In the Jewish Faith no matter what the sin(s) of a human being were prior to death the soul remained in the fires a full year and one day - no more. -

How did we come to feel we are damned forever then as I having converted from Judiasm to Catholism am confused? The punishment of being away from love for that year and a day is sufficient - yes or no? -

-- Jean Bouchard (jeanb@cwk.imag.net), May 04, 2002

Answers

Probably the best way to get an understanding of this is to look up Saint Teresa of Avila on a search engine and see her vision and understanding of Hell.

-- Emerald (emerald1@cox.net), May 04, 2002.

Thank you Emerald.

-- Jean Bouchard (jeanb@cwk.imag.net), May 04, 2002.

Hello, Jean.

" The punishment of being away from love for that year and a day is sufficient- yes or no"? When speaking about hell, you asked.

No Jean, not according to what Jesus, said.

Jesus must be taken serious, Jean, when He uses sciptural images of the most violent and merciless kind in this text; " weeping and gnashing of teeth in the burning furnace" (Mt 13,42), "gehenna, where the worm does not die and the fire is NOT quenched" (Mk 9,43-48; cf Mt 5, 22), where God can " destoy the soul and the body" (Mt 10,28).

Jean, please take special notice," worm does not die" and the "fire is not quenched". I don't read anything about a year and a day.

God bless you.

David

-- David (David@excite.com), May 04, 2002.

Hi Jean:

You might remember, too, that Jews, of course, do not have the New Testament, since they don't believe Jesus is the messiah. The New Testament has many many passages concerning eternal torment, the Old Testament does not.

Many Jews, even today, simply do not believe there is life after death. Saducees DO NOT believe in immortality, Pharisees do. Little (if anything) is said in the Old Testament concerning life after death, so they really have nothing in which to base a hope of eternal life.

Hope that makes sense.

Gail

-- Gail (rothfarms@socket.net`), May 04, 2002.

Thank you all for the input.

-- Jean Bouchard (jeanb@cwk.imag.net), May 05, 2002.