I’ve had lots of ideas about the concept of heave and hell. I grew up with HELL being a PLACE- a very, very bad place. It was a place where fires burned continually and where suffering never ended. A person would spend eternity there for not giving God glory, for being bad, for not repenting, or whatever the “Thou shall NOT” happened to be on the LIST for whatever denomination one belonged to. And I was then told that God was LOVE. Strange rationalization indeed.
Recently I discovered yet another definition for HELL!
Christopher Bache describes hell as follows. “Hell is not heaven’s opposite but the guardian at the door of that which heals everything“. How’s that for a new thought to stimulate some new thinking? So Hell is God’s closest companion- a transient flash of pain urging one to return to our source.
In essence, I see him saying that it’s akin to what I call “divine judgment“.
There is no punishment, no banishment, none of the church “control images” that bring fear. Yes there is a hell on earth and many frequent such a mental state way too often. But when it comes to the eternal, spiritual life, hell is but heaven’s purifying fire which strips away (from everyone- ALL!) all that which is not in the nature of our Source- God, Creator!
We came from the Source of LOVE and it is to that source (LOVE) we will one day ALL return!
This theory sounds so much better than having our senses as aware or sensetive as they are now and burning eternally. I can’t even imagine, it just doesn’t make sense that so many people would be sent there and only a select few would escape eternal hell. I say few, those that say the right prayer or accept Christ. I often wondered if God wasn’t a respector of persons, than why would whole nationalities or countries be sent to Hell? I’m speaking of countries whose people as a whole worship other gods, China, Japan, Egypt, Iran, etc. How cruel would it be for whole nations to be born, thrive and then be sent to hell mostly because you were born in the wrong place or you could say born into the wrong family, it doesn’t make sense.
How ironic is it that Christians, the ones that are supposed to be the example of love are instead so ready to judge, crucify and throw everyone that doesn’t fit their mold into Hell. I’m glad that God is a God of love!
By George, I think she’s got it! God’s TRUTH is so libertaing!