That's an interesting view, thanks.
A biblical search for the term "realm of the dead" in the NIV yields 29 results. Interesting to see them.
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Thank you. You are a thousand times more reasonable than most Christians I share my views with. I have held these views for a time, through my own experience and studies. I wasn't overly surprised to learn that many Catholics have held views similar to mine for many, many years. (I am not Catholic.)
I think there are a number of reasons Christians hold strongly to views of Hell as a horrible torture-chamber. One, people do not want to compromise what they think the Bible teaches, which they believe describes "Hell" in a particular way. I don't agree with what they claim the Bible teaches, but they may have been taught that way early on, or they may have looked at things too quickly and jumped to conclusions.
Two, Dante created images of "Hell" that have been affixed in the minds of people. People do not always think critically, but are affected by media and strong visual images and emotional appeals.
Three, State Church leaders or the Inquisition have tried to root out heretics by threatening them with a horrible "Hell." These are tactics of manipulation to preserve order in the Church or order in the Christian State.
Four, Fundamentalists and Evangelists, who are overly interested in making converts, use a horrible "Hell" as a motivation for conversion. This is a tool of manipulation to obtain more followers, more prestige, and maybe even more money.
Finally, there are carnal people within the nominal Church who see things largely in physical terms or in black and white, and have an almost sadistic interest in depicting things in gruesome manner, to punish those they dislike. They lack spiritual understanding along with the virtues of Christ's love. They do not have the mind of Christ.
I use "Hell" in quotations because the Bible describes Hell more as a place of the dead and as a place that will cease to exist in eternity. Hades is "burned up" along with all people and things that don't belong in God's eternal Kingdom on earth.
To be "burned up" does not mean to be set on fire literally. To be in an everlasting fire does not mean they will be "on fire" forever. It means that the "fire" that removes them will cause them to be removed forever.
The use of the "fire" is a literal description of how garbage is removed in our world. But in reference to people it refers to the removal of people as contaminants who are not in agreement with God's rule. This is not a torture chamber, but rather, a depiction of the mechanics of removal.
So this "fire" refers to is a trash fire, designed to *remove* people and things from a place that requires disinfection or sterilization. The thought is not to completely destroy, but to remove. It is not to hurt someone physically, but to completely remove their presence from somewhere.
But I am not saying that Catholics, State Church leaders, Fundamentalists, and Evangelists are all evil, money-grubbing manipulators. I'm just saying that in any Christian group there is the danger of attitudes seeping in from the "Dark Side" that are not representative of true Christian sentiment.
As has been suggested, true children of God are consistently loving, just as God is always "love." Whether treating friend or enemy we are consistently projecting God's love. Even in Outer Darkness, God will be "loving" towards those who have rejected His rule. They will be treated in a loving way, despite the fact they will lack much of that love themselves.
I have relatives and friends who I think love some aspects of God, but do not really like to be near God for any length of time. They prefer a world that Man dominates apart from God's controlling will.
They will be separated from God's Kingdom in eternity. But I still care for them and therefore believe God will continue to be "good" to them, giving them an environment, though insulated, as they wish, from His holy presence.
That will cause the place they live in to be "dark," so to speak, and "waterless," or less spiritual. They will be given what they need for fulfillment for all eternity, even if separated from God's Kingdom. Since they do have some "love" in them, and some wish to be "good," since they were created that way, there will remain in them something God can salvage. At least I believe this, based on my own observations and experience.
But it is our duty to warn them about the decisions they are making, about what the consequences will be. Otherwise, they will accuse us of never having warned them.
I read in the Scriptures where Jesus said some will experience light punishment, while others will experience heavier punishment. What this is, and how transient the actual punishment will be I don't claim to know. But in a very real sense the punishment, no matter if it consists of a few blows or not, will be everlasting. And so, all must be warned.
