Catholic Word of the Day: ANNIHILATIONISM, 03-08-10

CatholicReference.net ^ | 03-08-10 | Fr. John Hardon's Modern Catholic Dictionary

[Salvation]

Featured Term (selected at random):

ANNIHILATIONISM

A school of thought that considers immortality of the soul to be a grace and not the natural attribute of every human spirit. It also professes that those impenitent at death will merely cease to exist. (Etym. Latin annihilare, to reduce to nothing.)

All items in this dictionary are from Fr. John Hardon's Modern Catholic Dictionary, © Eternal Life. Used with permission.

[Salvation]

Heresy abounds. No hell?

[Salvation]

Catholic Word of the Day – links will be provided later by another FReeper.

 

Monogamy	Sanctoral Cycle/Proper of the Saints	Prinknash
Gift of Knowledge	Nine Offices	Imputability
Thesis	Hypapante	Evangelist of Mary
Grace of God	Morality of Dancing	Priest
Henotheism	Creationism	Incommunicable Attribute
Homoousios	Credence	Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament
Baptism	Darius	Papal Decoration
Secret Society	Laus	Humanae Personae Dignitatem
Station Days	Christian Marriage	Incarnation
Gabriel	Congregation for Religious and Secular Institutes	Dead Sea
Redemptorists	Agony	Dispensation
Monism	Cathedral of Cologne	Sursum Corda
Sacramental Confession	Mass Penny	Objective (Ontological)
Psaltery	Theological Censure	Mary’s Death
Prescience	Leaven	Philippians
Ring of the Fisherman	Annihilationism

Catholic Word of the Day Ping!

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[RobRoy]

A good read on the subject:

HELL: Eternal Torment or Complete Annihilation?
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2240648/posts

[madameguinot]

Is this school of thought within the church?

Also, while I’m at it, I spoke with a visitor who is doing the play “The Last Days of Judas Iscariot” by a playwright (sp?) by Stephen Adley Guirgis. She described him as a ‘lapsed’ Catholic and is said to have become so in part because he learned in school that God did not forgive Judas.

Please advise.

[agere_contra]

This is the tragedy. Iscariot might have been St Iscariot, but he did not repent. Rather, he died an impenitent suicide.

This is usually damnable.

Now - it is plausible that Judas may have repented ‘on the way down’, or he have had reduced free will (as e.g. some schizophrenics do) - but it seems very likely from our incomplete knowledge of the events that he is indeed damned.

Killing himself in despair is why he is damned - not because he betrayed Christ. After all, St Peter also betrayed Christ - as have a great many of us.

[agere_contra]

Is this school of thought within the church?

It is heretical, so it is not 'within the Church' in the sense I think you mean.

Interesting thread this. I can see the superficial attraction of annihilationism as a theory, but God has made us eternal (though not immortal) beings - and God unmakes nothing that He has made to be eternal. He annihilates Sin and Death, but not us. We are made in His image, and being eternal is part of that

If annihilationism were accepted, despite the truth of Hell, then it would lead many people to Hell. If the Church taught that the very worse thing that could happen to you was that you would cease to exist, then a great many people would convince themselves that that didn't sound so bad.

[Salvation]

And the truth from many Catholic (and some Protestant authors

The Sinner's Guide - Ch 10. The Tenth Motive for Practicing Virtue: The Thought of Hell
The Importance of Hell [4 reasons]
The Four Last Things: Hell
The Valley of Hell

Heaven or Hell? A Cautionary Tale (an old but still funny joke)
Catholic Caucus: HELL EXISTS AND WE MIGHT GO THERE!
Radio Replies First Volume - Hell
Notre Dame: Does anyone go to heaven or hell, or is it all just "academic?"
THE FOUR LAST THINGS: DEATH, JUDGMENT, HELL and HEAVEN PART III. ON HELL. VIII. On Eternity

THE FOUR LAST THINGS: PART III. ON HELL. VII. The Worm that Dieth Not.
THE FOUR LAST THINGS: PART III. ON HELL. V. On the Company of Hell.
THE FOUR LAST THINGS ---- DEATH, JUDGMENT, HELL and HEAVEN IV. Some Other Torments of Hell
THE FOUR LAST THINGS: PART III. ON HELL. III. On the Vile Odors of Hell
THE FOUR LAST THINGS: PART III. ON HELL. II. On the Hunger and Thirst Suffered in Hell

