How Problematic Is an Unpopulated Hell?
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Justice of God in Damnation
THE JUSTICE OF GOD IN THE DAMNATION OF SINNERS “That every mouth may be stopped” (Romans 3:19). By Jonathan Edwards Online Edition by: International Outreach, Inc. PO Box 1286, Ames, Iowa 50014 (515) 292-9594 THE JUSTICE OF GOD IN THE DAMNATION OF SINNERS By Jonathan Edwards "That every mouth may be stopped." (Romans 3:19) The main subject of the doctrinal part of this epistle, is the free grace of God in the salvation of men by Christ Jesus; especially as it appears in the doctrine of justification by faith alone. And the more clearly to evince this doctrine, and show the reason of it, the apostle, in the first place, establishes that point, that no flesh living can be justified by the deeds of the law. And to prove it, he is very large and particular in showing, that all mankind, not only the Gentiles, but Jews, are under sin, and so under the condemnation of the law; which is what he insists upon from the beginning of the epistle to this place. He first begins with the Gentiles; and in the first chapter shows that they are under sin, by setting forth the exceeding corruptions and horrid wickedness that overspread the Gentile world: and then through the second chapter, and the former part of this third chapter, to the text and following verse, he shows the same of the Jews, that they also are in the same circumstances with the Gentiles in this regard. They had a high thought of themselves, because they were God's covenant people, and circumcised, and the children of Abraham. -
Purgatory--Purification After Death by Fire Heb. 12:29
Purgatory--Purification After Death By Fire Heb. 12:29 - God is a consuming fire (of love in heaven, of purgation in purgatory, or of suffering and damnation in hell). 1 Cor. 3:10-15 - works are judged after death and tested by fire. Some works are lost, but the person is still saved. Paul is referring to the state of purgation called purgatory. The venial sins (bad works) that were committed are burned up after death, but the person is still brought to salvation. This state after death cannot be heaven (no one with venial sins is present) or hell (there is no forgiveness and salvation). 1 Cor. 3:15 – “if any man’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire.” The phrase for "suffer loss" in the Greek is "zemiothesetai." The root word is "zemioo" which also refers to punishment. The construction “zemiothesetai” is used in Ex. 21:22 and Prov. 19:19 which refers to punishment (from the Hebrew “anash” meaning “punish” or “penalty”). Hence, this verse proves that there is an expiation of temporal punishment after our death, but the person is still saved. This cannot mean heaven (there is no punishment in heaven) and this cannot mean hell (the possibility of expiation no longer exists and the person is not saved). 1 Cor. 3:15 – further, Paul writes “he himself will be saved, "but only" (or “yet so”) as through fire.” “He will be saved” in the Greek is “sothesetai” (which means eternal salvation). -
44-How Can Ye Escape the Damnation of Hell?
More About Jesus #44 (9/25/16) Bible Bap3st Church, Port Orchard, WA — Dr. Al Hughes “How Can Ye Escape the Damnation of Hell?” Matthew 23:33 Matthew 23 is one of the least preached passages in the New Testa- ment. It would be classified as “hate literature” by the media today. This was the last public sermon Jesus preached before He was arrested and delivered up to be crucified. The setting is the Temple in Jerusalem (21:23 cf. 24:1). This scathing sermon is filled with warnings of judgment, woes upon hypocrisy, and dripping with sarcasm. Nothing like this would ever be preached in Joel Osteen’s church. READ MATTHEW 23. It is no wonder that after Jesus finishes this sermon, the Pharisees plot to kill Him (26:1-4). It is fitting that the last message Jesus preached on earth would be cli- maxed with an admonition about hell (v. 33). Strong language similar to the preaching of John the Baptist (Mt. 3:7). I. The PREACHING on hell. Not much preaching on hell today. A. The PREACHER—Most of what we know about hell, we learn from the teaching of Jesus. He preached more about hell than He did heaven! Jesus was a “hell-fire and damnation” preacher. • Mt. 5:22–…in danger of hell fire. (from Sermon on the Mount) • Mt. 5:29–…thy whole body should be cast into hell... • Mt. 16:18–…the gates of hell… • Mt. 23:15–…the child of hell… • Mt. 23:33–…how can ye escape the damnation of hell? • Mk. -
Occupational Limbo, Transitional Liminality and Permanent Liminality: New Conceptual Distinctions
