In Reply to: The truly pessimisstic me posted by porceleindoll on April 10, 2004 at 03:15:59:
long before the concept of hell appeared man had figured out ways of oppressing his fellow man. (oddly, some theologians will point to that oppression as one of the reasons such a concept is needed.. to bring such oppressors to justice.) i think you will find most anthropologists will put man's discovery of weapons at an earlier period than his concept of hell.
hell is a troubling subject, and one most thoughtful believers wrestle with to one degree or another. as a backslidden catholic i had sloughed off the fear of hell by my simple reasoning that if it were real i could not really hope to avoid it given my proclivities, (unless i was lucky enough to get hit by a bus on my way out of the confessional, wearing a scapular, and having just scored a plenary indulgence before making it to my next mortal sin!) seeking a savior had only to do with the unrest in my own soul in the here and now. only after i met him did i find out it also dealt w/ that hell business! man, did i ever get a deal!! and even w/o a bus or a scapular! "o happy day" as the edwin hawkins singers might put it!