Hell exists. The threat of condemnation for unrepented mortal sins is real. And this includes priests, popes and cardinals...

[Michie]

Most pastors are familiar with the unpleasantries of patrolling parish grounds after dark. After disrupting a young couple seeking privacy in the darkness of the parking lot, a young man rolls down the car window. As he zooms away he yells, “I’ll see you in hell!” Many may not believe in God, but they believe in hell. It’s a good start.

The Gospel directs our attention to the reality of hell with the words of Jesus. Jesus refers to the everlasting fires of Gehenna for unrepented sins. Traditionally, we’ve translated that word as “Hell.” The words are interchangeable. Gehenna was a fiery pit of child sacrifice and a metaphor for the everlasting torment of those who offered their children to the Demon Moloch.

Jesus warns: “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for you traverse sea and land to make a single proselyte, and when he becomes a proselyte, you make him twice as much a child of hell as yourselves.” (Mt. 23:15) “You serpents, you brood of vipers, how are you to escape being sentenced to hell? (Mt. 23:33) “But I will warn you whom to fear: fear him who, after he has killed, has power to cast into hell; yes, I tell you, fear him!” (Lk. 12:5)

Hell exists. The threat of condemnation for unrepented mortal sins is real. But we rely on the musings of theologians and poets for metaphors for the punishments of hell that comport with the terrors of the Lord’s warnings. In his Divine Comedy, Dante describes the nine circles of hell in his Inferno. Dante is a tourist accompanied by the Roman poet Virgil. For effect, he even places historical personages in hell.

Continued below.

Priests in Hell

Hell exists. The threat of condemnation for unrepented mortal sins is real.

www.catholicculture.org

 

[RileyG]

There was one nun who saw countless souls falling into hell like snow flakes in winter. I forgot what her name was.

 

[Cosmic Charlie]

There was one nun who saw countless souls falling into hell like snow flakes in winter. I forgot what her name was.

Oooo.....

...I know this. I've been reading about the Catholic Mystical moment as part of the history of monotheism. (it is not important right now)

Saint Teresa of Avila.

Patroness of Spain (and chess players for some reason)

 

[RileyG]

Oooo.....

...I know this. I've been reading about the Catholic Mystical moment as part of the history of monotheism. (it is not important right now)

Saint Teresa of Avila.

Patroness of Spain (and chess players for some reason)

I believe she is the one who saw countless Lutherans in hell. It was in her autobiography (her words, not mine)

I’m sure my dearly departed Lutheran neighbor wasn’t damned though.

 

[Cosmic Charlie]

I believe she is the one who saw countless Lutherans in hell. It was in her autobiography (her words, not mine)

I’m sure my dearly departed Lutheran neighbor wasn’t damned though.

The Lutherans and Catholics get along much better in the American Midwest than they ever did Central Europe.

 

[RileyG]

The Lutherans and Catholics get along much better in the American Midwest than they ever did Central Europe.

Definitely true.

 

[Bob Crowley]

There was one renaissance era female saint who was praying for one of the corrupt renaissance popes. I cant find the reference.

But everytime she implored God to have mercy on this particular pope, all she got return was a sense of absolute condemnation for this man. In her vision of God He seemed to have a face of stone.

 

[Bob Crowley]

There was one nun who saw countless souls falling into hell like snow flakes in winter. I forgot what her name was.

Around 150,000 people die every day around the world. That's an average of about a hundred a minute.

Christian doctrine states that they'll all end up (eventually) either in heaven or hell, possibly with a temporary stay in purgatory.

Demographers surmise that around 110 to 120 billion people have ever lived, including those alive today.

God must be busy. He's tracking 100 billion or more people on earth, or in heaven, hell and purgatory - judging, hearing and answering prayers, creating new bodies for new saints, keeping fallen spirits locked up, monitoring the universe and communicating with spiritual powers and principalities.

In view of that job description what's an occasional miracle? I've said before that the night my father died he turned up in my room. He seemed to drift sideaways a bit either way and I wondered why. Recently I had the thought that I was being held in place by gravity, but he was pure spirit and gravity would have no effect. Something was keeping him there as I spun through the uiniverse at about 250kms per second, or 900,000 kilometres an hour. What's a couple of feet of sideways drift at those speeds?

No surprise then that John wrote in Revelation 7:9 NIV " ... there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb...."