Whatever Became of Hell? (HAS THE UNQUENCHABLE FIRE BEEN QUENCHED )
A Brief Catechism for Adults - Lesson 11: Hell
A Question Of Hell (One Minister Questions Its Existence)
Pell-Mell to Hell -- Cardinal Pell
A Hell to Shun

Playing with fire ["Hell makes a comeback"]
Pope Benedict, Dr. Johnson, and Hell
According to this Pope "Hell really exists"
Pope says hell and damnation are real and eternal
Pope says hell and damnation are real and eternal

The fires of Hell are real and eternal, Pope warns
Balthasar, Hell, and Heresy: An Exchange (is it compatable with the Catholic faith?)
Angels - in Heaven, on Earth and in Hell
Angels - in Heaven, on Earth and in Hell
Scholars: Heaven, hell, meaningless to most Americans

Which circle of Hell do You belong in?
There Is No Hell
Why We Need Hell
"To Hell with Hell!": The Spiritual Dumbing Down of the Generations
The key to the gates of hell (Science gone mad Alert!)

[kidd]

Killing himself in despair is why he is damned - not because he betrayed Christ

Judas was damned before his suicide. Jesus told him that it would have been better for him that he had never been born, and the reason was his future betrayal of Jesus.

[ExGeeEye]

Judas may have repented ‘on the way down’which wouldn't have helped a bit because there wasn't a priest at the foot of the tree to give him absolution.

[RobRoy]

I see hell as quite permanent, at least from a “human” perspective. But you can read my perspective regarding this in my posts in the thread I linked.

[Ken4TA]

Here is another good read: Myths About Hell

And another one: The Last Enemy

Many people don't realize that DEATH means DEATH, i.e., lifelessness: death is the opposite of life.

[RobRoy]

You must be Ken. ;)

I’ve been to that site for other stuff in the past. The site name immedidately rang a bell. Good stuff there.

[RnMomof7]

Now - it is plausible that Judas may have repented ‘on the way down’, or he have had reduced free will (as e.g. some schizophrenics do) - but it seems very likely from our incomplete knowledge of the events that he is indeed damned.
Killing himself in despair is why he is damned - not because he betrayed Christ. After all, St Peter also betrayed Christ - as have a great many of us.

Seems this is a ton of speculation without any facts..do you have any scripture to verify this ?

[RnMomof7]

Thank you for the scripture on this

[Ken4TA]

Yep, this is Ken.

I’ve been to that site for other stuff in the past. The site name immedidately rang a bell. Good stuff there.

I think so, of course, I'm a little biased saying that :-)

I've gotten 100's of comments on the articles I've got posted on the site. In fact, some have even asked how they could join the "Resurrection Fellowship" spoken of on C. Dickinson's page :-) (It's a spiritual fellowship!)

[Straight Vermonter]

Earlier Catholic Words of the Day

Monogamy	Sanctoral Cycle / Proper of the Saints	Prinknash
Gift of Knowledge	Nine Offices	Imputability
Thesis	Hypapante	Evangelist of Mary
Grace of God	Morality of Dancing	Priest
Henotheism	Creationism	Incommunicable Attribute
Homoousios	Credence	Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament
Baptism	Darius	Papal Decoration
Secret Society	Laus	Humanae Personae Dignitatem
Station Days	Christian Marriage	Incarnation
Gabriel	Congregation for Religious and Secular Institutes	Dead Sea
Redemptorists	Agony	Dispensation
Monism	Cathedral of Cologne	Sursum Corda
Sacramental Confession	Mass Penny	Objective (Ontological)
Psaltery	Theological Censure	Mary's Death
Prescience	Leaven	Philippians
Ring of the Fisherman	Annihilationism

[Salvation]

Thanks so much for all those links.

[Straight Vermonter]

No problem. There was a lot of catching up but the vacation was worth it.

[Salvation]

Glad you enjoyed your vacation.