Occupational limbo, transitional liminality and permanent liminality: New conceptual distinctions Matthew Bamber, Jacquelyn Allen-Collinson and John McCormack Abstract This article contributes new theoretical perspectives and empirical findings to the conceptualisation of occupational liminality. Here, we posit ‘occupational limbo’ as a state distinct from both transitional and permanent liminality; an important analytic distinction in better understanding occupational experiences. In its anthropological sense, liminality refers to a state of being betwixt and between; it is temporary and transitional. Permanent liminality refers to a state of being neither-this-nor-that, or both-this-and-that. We extend this framework in proposing a conceptualisation of occupational limbo as always-this-and-never- that, where this is less desirable than that. Based on interviews with 51 teaching-only staff at 20 research-intensive ‘Russell Group’ universities in the United Kingdom, the findings highlight some challenging occupational experiences. Interviewees reported feeling ‘locked- in’ to an uncomfortable state by a set of structural and social barriers often perceived as insurmountable. Teaching-only staff were found to engage in negative and often self- depreciatory identity talk that highlighted a felt inability to cross the līmen to the elevated status of ‘proper academics’. The research findings and the new conceptual framework provide analytic insights with wider application to other occupational spheres, and can thus enhance the understanding not just of teaching-only staff and academics, but also of other workers and managers. Keywords Academic careers, liminality, limbo organisational theory, work environment Introduction The purpose of this article is to analyse and extend current understandings of the concept of liminality, originally utilised in anthropology in relation to rites of passage (Van Gennep, 1960). -
Father God Explains the Souls in Purgatory's Anguish To
Behold, he cometh with the clouds, and every eye shall see him, and they also that pierced him. And all the tribes of the earth shall bewail themselves because of him. Even so. Amen. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, saith the Lord God, who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty. Revelation 1:7–8 Father God Explains the Souls in Purgatory’s Anguish to Contact Their Loved Ones and What They Need from Earth to Be Released into Heaven 08/03/2016 Father God, Jesus Christ and Mother Mary Thank you, my daughter, for sitting with me, your Father God, the Holy Spirit and Blessed Mother Mary. My little one, I, your Father God, I am here with you, sitting next to you. Oh, today you have been very occupied with many chores of your daily life. It was needed. Soon you are going to have a helping hand. I desire for you to be totally absorbed in the intimacy of our hearts − no other distractions. There is so much to be done. Today is very prognostic of many souls in need of coming to heaven. My little lamb, I, your Father, I am going to explain more profoundly about these souls coming to heaven. My little lamb, there are many souls waiting to be released with prayers, to come, to enter heaven. These souls are thirsty for their coming into heaven. There are many waiting for long, long years without relief from earth to heaven. My little one, I have told you before: Holy Mass is very essential as my people come to eternal life. -
Universal Salvation and the Problem of Hell John R
Theological Studies 52 (1991) CURRENT ESCHATOLOGY: UNIVERSAL SALVATION AND THE PROBLEM OF HELL JOHN R. SACHS, S.J. Weston School of Theology, Cambridge, Mass. HE PURPOSE of this article is to take a fresh look at the ancient and Tmuch misunderstood theme of apocatastasis. Increasing contempo rary use of the apocalyptic language of hell, hand in hand with the alarming appeal and growth of fundamentalism, sectarianism, and inte- gralism, suggest the urgency of this endeavor. After first surveying the checkered history of this theme from biblical times to the present, I will, second, state and describe the central points of current Catholic theology on these issues. It manifests a remarkable degree of consensus. Third, I shall turn more closely to the highly original thought of Hans Urs von Balthasar, whose approach seems most challenging. Fourth, I shall raise a question concerning the ability of human freedom to reject God defin itively. Finally, my conclusion will stress how a properly understood Christian universalism is not only consonant with several central strands of Christian belief, but is also profoundly relevant to the religious and cultural developments of the present age. THE DOCTRINE OF APOCATASTASIS The doctrine of apocatastasis, commonly attributed to Origen, main tained that the entire creation, including sinners, the damned, and the devil, would finally be restored to a condition of eternal happiness and salvation. This was an important theme in early Christian eschatology.1 Even before the Christian era, of course, the idea of an apokatastasis paritàri was well known in ancient religion and philosophy. In Eastern thought especially, one finds a predominantly cyclical conception of time and history according to which the end always involves a return to the 1 See, for example, Brian E. -
The Problem of Evil and the Probity of Theodicy from William Rowe's
