17. Do not embarrass others Pt. 1

The 17th commandment of Mosaic Law is to not embarrass others

Where in scripture?

Leviticus  19:17

Though you may have to reprove your fellow man, do not incur sin because of him.

In the previous post, we discussed how we are obligated to rebuke sinners as a spiritual work of mercy. This Mitzvah has the same scriptural source (Leviticus 19:17). With the previous post, we provided Matthew 18:15 as a New Testament reference. It is also the appropriate reference for this Mitzvah.

New Testament Reference

Matthew 18:15

If your brother sins (against you), go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have won over your brother.

Conclusion

Binding on Christians  

16. Reprove a sinner

The 16th commandment of Mosaic Law is to reprove a sinner

Where in scripture?

Leviticus  19:17

Though you may have to reprove your fellow man, do not incur sin because of him.

New Testament Reference

Matthew 18:15

If your brother sins (against you), go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have won over your brother.

Spiritual Works of Mercy

3. Admonish sinners;

Natural Law

We are bound to love and assist one another.

Catholic Encyclopedia

That there is, upon occasion and with due regard to circumstances, an obligation to administer fraternal correction there can be no doubt. …This is reckoned to be so only when:

·        The delinquency to be corrected or prevented is a grievous one;

·        There is no good reason to believe that the sinner will adequately provide for himself;

·        There is a well-founded expectation that the admonition will be heeded;

·        There is no one else just as well fitted for this work of Christian charity and likely to undertake it; and

·        There is no special trouble or disadvantage accruing to the reformer as a result of his zeal.

…Of course the reproof is to be administered privately, i.e. directly to the delinquent and not in the presence of others.

Conclusion

Binding on Christians  

15. Do not hate fellow Jews

The 15th commandment of Mosaic Law is to not hate fellow Jews

Where in scripture?

Leviticus  19:17

You shall not bear hatred for your brother in your heart.

Another Old Testament verse that is relevant is Proverbs 10:12

Hatred stirs up disputes, but love covers all offenses.

New Testament Reference:

As we discussed in a previous post, Matthew 22:39 says, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”

Catechism of the Catholic Church

2303 Deliberate hatred is contrary to charity. Hatred of the neighbor is a sin when one deliberately wishes him evil. Hatred of the neighbor is a grave sin when one deliberately desires him grave harm. "But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven."

The Confiteor

I confess to almighty God, and to you, my brothers and sisters, that I have sinned through my own fault, in my thoughts and in my words…

I’m sorry for such a brief post, but I can’t think of anything else to add.

Conclusion

Binding on Christians 

14. Love Converts Pt. 2

The 14th commandment of Mosaic Law is to love converts.  

In the last post we discussed how the 14^th Mosaic Law is binding on Christians.

Before we move onto the 15^th law, we should discuss the 14^th law’s scriptural basis, Deuteronomy  10:19.

So you too must befriend the alien, for you were once aliens yourselves in the land of Egypt.

This seems to be a good time to discuss immigration reform.

According to Wikipedia, the fertility of the population of the United States is below replacement among those native born. It is only due to immigration that we are able to maintain replacement levels. 

According to Pope John Paul II, “Those who are more influential, because they have a greater share of goods and common services, should feel responsible for the weaker and be ready to share with them all they possess.”

Catechism of the Catholic Church

2241 The more prosperous nations are obliged, to the extent they are able, to welcome the foreigner in search of the security and the means of livelihood which he cannot find in his country of origin. Public authorities should see to it that the natural right is respected that places a guest under the protection of those who receive him.

Political authorities, for the sake of the common good for which they are responsible, may make the exercise of the right to immigrate subject to various juridical conditions, especially with regard to the immigrants' duties toward their country of adoption. Immigrants are obliged to respect with gratitude the material and spiritual heritage of the country that receives them, to obey its laws and to assist in carrying civic burdens.

According to the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, “When persons cannot find employment in their country of origin to support themselves and their families, they have a right to find work elsewhere in order to survive. Sovereign nations should provide ways to accommodate this right. …More powerful economic nations…have a stronger obligation to accommodate migration flows.”

