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Pope Francis Denies that Hell Is ‘a Place,’ Says It Is ‘a Posture Towards Life’
LifeSite News ^ | 3/16/23 | Michael Haynes

Posted on 03/16/2023 5:51:01 PM PDT by marshmallow

The pope's latest scandalous comments contradict the teachings of the Church Fathers on the existence of Hell.

VATICAN CITY (LifeSiteNews) — In an interview to mark his 10-year anniversary, Pope Francis appeared to deny the existence of Hell, saying that “is not a place” but is instead simply “a state of the heart” and “a posture towards life.”

The pontiff’s comments formed part of a lengthy conversation conducted by Argentinian news site Perfil, one of a number of recent interviews the Pope granted journalists to mark his decade upon the papal throne. Touching on a number of topics he discussed with other reporters, Francis also spoke about his philosophical and theological thought, along with aspects relating to global politics.

As part of the in-depth discussion, Francis was asked, “What is your own interpretation of Hell and paradise, and what happens to people who go to Hell, and what happens to those who go to paradise?”

Giving a trademark lengthy, convoluted, and somewhat evasive answer, Francis appeared to deny the existence of Hell as an actual place. “Hell is not a place,” he said. “If one goes to attend the Last Judgment, and sees the faces of those who go to Hell, one gets scared. If you read Dante, you get scared. But these are media representations.”

Expanding on his answer, Francis described Hell simply as “a state” — a description which appeared to refer to a state of mind. “Hell is a state, there are people who live in Hell continuously.”

He clarified that he was not referring to suffering generally, but to “those who make a world of bad or sick self-referentiality, and end up living in Hell.”

Hell is a state, it is a state of the heart, of the soul, of a posture towards life.......

(Excerpt) Read more at lifesitenews.com ...


TOPICS: Catholic; Ministry/Outreach; Theology
KEYWORDS: catholic; creep; godsmessenger; iqebbed; mediarepresentation; romancatholic; selectedbygod; truthbombs
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To: mdmathis6

I don’t know what Armstrong teaches exactly. He might teach 95% correct, but in error for the remaining 5%.

I only know that the breath of life and body makes for a human soul and we cease to exist upon death, other than that God remembers who we are. That is our nature. There is one Judgement, not a judgement for each of us but one Judgement. At that judgment, you will either be resurrected and translated for eternity or you will perish and cease to exist in the Hell Fire that God uses to judge Satan and his angels.

Revelations calls the hell fire God’s strange Act, because it is so contrary to who He is. In your view, somebody can be destined to burn forever and suffer forever because they stole a single chocolate bar as a child and forgot to repent or they told their mother off one time, but they forgot to repent.

I don’t preach eternal separation, because that requires an inherent eternal existence, which I do not believe that is the nature of man. I preach non-existence as the punishment from God for the unsaved.

Malachi 4 says the wicked will be burned up, not burning. They will burn like the stubble after the wheat is harvested. That implies an incredibly short existence for man within the Hell fire.

It will be very painful for the wicked to know they will perish, when they see the saved translated and looking like Adam looked in his pre-sin state. They will understand what they lost when they choose the pleasures of the world. That will be a punishment in itself when they realize what they really lost.

The Great Day of God
1“For behold, the day is coming,
Burning like an oven,
And all the proud, yes, all who do wickedly will be stubble.
And the day which is coming shall burn them up,”
Says the Lord of hosts,
“That will leave them neither root nor branch.
2But to you who fear My name
The Sun of Righteousness shall arise
With healing in His wings;
And you shall go out
And grow fat like stall-fed calves.
3You shall trample the wicked,
For they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet
On the day that I do this,”
Says the Lord of hosts.


201 posted on 03/19/2023 4:05:29 PM PDT by Jonty30 (It is not how many that go into Mexico that counts. It is how many that return from Mexico.)
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To: MHGinTN
There was a TV character known as Francis the talking mule. Salvation is by faith alone inn Christ alone, not any of works. I apologize; I did not realize you are so unfaqmiliar with the Bible and what Jesus said.

You took exception to my post 145 about repentance and baptism.

Repentance and baptism are not “works” in the sense that you imply; baptism is evidence of an individual's inclusion in the family of believers; and repentance for sin is an outward sign of true faith. My comment referred to the central misunderstanding of the Word that this pope displays through his heretical claim in the OP (Opening Post) and elsewhere. Of course the Lord wants our whole hearts, faithfully—Romans 10:17—has the pope not heard the Word of God? That is the question.

Christ Himself spoke to the Apostles about repentance after he had risen from the tomb in Luke 24:46-47.

He also said, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” (Matthew 4:17), and “I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance” Luke 5:31-32, and “Unless you repent, you will all likewise perish” (Luke 13:3-5). These were his teachings that true faith is an inward submission to God, not an outward posture that lacks inner conviction, as demonstrated by a pope who does not reflect Christ's teachings.

John the Baptist taught the centrality of true belief instead of mere adherence to a religion as if it were a cult, and faith were a birthright: Matthew 3:7-11.

Paul also preached repentance to people who had heard the Word (as anyone would expect a pope should have done), but rejected Christ: Acts 2:36-38, and he proclaimed tirelessly, “repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ” (Acts 20:17-24).

While I did not understand your reference to a Hollywood film comedy from the 1950s in this context, I do try to discern faithfully the concept of salvation and the role that repentance and baptism play in our relationship to a loving God:
Romans 10:14-21.

In closing, “do you despise the riches of His goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance?” (Romans 2:1-4)

202 posted on 03/19/2023 7:48:04 PM PDT by Albion Wilde (“There is no good government at all & none possible.”--Mark Twain)
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To: ebb tide

In my experience, people who tout their IQ are usually stupid.

