Pope Francis talks about how “Our infinite sadness can only be cured by an infinite love.” But if we freely reject God’s infinite love, we’re left only with our own infinite sadness. Here’s how to harmonize the idea of hell – an eternity of suffering apart from God – with the idea of an all-good and loving God.
Tag: God
God & Hell: The Infinite Good
Are we like the tortured “hungry ghosts” of mythology, constantly craving and never satisfied? Or are there good reasons to believe God is capable of TOTALLY satisfying the infinite chasm in our hearts? A brief overview of the philosophical, Scriptural, and Patristic evidence.
God & Hell: Our Infinite Hunger
Traditionally, the four Sundays of Advent were preached on the “Four Last Things” (death, judgment, heaven, and hell), so it’s a good time to ask: Is the idea of hell – an eternity of suffering apart from God – compatible with the idea of an all-good and loving God? I think that this is one of the strongest arguments against traditional Christian doctrine. I would argue that it is, but that to see this we need to see something about ourselves, and about God in relation to us, before we can see why. That’s what I’ll be exploring over the next four days. I’ll be making four major points:
1. We have an infinite craving for the good. Everything we do is in pursuit of the good;
2. Because no earthly goods are capable of satisfying our hearts, life is cruel… unless there is a good capable of satisfying the infinite longings of our hearts.
3. God, as infinite and perfect good, is the only one who can fill our hearts.
4. Eternity without God would necessarily be hellacious.
Let’s start with the first of these points…
Can Catholics Believe in Karma?
Can a Catholic believe in karma?
How George Carlin Misunderstood Prayer
The famous comedian George Carlin was a fervent atheist, and had a particular disdain for Christian prayer. He argued that it was arrogant of us to ask the God of the Universe for anything. He’s got a Divine plan, and then we come along to ask Him for special favors.
But Carlin also viewed prayer as either destructive or worthless. After all, God is the all-powerful, all-knowing, all-good God of the Universe, and He has a Divine Plan. If our prayers cause Him to change that plan, Carlin reasoned, we’re making things worse. If our prayers don’t cause Him to change His plans, what’s the point?
4 Errors about the Burden of Proof for God
As longtime readers know, I used to be a lawyer before entering seminary to prepare for the Catholic priesthood. It’s perhaps unsurprising, then, that I’m fascinated by questions about the “burden of proof” in religious questions. For example, does the burden of proof fall on the believer or the atheist? What sort of evidence is permissible to meet this burden of proof? Do “extraordinary” claims require extraordinary evidence? Should they meet an extraordinary burden of proof, above the burden required for other sorts of claims? Here are four ways that those questions are answered incorrectly.
Can God Be Known?
Can we actually know anything about God? This is one of the most fundamental questions, and many people, particularly agnostics, will say “no.” The argument tends to go something like this: God, if there is a God, is so far removed from human experience and knowledge that there’s nothing that we can say about Him (or Her… Continue reading Can God Be Known?
The Tragic Case for Christ
Johannes Moreelse, Heraclitus (1630) I. An Anatomy of Tragedy Man knows two things: how things are (the World), and how they should be (the Ideal). I don’t mean that he knows these things perfectly, or that every man completely agrees with every other man about what is or what ought to be. But everyone has… Continue reading The Tragic Case for Christ
Does God Hate Sinners?
Pompeo Batoni, Sacred Heart of Jesus (1767) Does God hate sinners? There’s a notorious Baptist group based out of Topeka, Kansas, that claims that He does: and specifically, that He hates homosexuals. They’re a radical fringe even amongst Baptist Calvinists, and other Calvinists have sought to distance themselves from them. But many of those doing… Continue reading Does God Hate Sinners?
The Problem of Beauty
Simon Vouet, Father Time Overcome by Love, Hope and Beauty (1627) A lot has been said about the “problem of pain.” Why, if God is both loving and all-powerful, is there still suffering in the world? The question is a challenge for Catholics, as for all theists. As believers, we have some sense of why a loving… Continue reading The Problem of Beauty