The U.S. Catholic Bishops have outlined a proposal for comprehensive immigration reform. The key elements of comprehensive reform advocated by the Bishops are:

·        Earned Legalization;

·        Enforcement;

·        Establishment of a Future Worker Program that would permit foreign-born workers to enter the country safely and legally;

·        Family-based immigration reform;

·        Addressing Root Causes; and

·        Restoration of Due Process Rights.

14. Love Converts Pt. 1

The 14th commandment of Mosaic Law is to love converts.  

Where in scripture?

Deuteronomy  10:19

So you too must befriend the alien, for you were once aliens yourselves in the land of Egypt.

Discussion:

According to Wikipedia, the Hebrew word ger is translated to “alien” in Deuteronomy 10:19.  The article quotes author Marc Angel as stating, “The Hebrew ger (in post-Biblical times translated as "proselyte") literally means "stranger" and refers to a non-Israelite who lived among the Israelite community. When the Torah commands compassion and equal justice for the ger, it is referring to these "strangers." But Rabbinic tradition interpreted the word ger as also referring to proselytes..."   

Jewish tradition therefore interprets Deuteronomy 10:19 as a requirement for Jews to love converts.

As we discussed in the last post, Matthew 22:39 says, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”

Converts, of course, are included in this commandment.  The origin of Christianity and its growth has been based upon converts.

Converts to Catholicism tend to come to the Church only after several years of research and inquiry. As a result, they tend to be much better catechized and devout than most cradle Catholics. It would be difficult not to love and respect them.

Conclusion:

Binding on Christians  

13. Love other Jews

The 13th commandment in Mosaic Law is to love other Jews.

Where in scripture?

Leviticus 19:18

…You shall love your neighbor as yourself.

Also

Tobit 4:15

Do to no one what you yourself dislike.

Jewish tradition specifies that Leviticus 19:18 requires Jews to love all human beings who are of the old covenant.

New Testament references

Matthew 22:39 

…You shall love your neighbor as yourself.

Romans 13:8-10

Owe nothing to anyone, except to love one another; for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. The commandments, "You shall not commit adultery; you shall not kill; you shall not steal; you shall not covet," and whatever other commandment there may be, are summed up in this saying, (namely) "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." Love does no evil to the neighbor; hence, love is the fulfillment of the law.

Discussion

Jesus instructed us to love Jews and non-Jews alike through the parable of the Good Samaritan.

Luke 10:36-37

Which of these three, in your opinion, was neighbor to the robbers' victim? He answered, "The one who treated him with mercy." Jesus said to him, "Go and do likewise."

Conclusion

Binding on Christians

Hell is Mercy - Part 3

Hell is Mercy – Part 3

In a previous post, we discussed how hell is not a punishment, but is a "place" for fallen souls and fallen angels when they reject grace and communion with God.

Catechism of the Catholic Church

2002 God's free initiative demands man's free response, for God has created and loves him. God immediately touches and directly moves the heart of man. He has placed in man a longing for truth and goodness that only he can satisfy.

1033  …To die in mortal sin without repenting and accepting God's merciful love means remaining separated from him forever by our own free choice. This state of definitive self- exclusion from communion with God and the blessed is called "hell."

Even though people freely choose to separate themselves from God, eternal separation from Him is a great torment.  

Matthew 22:13

Then the king said to his attendants, 'Bind his hands and feet, and cast him into the darkness outside, where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.'

In this post I’ll discuss why separation from God causes torment. I’ll also discuss the transformative nature of Hell – the only "place" in any dimension where the grace of God is not felt.

Sometimes I hear people speculate about the souls in hell. They wonder what happens if someone in hell repents. What if, once they are in hell, they decide they want to be in Heaven? In this post I hope to explain why once a person is in hell, they don’t desire to be in Heaven.

Grace (which we’ll talk more about below) is required to achieve a level of conduct that is pleasing to God because man is fallen. Man’s fallen nature is a consequence of original sin.

