...and Contrasting) Initially, I wanted to see if there was similarity between the Inferno’s first circle or level and the Pugatorio’s first spur, terrace, or level but I could not really find anything. I then decided to write once again about a topic found in my first paper and I noticed that despite the fact that the Valley of the Rulers isn’t the first ledge, or terrace in Dante’s Purgatorio[1] (unlike Limbo which is the first circle of hell) and that it isn’t also technically IN Purgatory but right before it (a.k.a Ante-Purgatory), it does indeed have some similarity/parallelism (but also big differences) to the first circle of the Inferno (Limbo). The key words I noticed was that Dante the wayfarer asks Virgil who are those “separate from the rest” as they approach Limbo[2] (In the Inferno). Then in the Purgatorio, Sordello leads Dante and Virgil to the Valley of the Rulers who are referred to those (spirits) who are “set apart”[3] Now speaking of Limbo in the Inferno, Virgil, who also happens to be from this place (proved by line 39, Inferno 4), refers to the inhabitants of Limbo as “those who live in longing”[4] (manifested by their constant sighing, and not any outcry of pain due to suffering unlike other Cantos in the Inferno). Logically and factually, these souls long for the Beatific Vision or entry into Paradise, but such event will never happen despite these pagans being virtuous[5] (unless Christ decides to repeat the Harrowing of Hell wherein He took some virtuous...
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...Heaven or Hell is a short story based on a true historical event. The story highlights the inward, the invisible and the intangible power struggles of mankind. The stark descriptions of the reality and horror of war are frightening and shocking to the reader, aimed to affect emotionally and cause them to consider. The story is structured to make the reader visualize pain and death in war – Hell, when everything appears lost and hopeless, and Heaven - heroic and victorious, when the obstacles are overcome and the “Draconic Empire” defeated. The story has a formal register to deliver suspense and the factual horrors of war. This has been achieved in a number of different ways, firstly, the complex sentence, “Sergeant Hugh Mott and his colleagues frantically worked away in the belly of the bridge whilst troops continued to traverse the spine.” This creates formality through its sophisticated structure coupled with a serious and impersonal tone. Standard English also creates formality with the active verb phrase, “With a resounding thud his body hit the cliff”. There is no slang or dialect which helps to develop the formal and complex tone intended. The use of lexis, with the polysyllabic words, also creates a formal tone. The verbs, “surging”, “paralysing”, “illuminated”, and the pre-modifying adjective, “terrifying” are all a formal use of lexis. The story also avoids abbreviations such as the pronoun and verb, “He had”, instead of “He’d” which is more informal. Heaven or Hell is targeted...
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...Eternal Punishment As a child growing up all I heard was you either do good and go to heaven or you do wrong and go to hell. That’s the Christian way of thinking and that’s the way it is. While I grew stronger in the religion and began to be able to see the bigger picture, I then was in turn able to make a decision for myself what was the right thing. Through reading the Bible, going to church, and listening to elders, deacons, and pastors I determined that this was indeed the Christian view of eternal state that I believed in. There were however a few blanks that had to be filled in, like; 1) Where do we go when we die? 2) What is Heaven? 3) What is Hell? and 4) What is the rapture? These are all questions that many have asked and many have to have the answer to in order to make an educated decision about what religion to follow and what end of time theory to believe in. The Bible states in 2 Corinthians 5:10, “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.” In the end, there will be an eternal punishment and only you can determine what your fate will be. In order to stand behind the Christian view of the end of times you must first prove there is a heaven and hell. Let’s start by talking about heaven. Webster’s dictionary defines heaven as, “1.a place regarded in various religions as the abode of God (or the gods) and the angels, and of...
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...both heaven and hell. He describes them both in such a way that makes the reader feel as if they are actually there. The Great Divorce is made up of a lot of metaphors that really make one think about how heaven and hell will be. While C.S. Lewis paints an interesting, thought-provoking image of heaven and hell, it is only an idea. We cannot know exactly what they will look like until we are there. The Great Divorce begins with the narrator standing at a bus stop. The bus stop is in the middle of a very bleak town. The town that he is in is hell. He says, "I had been wandering for hours in similar mean streets, always in the rain and always in evening twilight." He had wandered around for hours...
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...tortured children, he poses some questions to his brother Aloysha. For example, “They must be atoned for, or there can be no harmony, but how? How are you going to atone for them? Is it possible? By their being avenged? But what do I care for avenging them? What do I care for a hell for oppressors? What good can hell do, since those children have already been tortured, and what becomes of harmony, if there is hell?” What I understand from Ivan’s passage here is that he wants to pursue and better understand the overall point of the situation. If the oppressors are going to have to deal with the evil of hell in the after life, why should they get to live the rest of their human life in bliss, while the child has already had his life and its opportunities taken away? I think his first premise (P1) is that evil has a purpose, but the purpose of evil isn’t worth dealing with. I think that this is pretty much saying that, we do need evil for “harmony” but having to deal with this cruel evil isn’t worth waiting for the harmony that comes along with it. Why should the child have to be tortured for the harmony to be achieved? Why can’t we skip the evil step and have harmony as something that doesn’t hurt us before it becomes better? The second premise that I took from Ivan’s passage is (P2) the justification of evil has worse consequences than positive aspects. This is saying that, if we do want the “harmony” that keeps being mentioned, that perfect life, that we have to deal with evil...