I’m not saying you’re stupid... I’m just implying it.


203 posted on 03/20/2023 3:27:47 PM PDT by kinsman redeemer (The real enemy seeks to devour what is good. )
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To: fishtank

You...

nailed it!


204 posted on 03/20/2023 3:30:18 PM PDT by kinsman redeemer (The real enemy seeks to devour what is good. )
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To: kinsman redeemer
I never touted my IQ, did I? If so, please give evidence.

I now doubt your own reading comprehension.

205 posted on 03/20/2023 4:07:14 PM PDT by ebb tide
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To: ebb tide

Yes. You did by comparison.


206 posted on 03/21/2023 5:39:59 AM PDT by kinsman redeemer (The real enemy seeks to devour what is good. )
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To: ebb tide

Or, are you just “playing” stupid?


207 posted on 03/21/2023 5:47:44 AM PDT by kinsman redeemer (The real enemy seeks to devour what is good. )
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To: ebb tide

You claimed that your IQ is above 39.


208 posted on 03/21/2023 5:48:45 AM PDT by kinsman redeemer (The real enemy seeks to devour what is good. )
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To: ebb tide

I hope we meet one day - but I think it would have to be in this lifetime.

I’d like to see what kind of man your are offline.


209 posted on 03/21/2023 5:51:01 AM PDT by kinsman redeemer (The real enemy seeks to devour what is good. )
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To: kinsman redeemer

If you consider implying one having an IQ above 39 is something to “tout”, I feel sorry for you.


210 posted on 03/21/2023 8:44:19 AM PDT by ebb tide
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To: ebb tide
Ha!

I didn't say that you set a high bar for yourself, I said that you tout your IQ by accusing someone else of have an IQ of .lte. 39. You made the comparison to your own IQ and obviously you are proud that yours is .gt. 39.

Your #165 did not meet the advertised standard of clarity. Most of whatever crap you post doesn't. You are a strong believer of a false doctrine. It's noticeable. It's demonstrable. It's unequivocal.

I'd like to meet you and see what kind of man you are.

Until then, enjoy whatever is left of your life.

211 posted on 03/21/2023 12:04:13 PM PDT by kinsman redeemer (The real enemy seeks to devour what is good. )
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To: kinsman redeemer
It's noticeable. It's demonstrable. It's unequivocal.

Any relation to Johnny Cochran?

212 posted on 03/21/2023 12:10:17 PM PDT by ebb tide
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To: Jonty30

You read but do not comprehend.


213 posted on 03/21/2023 12:13:33 PM PDT by MHGinTN (A dispensation perspective is a powerful tool for discernment)
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To: marshmallow

If Hell is not a physical location in the material universe, is it still a “place”? I don’t know if that’s what the Pope meant. He might be going a lot further than that, but places not found on any map may be hard for us to see clearly and describe accurately.


214 posted on 03/21/2023 12:13:59 PM PDT by x
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To: x

Without dimension space things are not IN the Universe God has created; without dimension time events do not occur IN the universe God has created.


215 posted on 03/21/2023 12:17:41 PM PDT by MHGinTN (A dispensation perspective is a powerful tool for discernment)
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To: MHGinTN

I believe my comprehension is fine.


216 posted on 03/21/2023 12:28:11 PM PDT by Jonty30 (It is not how many that go into Mexico that counts. It is how many that return from Mexico.)
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To: Texas_Guy

the one true faith would never defend islam or any pagan religion
.
841 The Church’s relationship with the Muslims. “The plan of salvation also includes those who acknowledge the Creator, in the first place amongst whom are the Muslims; these profess to hold the faith of Abraham, and together with us they adore the one, merciful God, mankind’s judge on the last day.”330

842 The Church’s bond with non-Christian religions is in the first place the common origin and end of the human race:

All nations form but one community. This is so because all stem from the one stock which God created to people the entire earth, and also because all share a common destiny, namely God. His providence, evident goodness, and saving designs extend to all against the day when the elect are gathered together in the holy city. . .331

843 The Catholic Church recognizes in other religions that search, among shadows and images, for the God who is unknown yet near since he gives life and breath and all things and wants all men to be saved. Thus, the Church considers all goodness and truth found in these religions as “a preparation for the Gospel and given by him who enlightens all men that they may at length have life.”332
.
The God of the Bible is not unknown, nor is He unknowable.
.
Php 3:7 But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ.
Php 3:8 Yea doubtless, and I count all things [but] loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them [but] dung, that I may win Christ,
Php 3:9 And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:
Php 3:10 That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;


217 posted on 03/21/2023 12:41:16 PM PDT by RaceBannon (Rom 5:8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for )
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To: MHGinTN

Evangelical’s claim to fame is taking the Bible literally. The Bible literally says that the dead are asleep, implying a state of inactivity.

However, Evangelicals reinterpret a word that means to be inactive to imply that the dead are in Heaven being very busy.


218 posted on 03/21/2023 12:45:37 PM PDT by Jonty30 (It is not how many that go into Mexico that counts. It is how many that return from Mexico.)
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To: kinsman redeemer
You made the comparison to your own IQ and obviously you are proud that yours is .gt. 39.

That's nothing to be proud of. Like I said, I feel sorry for you.

219 posted on 03/21/2023 1:37:26 PM PDT by ebb tide
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To: Jonty30

Have you not read what Pauk said about being absent from the body? And in the passage you quoted (1 Thess 4:13-18) it says GOD brings with Jesus the spirits/souls of those who have died in Christ. You read but do not comprehend.


220 posted on 03/21/2023 3:23:08 PM PDT by MHGinTN (A dispensation perspective is a powerful tool for discernment)
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