurd Fri, 10 Aug 2007 17:27:31 +0000 http://www.thurible.net/20070810/to-hell-and-back/#comment-4134 Wha’s ‘at ? “…..there will be many different opinions about hell in St Mary’s “……. I don’t think it IS hell in S Mary’s……
but then I’m not the Provost, and I’m sure he knows what he’s talking about……maybe shiny black shoes come into it…
….but….. uh oh……… guess you mean “opinions in S Mary’s ABOUT hell”…. Thankfully, God’s immanence transcends all…

]]> By: Tim http://www.thurible.net/20070810/to-hell-and-back/comment-page-1/#comment-4133 Tim Fri, 10 Aug 2007 14:24:17 +0000 http://www.thurible.net/20070810/to-hell-and-back/#comment-4133 Oh, there are so many ideas to expand upon, and maybe pull apart... When it comes to the creeds, I'm used to seeing a footnote of "Meaning the place of departed spirits", enhancing the meaning that whatever normally happens to people's identity after death also happened to Jesus. We inherit an awful lot from Jewish interpretation. Like, Gehenna being the name of the burning rubbish-tip outside Jerusalem. Did Jesus use the term only to mean the dump in front of him, as a symbol of rejection, or in an eternal sense? Or even 2 or all 3 of the above? How can I decide between these "mundane" and "extraordinary" interpretations? The very idea of a soul being one constituent of a 3-part human existence is also an underlying assumption; you could also see humans as body and mind with the word "soul" being a shorthand for "both body and mind at once" rather than something lurking that both medics and psychologists have failed to find. So, if some form of Universalism is true (and I have leanings that way), and there is some kind of afterlife (very optional when you can take all talk of hell, heaven or the Kingdom in the present-tense only, but still a nice idea), the main problem seems to be what happens to those who deny any form of God. Would they recognize God against their will? Would that be a bad thing? I can see how ideas such as Purgatory come about from wondering this kind of thing. Yes, the idea of God as some kind of mega-Person who needs to be placated is deficient. The idea can be understood in entirety, and must therefore be rejected. Beware the models. It should not be glib or easy to understand; any time you think you've got it sussed, God turns out to be a whole lot more transcendent. Oh, there are so many ideas to expand upon, and maybe pull apart…

When it comes to the creeds, I’m used to seeing a footnote of “Meaning the place of departed spirits”, enhancing the meaning that whatever normally happens to people’s identity after death also happened to Jesus.

We inherit an awful lot from Jewish interpretation. Like, Gehenna being the name of the burning rubbish-tip outside Jerusalem. Did Jesus use the term only to mean the dump in front of him, as a symbol of rejection, or in an eternal sense? Or even 2 or all 3 of the above? How can I decide between these “mundane” and “extraordinary” interpretations?

The very idea of a soul being one constituent of a 3-part human existence is also an underlying assumption; you could also see humans as body and mind with the word “soul” being a shorthand for “both body and mind at once” rather than something lurking that both medics and psychologists have failed to find.

So, if some form of Universalism is true (and I have leanings that way), and there is some kind of afterlife (very optional when you can take all talk of hell, heaven or the Kingdom in the present-tense only, but still a nice idea), the main problem seems to be what happens to those who deny any form of God. Would they recognize God against their will? Would that be a bad thing?

I can see how ideas such as Purgatory come about from wondering this kind of thing.

Yes, the idea of God as some kind of mega-Person who needs to be placated is deficient. The idea can be understood in entirety, and must therefore be rejected.
Beware the models. It should not be glib or easy to understand; any time you think you’ve got it sussed, God turns out to be a whole lot more transcendent.

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