Catechism of the Catholic Church

404 How did the sin of Adam become the sin of all his descendants? The whole human race is in Adam "as one body of one man". By this "unity of the human race" all men are implicated in Adam's sin, as all are implicated in Christ's justice. Still, the transmission of original sin is a mystery that we cannot fully understand. But we do know by Revelation that Adam had received original holiness and justice not for himself alone, but for all human nature. By yielding to the tempter, Adam and Eve committed a personal sin, but this sin affected the human nature that they would then transmit in a fallen state. It is a sin which will be transmitted by propagation to all mankind, that is, by the transmission of a human nature deprived of original holiness and justice. And that is why original sin is called "sin" only in an analogical sense: it is a sin "contracted" and not "committed" - a state and not an act.

It is through grace that we can arise above our fallen nature. Man chooses to go to hell when he refuses the grace of God. Grace is an unmerited gift from God and it is the instrument through which He influences us.

Everyone receives sufficient grace. Grace is always being showered upon us. Unfortunately we mostly ignore it and it as a consequence it then has little effect.

Catechism of the Catholic Church

682 When he comes at the end of time to judge the living and the dead, the glorious Christ will reveal the secret disposition of hearts and will render to each man according to his works, and according to his acceptance or refusal of grace.

1999 The grace of Christ is the gratuitous gift that God makes to us of his own life, infused by the Holy Spirit into our soul to heal it of sin and to sanctify it.

We have established that grace is not felt in hell. Therefore there is no instrumentality to encourage remorse or even hope. In hell, the fallen nature of a soul is intensified. Without grace there can be no repentance. Without grace, the discernment of good and evil is blurred.

Perhaps we can get a bit of a glimpse of the mindset of the souls in hell from the parable of Lazarus and the rich man.

Luke 16: 22-24

The rich man also died and was buried, and from the netherworld, where he was in torment, he raised his eyes and saw Abraham far off and Lazarus at his side. And he cried out, 'Father Abraham, have pity on me. Send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am suffering torment in these flames.'

Although, one parable is not proof of my contention in itself, we do see that the rich man only wants relief and not redemption. Even though he was separated from God, he showed no remorse or change of heart. His focus was still on himself (and his own family). He still felt the same sense of entitlement that he felt while he was still alive. He still felt that Lazarus’ purpose was only to serve him.

Hell intensifies the base nature of man. Without grace there is no desire to experience good. In fact, they neither understand or even care about good or evil, particularly since they were likely not well-formed in discernment while they were alive.

A case can certainly be made that hell is the opposite of Heaven. However, an even better case can be made that hell is the opposite of Purgatory.

Catechism of the Catholic Church

1030 All who die in God's grace and friendship, but still imperfectly purified, are indeed assured of their eternal salvation; but after death they undergo purification, so as to achieve the holiness necessary to enter the joy of heaven.

1031 The Church gives the name Purgatory to this final purification of the elect, which is entirely different from the punishment of the damned.

1054 Those who die in God's grace and friendship imperfectly purified, although they are assured of their eternal salvation, undergo a purification after death, so as to achieve the holiness necessary to enter the joy of God.

Grace exists in Purgatory. It is the instrumentality of the purification of the elect.

Catechism of the Catholic Church

1996 Our justification comes from the grace of God. Grace is favor, the free and undeserved help that God gives us to respond to his call to become children of God, adoptive sons, partakers of the divine nature and of eternal life.

Just as the absence of grace has a negative transformative effect on souls in hell, the presence of grace has a positive transformative effect on souls in Purgatory.

Catechism of the Catholic Church

2000 Sanctifying grace is an habitual gift, a stable and supernatural disposition that perfects the soul itself to enable it to live with God, to act by his love.

2003 Grace is first and foremost the gift of the Spirit who justifies and sanctifies us.

Hell is mercy because it involves God granting man the ability to exercise his free will. Purgatory is a great blessing, because everyone in Purgatory knows that once they are purified, they will be in eternal communion with God.

Conclusion

Hell is mercy

Purgatory is a great blessing.

Future Projects

I will continue to go through the Mitzvot, one by one (12 down, 601 to go).

At some point I hope to revisit the 8th law.

Some other topics that I also hope to address during the coming weeks (in no particular order) are:

• Authority;
• Suffering is a blessing;
• Theological implications of extra-terrestrial life;
• Religious ecstasy/mystical union; and
• My take on the book of Revelation ( I'll deviate a bit from the style that I've established with this blog, where I've refrained from writing my thoughts and opinions).

