[Iscool]

In 1999 Pope John Paul II declared that Heaven was “neither an abstraction nor a physical place in the clouds, but that fullness of communion with God which is the goal of human life.” Hell, by contrast, was “the ultimate consequence of sin itself . . . Rather than a place, Hell indicates the state of those who freely and definitively separate themselves from God, the source of all life and joy”.

I never realized that your church taught you that heaven and hell are not real...

[Kimmers]

I am liking this guy....

[WesternCulture]

While I respect the Pope and don't wish to offend any Catholic, I still think it's of utmost importance that each and everyone here realizes that what the Pope says in this area Catholics and Catholics ALONE have to comply with.

Personally, I was baptized by the biggest Lutheran Church in the world, The Church of Sweden, a 'State Church' till the year of 2000. This alliance of church and state might not be very well known by Christians today, but at least it achieved two things:

1. Thanks to the overwhelming power of its superior war machine (German cities fell like domino pieces) during The Thirty Years' War 1618-1648, it eradicated Catholicism once and for all from large parts of Northern Europe (predominantly from areas today belonging to Germany) and secured the future of Protestantism.

2. Some years ago, it declared its belief to be that hell does NOT exist, which means members of this church don't have to worry about this issue.

About The Thirty Years' War:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/30_years_war

Yes, the Vikings were impressive, but Gustavus Adolphus is perhaps the best warrior Scandinavia has ever produced:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gustavus_Adolphus

Nice (although a bit old) clip featuring what Swedish, Protestant warriors look like today:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=dkeQ1sNUOKE

Any army can make a PR video like this, but it's only soldiers like these that have made it impossible for other nations to entirely beat us in a war (we've lost battles, but Sweden has never been completely crushed like Germany, France, Poland, Italy, The Roman Empire etc and Sweden has never been occupied or even properly invaded by another country).

Since almost 200 years, we Swedes are spared from war and other kinds of hell. We've suffered enough throughout history in order to keep our tiny little Thule paradise to ourselves!

Again, No offense!

[denydenydeny]

People like child-murderers are one of the reason why Hell makes perfect sense. For certain crimes, there is simply no suitable punishment this side of the grave.

[ElkGroveDan]

The debating society have arrived.

[Paulus Invictus]

Hell is right here in the US in LA on a bad smog day. It gets so bad they send a lot of smog here to the Grand Canyon area. Ahnold is going to stop smog, he says.

[NavyCanDo]

There was a poll done once of those who profess to be Christian, and I don't remember the numbers but I remember there was a disturbing number of them who did not think Hell is a literal place, including those who were in the Clergy. I am glad the Pope spoke up.

[Cementjungle]

Some of my lib friends have said that they would prefer to go to Hell, because "that's where all the cool people will be".

[CJBama]

Saint Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle.
Be our protection against the wickedness and snares of the devil. May God rebuke him, we humbly pray;
and do Thou, O Prince of the Heavenly Host -
by the Divine Power of God - cast into hell, satan and all the evil spirits, who roam throughout the world seeking the ruin of souls.

Amen.

[steve-b]

Is that the regular hell, or the special one reserved for child molesters and people who talk at the theater?

[Artemis Webb]

This is interesting because when I converted to Catholicism my priest told me that "Hell was an absence from God".

Hell is kind of like Limbo to Catholics. They have ignored it for a long time now and I wonder if there isn't more to come from this Pope concerning those places.

By the way...I still don't believe in a fiery Hell.

[Revolting cat!]

"Maybe this planet is another planet's hell." -- Aldous Huxley

[William Terrell]

The fires of Hell are real and eternal, Pope warns

Fortunately, the Pope has nothing whatsoever to do with whether a soul is or is not condemed thereto.

[Coyoteman]

I think the other Pope had it right:

Lo, the poor Indian! whose untutor'd mind
Sees God in clouds, or hears him in the wind;
His soul proud Science never taught to stray
Far as the solar walk or milky way;
Yet simple Nature to his hope has giv'n,
Behind the cloud-topp'd hill, a humbler heav'n;
Some safer world in depth of woods embrac'd,
Some happier island in the wat'ry waste,
Where slaves once more their native land behold,
No fiends torment, no Christians thirst for gold!
To be, contents his natural desire;
He asks no angel's wing, no seraph's fire:
But thinks, admitted to that equal sky,
His faithful dog shall bear him company.

Alexander Pope, Essay on Man

[Vinomori]

Hell is a place where sinners really do burn in an everlasting fire, and not just a religious symbol designed to galvanise the faithful, the Pope has said.

Delusional.

[catfish1957]

Not a theological expert by any means, but are the billion hindus and buddist hellbound by this account?

[Salvation]

The Early Church Fathers on Purgatory - Catholic/Orthodox Caucus

The Early Church Fathers on Hell - Catholic/Orthodox Caucus

[Ciexyz]

This is a most cool Pope.

[Aikonaa]

This might not be a popular opinion here, but I've always found a belief system wherein unbelievers are condemned to eternal torture a deeply disturbing one.

[diamond6]

After reading the accounts of hell from St. Faustina and Sr. Lucia from Fatima............my heart breaks that some souls go there for eternity.