The word Gehenna was used by Jesus to describe hell. This was an actual valley where bodies were dumped and the fire never went out in Jerusalem. It was like a rubbish dump and the bodies of criminals etc would go there. Remember our souls are eternal, we cannot die because we are made in the image of God who is eternal. Therefore you have to spend your eternity somewhere. Remember earth is not a state of being it is a place. The saints in heaven are even more alive than we are according to the bible, therefore the pain in hell would be more real than we feel. O ya and the horn’s on the devil come from a mis-translation. It is a word that means beautiful, he was created like this and it is partly why he got so proud. A shame too many of us fall for this false beauty and we go to hell if we go.

Credo

Of course, when we speak about Heaven and Hell we can’t help but use spatial-temporal language. So provided we are aware that our words fall a little short (though are still able to express what is essential) we’ll be ok.

I am very interested in the problem of Hell though – it is very interesting, and possibly helpful for understanding Heaven too. How can we really be separated from God?

I am reminded of two scriptures: one in which Christ is described as the “cornerstone” and another in which He is a “stumbling block”. There is something in this…. Christ, of course, is the same yesterday, today and always; it is we who change. We are the ones who can either find Christ as our ultimate Foundation and Support, or else, through our unbelief, come crashing against Him.

Similarly, while for the saints in Heaven, God’s presence is infinite happiness, glory, bliss, etc, for those who reject His free gift of Love and Mercy, God’s presence becomes a torment; His Light becomes a ‘burning fire’, and His Gaze an unbearable burden, because they have chosen to count God as evil. They have chosen to hate what is good.

We cannot banish God any more than we can bring Him into existence. He will be our reward or He will be our punishment…

What do you think?

(CS Lewis wrote a very good little (fiction) book which explores these things
called “The Great Divorce”. Like all of his stuff, it is well worth a read.)

The old question: “Is Hell and place or a state.”

Same question could be posed for Heaven too.

What Agnes said is important though. In Heaven there are 2 glorified bodies, that of Jesus and Mary.

We can’t really know exactly what our glorified bodies will be like. St Paul talks about them taking on the aspect of immortality. St Thomas Aquinas goes much further and talks about a spiritualisation and divinisation of the body, as does Pope John Paul II in Theology of the Body.

So, while our glorified bodies won’t be corporeal like they are now, they will be bodies, with new aspects that we can’t really imagine now.

Same goes for those who are condemned to Hell. They will receive ressurected bodies, and their suffering will also include their bodies.

In fact, the many Doctors and Saints of the Church have talked about how the suffering in Hell will correspond to the types of sins people commited that landed them there.

E.g., for those who commited sins of the flesh, they will be consumed and devoured by suffering in their flesh, knawed away by other demons…etc…etc…you get the picture.

It’s a big question.

Pope John Paul II says in the Theology of the Body, that in fact, due to our masculinity and femininity being an ontological truth for us (meaning at the very core of our being), there will be a certain masculinity and femininity to our existence in Heaven. These things won’t be wiped out, but transformed and elevated by grace in the ressurection of the body, in a spiritual sense.

We won’t be angels in Heaven but we will like them. Christ even said that.

I came across a pamphlet about Saint Faustina’s visions of Heaven, Hell and Purgatory a few years ago, which was quite insightful. I could only find on the ‘net the latter (I guess this is more important because people are less inclined to believe in the reality of hell nowadays): Sister Faustina’s vision. Also related is the vision of hell at Fatima. We should keep in mind that these are private revelations, approved by the Holy See.

It dawned on me after reading about those that this present life, even if it be a hundred years, is really nothing compared to eternity. All of life’s pleasures pass in a fleeting moment – “vanity of vanities! All is vanity” (Ecclesiastes 1:2).

I think too that it’s true charity to “instruct the ignorant” (one of the spiritual works of mercy) regarding the existence of hell. It may make the difference of life or death – an eternal difference. This is why I feel annoyed whenever a gospel of fluffy love is preached – it’s really far from loving, when so much is at stake for the souls.

I think we would do well to heed St. Augustin’s teaching:

Two criminals were crucified with Christ.
One was saved; do not despair.
One was not; do not presume.

We can neither act in fear and let despair overtake us, nor be so lax as to be presumptious of God’s mercy. The only option available is the one which transcends the two: trust. I think that’s why the Divine Mercy image is inscribed “Jesus I trust in you.” Trust stems from the virtue of Hope.

So, full of confidence, we should consecrate ourselves to Mary’s immaculate and maternal heart and pray the Divine Mercy chaplet and the Holy Rosary, encouraging others to do the same, for the love of God and for the salvation of souls.

I personally think that it is extremely limiting for us to think of such places as Heaven and Hell in terms of our limited understanding, but that is what the Bible is trying to do. Since we are finite beings, we can’t properly grasp eternity. Since we are physical beings, we can’t truly grasp pain that isn’t experienced. Fire, brimstone – they are images used to explain Hell, but I don’t think they are literal as they are human concepts. I don’t think that Satan is a dude in red pants with a pitchfork and horns – it is an image.

However, the Bible is clear on the existence of Hell – let’s not kid ourselves about that. The other language used to describe it is there to try and provide an understanding of Hell to those of us who could never truly understand it…until we’re there (God forbid!)

The point I’m trying to make is that Hell exists, and that it is a place of immeasurable suffering and pain. The images of fire and brimstone are used to tell us that, but I don’t think there is actual fire there – just like Heaven doesn’t consist of clouds.

Hell is indeed an actual place like heaven and purgatory are real places. There are already at least two bodies in heaven (Mary and Jesus) and after the Resurrection of the Body the people in hell will have ressurected bodies that will experience real pain and moral suffering of the soul for all eternity just as those in heaven will experience Gods love for all eternity. It is hard to fathom that hell is real because we love God and would hate to be seperated from him but… the Catechism tells us; (CCC 1033 – 1037) (391 – 395);

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 decend into hell where they suffer the punishment of hell – eternal fire. The chief punishment of hell is eternal seperation from God…

The affirmation of sacred scripture and the teaching of the Church on the subject of hell are called to the responsibility incombant on man to make use of his freedom in view of his eternal destiny…

Hell is not merely a nothingness… Satan is truly an angel who rejected God, Satan was once in Heaven with Our Lord, he is now in Hell.

Don’t be fooled, the Bible does hold literal truth. Heaven and Hell are both very real.