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...Hell Debate __________________ A Paper Presented to Liberty University __________________ In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for Theology 350 __________________ by Tirsa Woodson July 3, 2015 The Hell Debate The debate over the nature of hell is one that can bring out the best and the worst in biblical exegesis. Everyone nowadays is concerned about the enemy (Satan) and delete hell existence. The beginning signs that Jesus is coming soon, frightens the human race. We were taught when God returns, it will be judgment day. John reveals this judgement will take pace during the last days, when God will conquer all who have and would defy him and to rescue the righteous. Judgment meant the outcome of an individual, will they go to heaven with God or to hell with the devil. There are many misconceptions about Hell, rather the lost will burn forever or annihilated. Hell is real. Universalism believes everyone will eventually be saved, while Christian believe we all will be judged for the deeds we have done. First, the Annihilationist believe that the unrighteous will not suffer eternal torment, but that they will, after being justly punished according to their deeds, be annihilated and cease to exist. Also they believe that hell is eternal in consequence, not duration the wicked shall be no more (Boyd & Eddy). Secondly the classical view states that the wicked will be cast into hell that supports the traditional...
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...UNIVERSITY THEOLOGICAL CRITIQUE: FOUR VIEWS ON HELL A THEOLOGICAL CRITIQUE SUBMITTED TO DR. ROBERT WETMORE IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE COURSE THEO 530 LIBERTY BAPTIST THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY BY PETER J. FILIPIAK SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 2011 TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION...................................................................................................1 SUMMARY.............................................................................................................1 CRITICAL INTERACTION...................................................................................2 The Literal View...........................................................................................2 The Metaphorical View................................................................................4 The Purgatorial View....................................................................................5 The Conditional View..................................................................................6 CONCLUSION........................................................................................................7 BIBLIOGRAPHY....................................................................................................9 Introduction Four Views on Hell is a book edited by William Crockett in which four contributing...
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...THE HELL DEBATE A Paper Presented to Professor Beauchamp of Liberty University Lynchburg, VA BIBL 350 By Gordon C. Wilson December 13, 2012 INTRODUCTION In this paper, I will give a brief overview of the nature of hell, the classical view and the annihilationist view. For the last decade, there has been a significant debate surrounding this very topic within evangelical circle. It is hard to understand how God can let his children be punished in hell, being he is an all-loving God and creator. However, John 3:36 makes it clear for all of us. (He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life; and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him)(Dake, Finis).” The Bible teaches that God loves you so much that the Creator of this universe (Jesus Christ) came to "taste death" for every man. Jesus wasn't just some baby for a manger scene. He is God come in the flesh to destroy the power of death and hell--He holds the keys, people! If you say yes to Jesus, hell won't be your final destination. If you say no to Jesus, the lake of fire will be your eternal home. There is no getting out and no comfort--it's everlasting. Regardless of whether you believe it or not, hell exists and the Bible says that it is never full. I've heard folks say that hell is not mentioned in the Bible or that hell is just the grave. Well, let's take a look at what the Authorized King James Bible says. Here are a few scriptures that deal with hell...
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...For my final project, I wanted to present Hell in a way that would cause people to enjoy it, rather than blanching in disgust from the grotesque nature of Dante's depiction of Hell. It was then my group and I decided to use something that everyone likes: food. For each Circle/Bolgia, we have a different food that reminds us of the punishment sentenced upon those sent there. For Ante-Hell, we are making Dirt Cups (Oreos, chocolate pudding, and gummy worms) to represent the "swarm of wasps and hornets that goaded them" (Canto III). For The Gate, we are making Angel Food Cake to show the irony between angels and Hell. For Circle One, we decided to use Dried Fruits, to represent those "born without the light of Christ's revelation" (Canto IV)....
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...Hell on Earth Nothing impure can enter into the Kingdom of God (Revelations 21:27). Every person will have to pay for their sins to "the very last penny" (Luke 12:59). I'll use somewhat of a parable to explain purgatory. God is just per Scripture (John 5:30), correct? Now, let's say you have one man who leads a saintly life and another who leads a sinful life, but sincerely repents of his sins on his death bed. According to Protestants, both these men go straight to heaven after death. Is this just? I would have to answer in the negative. According to Catholic belief, the saintly man would go straight to heaven whereas the repentant man would have to be cleansed through temporal (not eternal) punishment for his sins before entering heaven. Where is this done? He can't be sent to hell because hell is eternal per Scripture (Matthew 25:46; Mark 3:29). There has to be a middle ground so to speak. This "middle" ground is purgatory. We must suffer for our sins just as Christ suffered for them (Romans 8:17; 2 Corinthians 1:5-7). If this suffering is not in this life, it has to be in the next. Protestants say that since purgatory is not mentioned in the Holy Bible, it doesn't exist. But the Holy Trinity is not mentioned in the Bible either yet almost all mainstream Protestant denominations believe in it. Unfortunately, the King James Version of the Bible mistakenly omits the Books of Maccabees. These books were decided by the Church Fathers to be inspired of God. The Twelve Apostles...
