Heaven or Hell

Conversations about who has to be in hell will at times come up, at family gatherings, with friends, at fellowship meetings, etc. These conversations, questions, or even matter of fact statements come out of our desire to see that justice is done. There are the more “grey” type of decisions on judgment when it comes to the more ordinary examples of people who lived in grave sin, i.e. being cold in their faith, living in greed and corruption, or living in adultery. With these types of examples people will not make up their minds on where a soul has gone to, since many people have committed grave or mortal sin to some degree in their lives. But when it comes to the people who live in total debauchery, i.e. terrorists, tyrants, criminals of the worst kind we can with greater ease punish them to an eternity of hell.

One such example is Adolf Hitler. What is factual and what we know objectively is that the man was a grave sinner, the blood of his victims still cry out from the ground reminding us of the atrocities that were committed by this man and those who followed his orders. No question, the man was a war monger, directly responsible for genocide, political crimes, and many other acts of evil. So when people speak of Hitler, it is easy to say he is in hell.

Another example would be terrorists, especially the ones who attacked us back on 911. How can persons that carry out such evil, plots of terror, and end innocent lives in the name of God not be punished and given a sentence of eternity in hell?

And finally the most used example is that of Judas Iscariot, the one who betrayed Jesus and had him handed over for thirty pieces of silver. Judas compounded his sins; he began by stealing from the money bag, then lying about it, then betraying the Savior and for money. Not a good record of virtue.

To make myself clear, these acts are despicable and downright evil. However, it is not my place, nor yours to make eternal judgments, not now, not ever. "What are you saying father that these people could be in heaven?" My answer is the same answer given today by St. Paul, “This is good and pleasing to God our Savior, who wills everyone to be saved and come to the knowledge of truth.” There is no exception clause that follows that statement, St. Paul does not say, “Except for the worst of sinners.”

One reason we do not put people in hell is already answered, we must desire what God desires. God desires that all be saved so too should we, unless we know more than God or have made ourselves God. St. Peter in his second letter also affirms what St. Paul wrote to Timothy. “The Lord does not delay his promise, as some regard "delay," but he is patient with you, not wishing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.” (2 Peter 3:9)

Does this wishing and desiring on God’s part and on our part guarantee that all are saved? Maybe, maybe not, because we have not been to hell we cannot say with absolute certainty who is there or who is not. The official teaching of the Church is that there is a hell and that the possibility exists that people can sentence themselves by their own free will to that eternal separation from God.

The second reason just as important as first reason, if not more important is that all eternal judgment is reserved to Christ alone. “Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes in the one who sent me has eternal life and will not come to condemnation, but has passed from death to life. Amen, amen, I say to you, the hour is coming and is now here when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live. For just as the Father has life in himself, so also he gave to his Son the possession of life in himself. And he gave him power to exercise judgment, because he is the Son of Man.” (John 5:24-27) And just to make sure that we do not miss the point from Matthew 25:41-46, “Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you accursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, a stranger and you gave me no welcome, naked and you gave me no clothing, ill and in prison, and you did not care for me.' Then they will answer and say, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or ill or in prison, and not minister to your needs?' He will answer them, 'Amen, I say to you, what you did not do for one of these least ones, you did not do for me.' And these will go off to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life." In both these passages it never hints that you and I have the authority to make eternal judgments except Christ alone. And to make the point absolutely clear I will quote St. Paul from his letter to the Romans 10:8, “But the righteousness that comes from faith says, "Do not say in your heart, 'Who will go up into heaven?' (that is, to bring Christ down) or 'Who will go down into the abyss?' (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead)." But what does it say? "The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart" (that is, the word of faith that we preach), for, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

I do not want to inundate you with biblical passages, but in summary from Jeremiah who writes, “Who knows the human heart more than God?” The answer, no one! Jesus taught that there is a hell and that people can choose to go there as is clear from many of his statements throughout the Gospels. If there is no hell then there are no consequences for sins nor does justice exist. The thing for us to remember is that our only business concerning eternal judgment is that we pray and work towards everyone getting to heaven, and more importantly having a relationship with Christ.

I began with St. Paul, allow me to finish with him. Before St. Paul’s conversion he was responsible for killing innocent people. He did everything in his power to crush Christianity and end the movement. He went out and found believers and had them executed, St. Stephen being one of them. He even allowed for false witnesses to enter into the hearings therefore creating a kangaroo court, giving St. Stephen no possibility of a fair hearing. I wonder where we would have had Paul going to, either heaven or hell before his conversion? If Paul, a murder or innocent blood, allowing for false testimony concerning someone’s life, could be converted I wonder if the same could be said of everyone, or at least that they have a chance. If they have no chance, then naturally we believe that sin is more powerful than grace. If they have a chance, than naturally and truly, grace is more powerful than sin! Which do we believe?

Fr. John Picinic
Image taken from http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.arielmarquez.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/judgement
Biblical quotations taken from USCCB website NAB translation