Tonight I hope to finish up the Hell is Mercy topic.

If there is a topic that you'd like to read about, please feel free to email me.

12. Cleave to those who know Him

Edited Post
The 12th commandment of Mosaic Law is to cleave to those who know Him.  

Where in scripture?

Deuteronomy 10:20

The LORD, your God, shall you fear, and him shall you serve; hold fast to Him and swear by His name.

Jewish Tradition and the Talmud state that cleaving (clinging) to religious scholars is equivalent to cleaving to God.

New Testament References
(Wbmoore, who has a website you might want to check out, posted a comment below suggesting that I add the following citations. 

2 Corinthians 6:14

Do not be yoked with those who are different, with unbelievers. For what partnership do righteousness and lawlessness have? Or what fellowship does light have with darkness?

The NAB footnote for this verse states that the verse makes “the point that Christianity is not compatible with paganism.” It does not seem to state precisely that we must cleave to religious scholars or those who know God.

  

Hebrews 10:25

We should not stay away from our assembly, as is the custom of some, but encourage one another, and this all the more as you see the day drawing near.

(According to the NAB footnote, “Our assembly: the liturgical assembly of the Christian community, probably for the celebration of the Eucharist.” Paul seems to be encouraging us to go to mass.)

On the other hand a few chapters later, Hebrews 13:13 says,

Let us then go to him outside the camp, bearing the reproach that he bore.

I have been told by several people who have had problems with substance abuse that one of their biggest obstacles to staying clean and sober is fall back to old habits when they hang out with their old friends. The old friends are not good influences and they add increased pressure and temptations.

Also, I recently talked to a good Christian who told me that when he talks to atheists, a seed of doubt is sometimes planted within him.

For these individuals, and many others, it is a good idea that they should try to cleave to people who are religious. Scripture clearly tells us that we should avoid temptation.

Matthew 5:29-30

If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one of your members than to have your whole body thrown into Gehenna. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one of your members than to have your whole body go into Gehenna.

However, the issue with which we are dealing with is not whether the Mosaic Law is a "good idea," but whether it is binding on Christians.

As we recently discussed on this blog, the 11th commandment of Mosaic Law is to emulate His ways. By examining whether Jesus cleaved to religious scholars, we can better determine  whether we are bound to follow the 12^th Mosaic Law.

First, we know that Jesus didn’t choose learned scholars, scribes, or Pharisees to be his disciples. He chose uneducated men.

 

Second, scripture shows us that He favored those who were looked down upon by the rest of society.

Matthew 9:11-12 

The Pharisees saw this and said to his disciples, "Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?" He heard this and said, "Those who are well do not need a physician, but the sick do.   

Third, scripture also demonstrates that Jesus didn’t seem to enjoy the company of the religious scholars of His day.

Matthew 23:25-28

Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites. You cleanse the outside of cup and dish, but inside they are full of plunder and self-indulgence. Blind Pharisee, cleanse first the inside of the cup, so that the outside also may be clean. Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites. You are like whitewashed tombs, which appear beautiful on the outside, but inside are full of dead men's bones and every kind of filth. Even so, on the outside you appear righteous, but inside you are filled with hypocrisy and evildoing.

Part of this discussion hinges on what we mean by "cleave." To m, this Mitzvah suggests the avoidance of contact (at least to some extent) with those who don't know God and might be outside of the Law. To me, the Mitzvah suggests a somewhat cloistered environment.This might have been more appropriate for the Israelites, who for most of their history did not strongly pursue converts among the Gentiles.  


Every baptized Christian, however, has a duty to evangelize. We must go out among the unbelievers and, as St. Francis of Assisi said, "Preach the Gospel at all times. If necessary use words." 

Mark 16:15

He said to them, "Go into the whole world and proclaim the gospel to every creature.”

Romans 10:14

But how can they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how can they believe in him of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone to preach?

It may be a good idea for those who are easily tempted cleave to those who know God’s ways, but following the example of Jesus, we are not required to do so - and at least to some extent we are required to go out among unbelievers and evangelize.

