by AllanS » May 16th, 2006, 10:31 pm
I discover that the leading lights of the early Eastern Church were universalist. These were men of great genius, learning and integrity. They knew the scriptures inside-out. Greek was their native tongue. (If anyone knew what the Greek text meant, they did.) They had no political aspirations.
I ask myself, "How can they have been so terribly mistaken over such a clear and fundamental doctrine as eternal damnation for the unbeliever?"
Critics answer "They let philosophy colour their theology." (And the critics don't?)
The early Western Church also had men of great genius, learning and integrity. But Latin was their native tongue, not Greek, and very soon, the Church was up to its neck in Imperial Politics.
Can anyone doubt that the threat of Hell, made plausible by the pomp and power of both State and Church was a powerful, indispensible, political tool? "Come to us. Obey us. Give us your money. We will save you from an eternal torture that you can't see, but, by God, it's there right enough, waiting for the unbeliever. If you doubt us (ooooh, doubt is so very, very unwise), then just ask our friend, the Emperor."
I find myself, like Frodo, balanced between the wills of Sauron and Gandalf. On the one hand, I have St Gregory saying God's wrath is a terrible, but refining, fire. On the other hand, I have St Augustine saying it's a fire of everlasting vengeance. St Jack tries to steer a middle course, saying it's an everlasting fire that is self-inflicted (Alas, this is an unbiblical position. God throws us into the fire. We don't jump.)
But why isn't there one word of eternal torment in the Old Testament? If God loved his people so dearly, and a pit of fire awaited the unfaithful, why not mention it? Quite an oversight! I put it to you that Hell as commonly understood is a pagan concept rather than a Hebrew one. Where in Hebrew mythology is there anything approaching the eternal torments of Tantalus or Prometheus?
“And turn their grief into song?" he replied. "That would be a gracious act and a good beginning."
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