[HarleyD]

In haste, however, I can understand your vehemence.

Vehemence??? No. Pointed, terse??? Yes. I'm busy myself and my thoughts are flying. I don't have time to make my comments fancy-smancy, nicey-nice at the moment. (Are they ever??? :O) )

If Orthodoxy is correct, its good bye to all that “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God” phronema of the West. The opposite, of course, is also true.

I would agree; it's "Goodbye hell." In retrospect this discussion shouldn't surprise me. Hell is seldom preached in Protestant or Catholic quarters anymore. The closer a church is towards synergism, the less they believe in hell. FK statistics bear that out; more people believe in a God of love than hell. You hear this in many of the "God is love" crowd; "God wouldn't punish those who never heard of Him." Hell is done away with. We don't like to talk about it or think about it because it doesn't fit with the "God of Love" synergistic view.

[Forest Keeper]

... FK's statistics bear that out; more people believe in a God of love than hell. You hear this in many of the "God is love" crowd; "God wouldn't punish those who never heard of Him." Hell is done away with. We don't like to talk about it or think about it because it doesn't fit with the "God of Love" synergistic view.

Yes, exactly. Before FR, I had no idea there was anything wrong with Protestant leaders like Rick Warren, Joel Osteen, et al. I saw Osteen a couple of weeks ago on Larry King Alive and just shook my head through the whole thing. Hell is erased. It is too uncomfortable to talk about and doesn't cater to the needs of the congregation. Good grief, what a mistake! Just as you said, Harley, it's no accident that Jesus Himself talked about hell and sin so much. What those in the laity NEED are the facts, not some feel good self esteem message.

Watering down the reality of hell is a disservice to all Christians. I think it lowers the sacrifice Christ made for us because it deemphasizes what He was saving us FROM.

[MarkBsnr]

:::Hell is seldom preached in Protestant or Catholic quarters anymore. The closer a church is towards synergism, the less they believe in hell. FK statistics bear that out; more people believe in a God of love than hell. You hear this in many of the “God is love” crowd; “God wouldn’t punish those who never heard of Him.” Hell is done away with. We don’t like to talk about it or think about it because it doesn’t fit with the “God of Love” synergistic view.:::

The Catholic quarter that I hang out in very clearly spells out what hell is and how we can get there; and fairly frequently. It must be a different quarter than the one that you are referring to.

The Fatima Prayer (toward the conclusion of each Rosary):

O my Jesus;
Forgive us our sins,
save us from the fires of Hell,
and lead all souls to Heaven,
especially those most in need of thy mercy.
Amen.