Liberty University Department of Philosophy The Problem of Evil and the Probity of Doing Theodicy from William Rowe’s Evidential Argument from Evil ------------------------------------------- A Thesis Presented to the Faculty of Philosophy Department of Liberty University In Partial Fulfilment Of the Requirement for the Degree Master of Arts in Philosophical Studies -------------------------------------------- By Olaoluwa Apata -------------------------------------------- Lynchburg, VA May 2016 Abstract In this research, we discussed the types of evil: moral and natural, which are cited by atheistic philosophers as evidence against the existence of God. The so-called evidence from evil has been used by the atheistic and other non-theistic scholars to raise hypothesis on evaluating the possibility or likelihood that an omnipotent, omniscient, and wholly good God exists in a world that is littered with evil. Moral evil is evil that arise from the misuse of free will by moral agents, while natural evils are natural disasters such as: earthquakes, famine, floods, hurricanes, tornadoes etc. We discussed moral evil and Plantinga’s free will defense. We also discussed the natural evil and how it poses threat to theism. The logical and the evidential arguments from evil are the forms of arguments developed from moral and natural evils. While many scholars have agreed that Plantinga’s free will defense adequately responds to the problem of logical evil, the same consensus does not necessarily apply to the evidential argument from evil. We also examined William Rowe’s evidential argument which he developed from cases of intense animal and human sufferings considered by him to be pointless or gratuitous with no known reasons or goods for which God should have allowed the visceral experience of such sufferings. -
The Liberal Doctrine of Hell and Universalism: a Transcendental Approach
1 The Liberal Doctrine of Hell and Universalism: A Transcendental Approach By Daniel L. Broadstock BA (Hons), B.Ed A thesis submitted in fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Philosophy University of Divinity 2017 2 Abstract In this thesis I have applied a Kantian methodology to present a new approach to the problem of Hell. I have engaged with two leading perspectives in this debate, the ‘liberal doctrine of Hell’ and the doctrine of Universalism, and pursued dialogue with leading theologians of each view; Jerry Walls and Jurgen Moltmann respectively. The liberal model of Hell is a modern attempt to revitalise the doctrine by recasting its nature and purpose. Rather than an instrument for the punishment of sin, the liberal model interprets Hell as God’s response to human freedom. This theory holds that God has constituted human beings with free volition of the will and desires a free relationship with them. As it is possible to resist this invitation, he has also created Hell as a place of eternal separation for those who reject him. While the invitation of grace is never withdrawn, some will remain there forever. Universalism is the view that all human beings will be saved. I have sketched a general outline of these views, illustrating them with reference to arguments proposed by key thinkers in their respective fields. I conclude that they constitute an antinomy; an a priori dilemma abstract from experience and therefore unresolvable by philosophical reasoning. I suggest that the problem of Hell can be resolved by employing a theological adaptation of Kant’s transcendental idealism: eternal separation and universal salvation can both be true, if understood as compatible manifestations of different levels of reality and perception. -
This Thesis Is Submitted in Fulfilment of The. Requirements of the Degree Of
The Problem of Evil and Theodicy in Jewish, Christian, and Islamic Thought Muhsin Akbaý This thesisis submittedin fulfilment of the. requirementsof the degreeof Doctor of Philosophy of the University of Wales University of Wales,Lampeter 1999 1 Acknowledgements I would like to expressmy sinceregratitude to ProfessorPaul Badham,who has supervisedmy research,for his valuableattention, guidance, suggestions, and comments. I would also like to thank to ProfessorRabbi Dan Cohn-Sherbokfor his helpful supervision in the Jewish side of this study, and to Dr. Dawüd al-`Alanü for his valuable suggestionsin the Islamic side of this work. It is necessarythat I extend my deepestgratitude to the Higher Educational Counsel of Turkey and canakkale Onsekiz Mart University for their financial support without which this studywould not haveemerged. I would also like to thank to Professor Mehmet Aydm and ProfessorHanifi Özcanat the Faculty of Divinity at Dokuz Eylül University, Izmir for they encouragedme to pursue an academic career in Philosophy of Religion. I am very happy to thank to the members of the library and the ACS at Lampeter for their assistance during my research. Finally, I would like to express my deepest gratitude to my wife, Emine, for her patience, support, and encouragement throughout my research. Il Abstract This thesisis the study of the problemof evil and theodicyin Jewish,Christian, and Islamic traditions.The principal aim of the study is to explore,discuss, and compare and contrastthe major responsesto the problem of evil offered in the sacredwritings, theology and philosophy of the three Abrahamic faiths. I have demonstratedhow Judaism,Christianity, and Islam understoodthe problem of evil, and respondedto the atheisticargument from evil. -