Conclusion

Not Binding on Christians

Hell is Mercy - Part 2

Hell is Mercy – Part 2

In the last post I posted evidence that hell is Mercy. We also established that hell is a separation from God.

Catechism of the Catholic Church

1035 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 descend into hell, where they suffer the punishments of hell, "eternal fire." The chief punishment of hell is eternal separation from God, in whom alone man can possess the life and happiness for which he was created and for which he longs.

We further established that God reluctantly grants the souls in hell their desire to separate from Him.

In this post, I hope to expand further explain how the creation of hell is not meant to be a punishment, but it is an act of love - a sacrifice - on the part of God.

As I discussed in the last post, God allows hell to exist. Hell is a place where God’s grace does not exist. By allowing the existence of hell, God, who is all-powerful, limits Himself. He allows creatures of His own creation to reject Him.

Baltimore Catechism

God created heaven and earth from nothing by His word only; that is, by a single act of His all-powerful will.

By limiting Himself, in order to allow man the freedom to reject Him, God indulges man and demonstrates His limitless love.

This act of love can be equated to when God limited himself to being man. He further limited Himself and allowed Himself to be humiliated and rejected by allowing men to crucify Him.

Catechism of the Catholic Church

272 Faith in God the Father Almighty can be put to the test by the experience of evil and suffering. God can sometimes seem to be absent and incapable of stopping evil. But in the most mysterious way God the Father has revealed his almighty power in the voluntary humiliation and Resurrection of his Son, by which he conquered evil. Christ crucified is thus "the power of God and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men." It is in Christ's Resurrection and exaltation that the Father has shown forth "the immeasurable greatness of his power in us who believe".

458 The Word became flesh so that thus we might know God's love: "In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him." "For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life."

459 The Word became flesh to be our model of holiness: "Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me."

While He limits Himself, he further demonstrates His love. His self-limitations do not lessen him but only further glorifies Him.

By the way, the fact that God can limit Himself answers the age-old question: God CAN make a rock so heavy He could not lift it – if He chooses to do so.

Conclusion

Hell is mercy

With the next post I’ll discuss why the mere separation from God causes eternal torment. I’ll discuss the transformative nature of Hell – the only place in any dimension where the grace of God is not felt.

Hell is Mercy - Part 1

Hell is Mercy

I would like to thank my son, Richard, who came up with the topic of this post and contributed to its development and writing.

If you Google the phrase “Hell is mercy,” you’ll get about 2,500 hits. Most of them are sites using the phrase, “Everything on this side hell is mercy.” The sites are typically religious in nature and use the phrase as a part of a discourse on the mercy of God.

Though the phrase “Everything on this side hell is mercy” is pithy and probably well-intentioned, it demonstrates a gross underestimation of the Mercy of God. It suggests that hell itself is not mercy and that God is not all merciful because he created Hell. The phrase underestimates the mercy of God, because even hell itself is proof of God’s mercy.

Baltimore Catechism

God is all just, all holy, all merciful, as He is infinitely perfect.

In order to determine the complete truth of this statement, we must first determine the nature of hell itself.

How and why did hell come into existence? Was it created to serve as a place of eternal torment? The answers to these questions are discussed below.

Before creation, and before time, there was God, and only God. In his wisdom, and out of love, he created the angels by merely willing them into being. The angels existed in a state of communion with God and there was no other possible state of existence.

If we imagine metaphysical states (which exist outside of space) as locations, there was only one location. There was only Heaven. The only ‘place’ for the angels to be was in Heaven while in communion with God.

However, some of the angels were unhappy with this state of being. The angels were given a “moment” of free will, a “moment” of choice. This moment was the war of heaven - The battle between good and evil. Before and outside the existence of time angels made the choice to either remain in communion with, or to turn away from, God.

Revelation 12:7-9

Then war broke out in heaven; Michael and his angels battled against the dragon. The dragon and its angels fought back, but they did not prevail and there was no longer any place for them in heaven. The huge dragon, the ancient serpent, who is called the Devil and Satan, who deceived the whole world, was thrown down to earth, and its angels were thrown down with it.

Luke 10:18

Jesus said, "I have observed Satan fall like lightning from the sky.”

