As an engineer, as a professor, I have often made non-starter proposals to clear the noise.
Your statement to Patrick reads as follows;
“I don’t see what the concept of hell has to do with “withdrawal of parental love.” A parent can provide love to children while warning them of the dangers of hell. Indeed, the loving parent who believes that hell is real must warn the children about hell – so that they will not suffer its pains. The loving parent does not want the child to suffer unnecessarily in this world or the next. Of course, a parent who does not believe that hell exists is under no obligation to teach his or her children that it does exist. But to suggest that parents who do believe that hell exists, and who teach their children that it exists, are unloving, is unjust and even offensive.”
I believe Patrick’s original comment to me;
“I would like to talk about the concept of Hell in today’s society. Today, to be terrorized with the threat of an imaginary hell, and an all too real withdrawal of parental love is a serious abuse.”
…is in relation to the causal relationship between mental illness and Catholic theology, and how this destructive correlation creates the “withdrawal of parental love” towards their children.
How can a parent provide love to his or her children when the parent is in Purgatorio (or worse Inferno) because of having made all the wrong decisions in life because of not having been given the appropriate tools to navigate through life by the religious institution they trusted in? This is a serious abuse indeed—one involving dire judicial ramifications!
You wrote; “Indeed, the loving parent who believes that hell is real must warn the children about hell – so that they will not suffer its pains. The loving parent does not want the child to suffer unnecessarily in this world or the next.”
However, this is very hypocritical since it doesn’t teach the parents nor the children of the real danger that exists in this world (the parent’s world) or the next world (the children’s world). The real danger, of course, is the sociopath/psychopath (devil) and his or her personality type. Parents should be extremely vigilant not to allow their children to associate with this personality type for they can become possessed of its spirit. Thus, a loving parent will warn his or her children of the hell on earth that this personality type generates and propagates.
You said, “to suggest that parents who do believe that hell exists, and who teach their children that it exists, are unloving, is unjust and even offensive.”
Someone who doesn’t have children or doesn’t care about his or her children cannot comprehend what’s involved here. They shouldn’t involve themselves in what they don’t understand. Do you have children Eddie? If you do, do you care for their well-being? I make sure that my children understand what the real danger is and would like for the children of all parents to understand this danger as well.
A great deal of what is discussed regarding hell and an afterlife is based on a wide range of beliefs and sources, most non-biblical. Tony has touched on some of these - the Roman Catholic perspective has been based more on Dante, while I sense a lot of Protestant opinions may find their inspiration/sources linked to Milton. An after life as taught by the Bible and as Church doctrine is life in Christ, and this is clearly taught to involve repentance, baptism in the death of Christ and to share in the resurrection of Christ. Such matters require a mature understanding of the Cristian faith - poetry and popularised versions have often been created to frighten children and/or to be a source of entertainment. I am surprised to hear on this site that adults have taken such stuff seriously and want to debate them.
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