Miriam the Senator Theologian on Hell

Contrary to what Miriam the Theologian says, even non Christian religions view Hell as a place in this case a wok!

If Miriam Defensor Santiago were Pope. She would have declared as infallible dogma that there isn't any Hell and if there was, then nobody's there!

But that's not what the Pope John Paul II inspired Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC) says in article 1033

"The teaching of the Church affirms the existence of hell and its eternity. Immediately after death the souls of those who die in a state of mortal sin descend into hell, where they suffer the punishments of hell, "eternal fire." The chief punishment of hell is eternal separation from God, in whom alone man can possess the life and happiness for which he was created and for which he longs."

The CCC remains the official catechism for the Catholic Church.

I suppose Miriam the Theologian studied this book in the Maryhill School of Theology on E Rodriguez Avenue, Quezon City. BTW wags have had fun replacing the "i" in Maryhill with an "e'!

It appears that the Church officially teaches Hell is a real place. Not a metaphor but real.. with real fire. Of course we can have some leeway imagining what kind of fire (or even the lack of it as Dante has described it). I would personally believe that microwave induced fire is the best punishment to fit some sins!

Although modernist theological ideas like Miriam espouses interpret Hell as distance from God. Yes but one can be distant from God when you are in the fiery magma chamber downstairs or in that wok depicted in the graphic!

It could be that indeed Miriam is right, If there was a Hell there wouldn't be anyone of us there, except may be........ oh well Hell my foot! Perhaps it must have been the 5th circle of Dante's Inferno where those who can't rein in their anger get stuck in the river. Nonetheless that is still a place isn't it? one zillion light years from God perhaps. One thing is certain Dante doesn't say if there is parliamentary privilege in there!

I wouldn't know, I have never been there!

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