God, who is pure love, realized that some of his creations did not want to remain with Him. Some angels wished to separate themselves from Him. Since the angels exist outside of time, they will never change their minds, because there is no time in which to do so.

God had three options.

1.     Being all powerful, He could compel all the angels to desire to remain in communion with Him. However, like a loving father, He does not force his children to love Him.

2.     He could destroy the rebellious angels in a mere act of will. However, God, being perfect, and being in love with His creations – His children - would not bring himself to erase them from existence.  Like a loving father, he would never destroy even the most rebellious of children.

3.     Finally he could set apart a place for them that was apart from Him. It is the only place in the universe, or in any dimension, where God’s presence and God’s grace was not felt.

In an act of mercy, He created a place for them. God crafted Hell as an act of love. In His infinite wisdom He created a ‘place’ in which he was not.

God knew that the angels could not understand the effects of separation from Him. Having never known existence without God, the fallen angels could not comprehend the suffering that would await them apart from God.

The battle for Heaven is a metaphor. The fallen angels simply turned away from God and were then in Hell.

Then God created time, space, and man. His only desire was for us to desire to be in communion with Him.

Catechism of the Catholic Church

54 "God, who creates and conserves all things by his Word, provides men with constant evidence of himself in created realities. And furthermore, wishing to open up the way to heavenly salvation - he manifested himself to our first parents from the very beginning." He invited them to intimate communion with himself and clothed them with resplendent grace and justice

God loves his creations and gives them free will. He does not force his creations to exist in communion with him. He will not force them to love Him. Such love would be false and hollow.

 When man sins, it is a consequence of refusing God’s grace. In refusing His grace, we also turn away from God’s love.

In St. Faustina’s diary, she recounts her vision of Jesus telling her, "Oh, how painful it is to Me that souls so seldom unite themselves to Me in Holy Communion. I wait for souls, and they are indifferent toward Me. I love them tenderly and sincerely, and they distrust Me. I want to lavish My graces on them, and they do not want to accept them. They treat Me as a dead object, whereas My Heart is full of love and mercy.”

For men who choose to separate themselves from God, God could end their eternal existence or allow them to freely separate themselves from Him.

Catechism of the Catholic Church

1057 Hell's principal punishment consists of eternal separation from God in whom alone man can have the life and happiness for which he was created and for which he longs.

679 Christ is Lord of eternal life. Full right to pass definitive judgment on the works and hearts of men belongs to him as redeemer of the world. He "acquired" this right by his cross. The Father has given "all judgment to the Son".

Yet the Son did not come to judge, but to save and to give the life he has in himself. By rejecting grace in this life, one already judges oneself, receives according to one's works, and can even condemn oneself for all eternity by rejecting the Spirit of love.

1037 God predestines no one to go to hell; for this, a willful turning away from God (a mortal sin) is necessary, and persistence in it until the end. In the Eucharistic liturgy and in the daily prayers of her faithful, the Church implores the mercy of God, who does not want "any to perish, but all to come to repentance (Peter 3:9)."

In her diary, St. Faustina wrote, “God's mercy sometimes touches the sinner at the last moment in a wondrous and mysterious way. Outwardly, it seems as if everything were lost, but it is not so. The soul, illumined by a ray of God's powerful final grace, turns to God in the last moment with such a power of love that, in an instant, it receives from God forgiveness of sin and punishment, while outwardly it shows no sign either of repentance or of contrition, because souls [at that stage] no longer react to external things. Oh, how beyond comprehension is God's mercy! But-horror!-there are also souls who voluntarily and consciously reject and scorn this grace! Although a person is at the point of death, the merciful God gives the soul that interior vivid moment, so that if the soul is willing, it has the possibility of returning to God. But sometimes, the obduracy in souls is so great that consciously they choose hell; they [thus] make useless all the prayers that other souls offer to God for them and even the efforts of God Himself.”

God does not so much condemn us to hell, but we choose to go there. God, in his infinite mercy allows us to separate ourselves from him.

Conclusion

Hell is Mercy

With the next post I’ll expand upon the concept that God demonstrates His love by allowing Hell to exist.