www.byzcath.org Forums Faith & Christian Life The Christian East & West Did God Create Hell?

Hi,

Well, now that I've expressed my frustration with the article's author obvious anti-Western bias, I will offer my views on the specific question.

Did God create Hell?

Asnwer: Yes.

In the Creed, we confess our faith in One God, the Father, the Almighty, Creator of Heaven and Earth, of ***ALL*** things visible and invisible.

I understand this as follows: If we define a set called "Universe", which contains all the beings that exist, then all elements of that set can be "classified" in two categories:

1. The Creator.

and

2. The Creator's Creation.

The Gospel of John says that nothing that is was made without the Word, in other words (pun intended), if something is and it is not God, then it was made by/through the Word (who is God).

The only way we could say that God did not create Hell would be to say that Hell does not exist.

However, this presents what I see as unsurmountable problems when confronted with Scriture and Tradition.

In the book of Revelation, we can read about the lake of fire and the second death.

In the Gospel of Matthew, Our Lord explicitly mentions an eternal punishment which "was prepared for the devil and his angels".

Who could've prepared such a punishment but God?

Now, of course God doesn't intent anyone to be there. Jesus was very careful in saying that what was prepared thinging of us was the Eternal Banquet in the Father's House, in His embrace and His blessing.

The other "destination" is there, just in case someone doesn't want to go to the Father. God will not force anyone into Heaven.

Now, the idea of Heaven and Hell being the same "eternal exposure" to God's Love and the difference between those two beign just our reaction to that Love is not entirely out of whack, after all, it is us and only us who could choose to go to Hell.

God has already done the unspeakable (as in letting the Word go silent into the tomb) to get us into Heaven.

Shalom,
Memo

What if Hell is not a "place", but instead a state of being? In such a case one can say that we create Hell, not God, without going against God's role as Creator of all. If Heaven and Hell are both exposure to Divine Love, then it is not God who creates our reaction to that Love - we do.

Thank you.

God does not create hell. We create hell, by rejecting God.

-- John

God did not create Hell, just like God doesn't create the little realities we throw ourselves into to hide from Him. The imaginary world in my (and everyone elses) head was not made by God, I (and everyone else)made it. That place is not as great as the actual thing, but a mockery where nothing real exists.

If we can make our own little worlds in our heads in this life we can certainly do it in the next life, since the mind is still intact in the next life. Hell is a seperation from God's creation, which is what these worlds are. Therefore we create Hell. And it's only Hell cause it's not real..

Hi,

Makes sense.

However, I find it in conflict with Matthew 25. How do you reconcile your idea with the passage about the eternal punishment that "was prepared" for the devil and his angels?

Also, it is news to me that angles are able to Create, even a state of their own being. Wouldn't that be the case if hell was merely a state of being? Because again, Matthew 25 clearly states the devil and his angels will end up in that eternal punishment (whatever that is).

I'd also like to hear some comments about how to reconcile this idea with the parable of Lazarus and the rich man. Was that language only poetic figures of speech?

Finally, I'd like to clarify that I fully understand the inability of our language to express spiritual realities. Even if we follow the "hell as place" analogy, I completely understand that "place" is not a "geographical location".

Shalom,
Memo

I kind of think that in hell we get what we always wanted. If we wanted riches, we get 'em. Sex, we get it. Since it would be devoid of God and His love, it would be eternal torture.

Maybe I've seen too many Hieronymous Bosch paintings!


In regards to the "hell is a state, not a place" I have 2 answers for that.

1. It is a state... Delaware

2. The reason behind that statement is because since it is outside of time, it can't be a place because the laws of physics don't apply there, like in Roadrunner Cartoons.

Hi,

True, but then, who would be there? The Roadrunner or the Coyote? Both? Maybe all of those careless bus/truck drivers and train conductors? ACME's CEO?

Shalom,
Memo

Since there are no bodies in hell (just souls and demons) yet, that's why we can say that it isn't necessarily a place but a state. I do believe that Yosemite Sam is there though. :p

I like the Eastern concept of heaven and hell... we'll all spend eternity in the Presence of God, because there's no place where God is not. Scripture calls God a "consuming fire"; those who love God-- the saints-- will experience His Presence as ultimate joy and love, whereas those who do not love Him will experience His love as wrath and torment.

So we'll all be spending eternity in the same place; whether we enjoy it or not is the key.

God bless,

Karen

Memo,

I'm not sure if I can. It's a difficult passage to reconcile with this view, I'll admit.

The best way I can see reconciling it would be to simply see this phraseology as metaphorical in nature. Perhaps it just means that from all eternity God knows that some will reject His consuming fire of love and thus this will be "hell" to them to receive what God has prepared to give to all men from the foundation of the world.

I don't think that is too hard to reconcile. When the fallen angels made their fateful, permanent, choice to reject God, they "created" their state of being, which was one of hatred of God and rejection of His Love.

Hi Francis,

Fair enough.

Shalom,
Memo