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...soul living on after death is shared by many religions. Where these religions differ is in what they believe happens after one’s death; there are even differing views about what happens within different denominations of the same religion. The question of life after death has perplexed man through the ages. In the Bible Job famously asked “if a man die, shall he live again?” (Job 14:14). The notion of resurrection is central to Christian faith, it is the belief that Jesus returned to life on the Sunday following the Friday of his crucifixion. In Matthew 28 an angel says to the Virgin Mary and Mary Magdalene; “do not be afraid; for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here; for he has risen, as he said.” It is from the resurrection of Jesus that the Christian belief in life after death emerges. In John 11:25-26 Jesus said “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies.” This led to the belief that if one is to follow the teachings of Jesus and accept him as their lord and saviour; one can then look forward to the afterlife. N.T Wright, in his book Surprised by Hope: Rethinking Heaven, the Resurrection, and the Mission of the Church states that “Jesus’ resurrection is the beginning of God’s new project, not to snatch people away from earth to heaven but to colonize earth with the life of heaven.” This literal view of resurrection in similar to the Hindu belief in reincarnation. In John 3:16 it was said “for...
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...April 2012 Inferno Canto I I awoke from a daze to find that I was in a dark unfriendly place with cave-like features, filled with sin and wrongdoings. I do not recall how I got to such a place, but after collecting myself, I noticed a very dim light to one end of the cave, so I proceeded toward it. The path I had chosen seemed to descend, and as I appeared to reach the light I was astonished to find a lion with a bright glow blocking the path. As he paced back and forth, looking at me hungrily, I considered retreating. After realizing I was no match for the magnificent beast, I turned and began to venture back to the other side of the seemingly never-ending cave. Then, a man appeared before me and stated that his name was Izuel, a fallen angel. He explains that the lion represents different forms of evil and tells that another greater being that represents good will come one day and remove the lion from its post. Amazed by this story and his Izuel’s arrival, I asked why he had been banished from Heaven. He told me the story of how he had spoken against God and had been sent to Hell, and has been sent by my long lost wife in Heaven and given a short time to guide me to Heaven. He then outlines what the journey will be like and warns me that I must first journey with him through Hell. He says that there are three levels that we must travel through and that each level will be worse than the last, consisting of obstacles we must overcome. I agree to so with him and we...
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...Matt Slick notes that accepting the concept of that there is a hell where scores of people will suffer eternally is not an easy task. People always hear the kinder side of God, about his love and how He would that all men are saved, though this does not show the complete version of God. This article states that while God is merciful and loving and gracious, he also is a just god who hates sin and punishes those who do sin. Jesus cautioned man about the eternal place of fire; he actually talked about hell a lot while he was on earth, after all, that is what he was here to save man from. Those who are not covered by Jesus’s sacrifice will be thrown into hell during the Judgement, and it will be a place of eternal punishment. Slick uses Matthew 25:46 to show that Hell is eternal in the same way that heaven is eternal....
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...While Dante’s placement of Mohammed in Hell is, in itself, implied, the latter’s damnation not only comes from a sense of divine justice but also acts as a reflection on and a warning to Dante on his individual journey to God. Dante, along with many of his peers and influences, views Islam as a false sect broken off from the core of Christianity and Mohammed as a Christian with a corrupted view of doctrine that lures potential followers from a true path of righteousness. Mohammed, like Dante, feels a spiritual discontentment that leads him on a reflective journey; however, as Mohammed turns his personal path, beliefs, and interpretations into its own doctrine, he varies from Dante’s poetic but applicable tale of salvation. Dante’s encounter...
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...Nemo Zaragoza IGE 122 04/04/2012 Dante’s Inferno I have to start by stating that I was overjoyed when we were going to get the chance to read The Divine Comedy. This collection of Dante’s the poets’ poems have been a great and entertaining read. The reason why I was so excited to be reading this book is because of the fact that this book seems to take a few ‘religious liberties’ and explores the concept of hell and prods at the thought of possibly being more to hell than meets the eye. Not only that, but there was a game that came out a couple of years ago that took a more aggressive approach to the book and it was the same premise except that Dante was more of a warrior than a poet. Not just that, but the reason Dante went to hell (in the video game) was to save his beloved Beatrice from the grasps of the devil. Now the reason for her being with the devil is because she made a bet against him saying that, whilst Dante was away on the churches crusades he would remain faithful. Well she lost that bet, mainly because Dante not only was unfaithful, but as he progresses through hell, he notices that he actually committed each of the sins of all the circles. Anyway, back on topic, it seems that Dante responded in a sort of quizzical way. While he was walking through the circles he would sort of comment and jest on the people he recognized, but for the most part he would question Virgil as to why some people were there even though they followed the rules or something along...
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