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Any bible fans here have some handy quotes referencing to the specifics of hell? My vague impression was that the bible says very little about it and the details of an actually physical/spiritual plane of fire-n-brimstone were largely just products of certain peoples' imaginations (like Dante) that kind of culturally stuck over time. I could be wrong though.

For that matter, does the bible actually make many references to descriptions of what heaven actually is?

The Tao! Durrr

Snero wrote:my uncle is a priest who writes books about this sort of thing. He believes that there is no hell, god is forgiving, and hell is simply a tool that is used to encourage sinners to maintain a good life

he wrote a book called "we are all going to heaven".

Snero wrote:he is catholic

His belief that there is no hell is the exact opposite of Catholic Church teaching. If there is any "wiggle" room it can be found in what/where exactly hell is as demonstrated by statements made on the subject matter by Pope Benedict XVI and Pope John Paul II. John Paul II made statements regarding hell as less of a physical place and more of a subjective existence without God. Benedict XVI recently talked about Hell as a more physical place. Regardless of what exactly hell is, Catholic catechism (the basic teachings of the church) is very specific that hell does exist and souls do go there.

Understand Snero I don't take issue with your uncle's beliefs, but it does bother me that he considers himself a Catholic, and remains a Catholic priest when he holds beliefs that are polar opposite Catholic teaching.

I was raised Catholic, and I don't consider myself one any longer in part for that exact reason, I do not hold to the tenets of the faith.

Snero wrote:if there were more priests like him, i would have a higher opinion of organized religion. Of course he still has some views i don't like, but at least I respect him

I found that very interesting and somewhat contradictory, basically you are looking at his deviation from organized teaching in a positive light, and in that you may be spot on, but really you are looking at a deviation from organization rather then the organization it's self with an affirming view.

Yamori - there are quite a few reference in the bible to the fire-n-brimstone part, I'm sure you'll find them if you google it. Suffice it to say there is a basis for both the physical and spiritual descriptions you run across.

hell is the greco/roman theology of what the afterlife is for bad people

heaven is the elysian fields

as far as heaven i cant think of any scripture that says we go to heaven when we die (it does talk about gods kingdom comming to earth) nor does it say we burn forever in hell (says the wicked are tossed into the lake of fire to perhaps be instantly and totally consumed)

REALLY HARD TO HAVE A CONVERSATION ABOUT RELIGION WITH THAT DAMN AVATAR WAGGING AT ME.....


ok.

just as genesis is obviously not an historical telling of the creation of the earth, heaven and hell are also not told in literal language.....

the visions that John has in Revelation are his written description of what he sees, and certainly one would not imagine that words could contain something like a "Heaven", probably did the best he could with the language he had.

also, in the parable of the Rich man and Poor man, it is said that the rich man begs for a drink of water to quench his thirst, suggesting lots of heat, though not necessarily going all the way to describe in detail a fiery place per se

Lueyen wrote:Regardless of what exactly hell is, Catholic catechism (the basic teachings of the church) is very specific that hell does exist and souls do go there.

As I understand it though, catholics believe no soul goes to hell until the second coming of Jesus. Up until that point they are in purgatory as no judgement can be cast until the second coming.

I'm no Catholic though .

Lueyen wrote:
Catholic catechism (the basic teachings of the church)

actually those are the basic teachings of the CATHOLIC church, not the church overall (protestant and orthodox)....

ClakarEQ wrote:

Lueyen wrote:Regardless of what exactly hell is, Catholic catechism (the basic teachings of the church) is very specific that hell does exist and souls do go there.

As I understand it though, catholics believe no soul goes to hell until the second coming of Jesus. Up until that point they are in purgatory as no judgement can be cast until the second coming.

I'm no Catholic though .

Too bad there's nothing about a "pugatory" in the Bible... just another catholic made-up thing.