The Cup (The Ultimate Cost of the Cross)
The Cup (the Ultimate Cost of the Cross) The Lord Jesus said, “…the cup which my Father hath given me, shall I not drink it?” (John 18:11b). These are the words our Lord spoke to Simon Peter after he tried to stop the approaching events that led to the cross. These are words spoken by our Lord in resignation to the Father’s will. This announcement came after the ordeal of praying in the Garden of Gethsemane. There is mystery, awe and wonder in these words. What was He saying when He declared He would drink this cup? When our Lord prayed, “Let this cup pass from me,” He was not trying to escape the death on the cross. I am amazed at how many places Christ, both directly and indirectly, prophesied of His own death. “Jesus answered and said unto them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up” (John 2:19). The Bible says, “From that time forth began Jesus to shew unto his disciples, how that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day” (Matthew 16:21). Using the term of a cup, we find these words spoken by Christ to James and John when asked about sitting at His side with honor on the kingdom: “But Jesus said unto them, Ye know not what ye ask: can ye drink of the cup that I drink of? and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?” (Mark 10:38). -
Philosophy of Religion
Introduction to Philosophy: Philosophy of Religion INTRODUCTION TO PHILOSOPHY: PHILOSOPHY OF RELIGION BEAU BRANSON, MARCUS WILLIAM HUNT, TIMOTHY D KNEPPER, ROBERT SLOAN LEE, STEVEN STEYL, HANS VAN EYGHEN, BEAU BRANSON (BOOK EDITOR), AND CHRISTINA HENDRICKS (SERIES EDITOR) Rebus Community Introduction to Philosophy: Philosophy of Religion by Beau Branson, Marcus William Hunt, Timothy D Knepper, Robert Sloan Lee, Steven Steyl, Hans Van Eyghen, Beau Branson (Book Editor), and Christina Hendricks (Series Editor) is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, except where otherwise noted. DEDICATION To Roger Branson — the best dad I ever had. For all the sacrifices I know ouy made. And for all the ones I don’t. CONTENTS What is an Open Textbook? ix Christina Hendricks How to Access and Use the Books xi Christina Hendricks Introduction to the Series xiii Christina Hendricks Praise for the Book xvi Acknowledgements xviii Beau Branson and Christina Hendricks Introduction to the Book 1 Beau Branson 1. The Intertwining of Philosophy and Religion in the Western Tradition 7 Beau Branson 2. Reasons to Believe – Theoretical Arguments 18 Marcus William Hunt 3. Non-Standard Arguments for God’s Existence 30 Robert Sloan Lee 4. Reasons Not to Believe 49 Steven Steyl 5. Debunking Arguments against Theistic Belief 62 Hans Van Eyghen 6. From Philosophy of (Mono)theism to Philosophy of Religions 74 Timothy D Knepper Glossary 87 About the Contributors 91 Feedback and Suggestions 94 Adoption Form 95 Licensing and Attribution Information 96 Review Statement 98 Accessibility Assessment 99 Version History 101 WHAT IS AN OPEN TEXTBOOK? CHRISTINA HENDRICKS An open textbook is like a commercial textbook, except: (1) it is publicly available online free of charge (and at low-cost in print), and (2) it has an open license that allows others to reuse it, download and revise it, and redistribute it. -
A Craigian Theodicy of Hell
View metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk brought to you by CORE provided by Asbury Theological Seminary Faith and Philosophy: Journal of the Society of Christian Philosophers Volume 17 Issue 1 Article 6 1-1-2000 A Craigian Theodicy of Hell Charles Seymour Follow this and additional works at: https://place.asburyseminary.edu/faithandphilosophy Recommended Citation Seymour, Charles (2000) "A Craigian Theodicy of Hell," Faith and Philosophy: Journal of the Society of Christian Philosophers: Vol. 17 : Iss. 1 , Article 6. Available at: https://place.asburyseminary.edu/faithandphilosophy/vol17/iss1/6 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Journals at ePLACE: preserving, learning, and creative exchange. It has been accepted for inclusion in Faith and Philosophy: Journal of the Society of Christian Philosophers by an authorized editor of ePLACE: preserving, learning, and creative exchange. A CRAIGIAN THEODICY OF HELL Charles Seymour Problem: if God has middle knowledge, he should actualize a world con taining only persons whom he knows would freely choose heaven. Thus there should be no hell. Craig offers an answer to this problem in his article " 'No Other Name': a Middle Knowledge Perspective on the Exclusivity of Salvation Through Christ." Craig is mainly concerned to give a logically possible defense of hell, though he thinks his suggestion does not lack the sort of plausibility needed for a theodicy. I consider various objections to the latter assessment. My conclusion is that, although Craig's argument is implausible as a theodicy of conservative exclusivist soteriology, it is useful for less traditional ideas of hell.