...An Explication of The Marriage of Heaven and Hell William Blake’s trouble with orthodoxy within religion was never more apparent than in his poem The Marriage of Heaven and Hell. It becomes clear that his problems with the Church run deeper than just their organization, but with their views on good and evil, and there is still debate today about what Blake’s true feelings were and how they were conveyed through the poem. This paper will simply explain the nature of the poem and the events that come together within it. The beginning of Marriage sets up an image of a man walking through a “perilous path” that is described as “The vale of death” (Blake 1.4-5). Rintrah, a personification of wrath, watches the man be swayed from his path by the “sneaking serpent,” which can easily be interpreted as the Devil (Blake 1.17). The man is driven into the wild to fend for himself, where he will struggle and be tempted by the good and evil sides of himself and of the world. The next plate that Blake writes is not in a poetic form, but instead calls forth a challenge to the Swedenborgian view of religion. He humorously writes that “it is now thirty-three years since its advent: the Eternal Hell revives. And lo! Swedenborg is the Angel sitting at the tomb: his writings are the linen clothes folded up” (Blake 3). Blake’s jokes about Swedenborg’s relationship to Jesus Christ and his changes to the Christian church lead into his next point, which is how contradictory he believes these...
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...There is no solid proof that Heaven or Hell really exist. That is why I do not necessarily believe in them, but I believe in the idea of them. Even the bible itself speaks of heaven and hell. Jesus says there is in (Matthew 10:28). But in (Matthew 13:40) is what Jesus says about hell, “As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire, so shall it be in the end of this world.” I believe he is saying that hell will not exist until this world comes to an end, that Hell is where the wicked and the children of the wicked will go. In Psalm 68:2 it says, “as wax melteth before the fire, so let the wicked perish at the presence of God.” this is saying that hell is not forever, the wicked shall eventually perish in the flames of hell. Heaven is where all of your pain ends, where the moment you get there you find all of the healing you need. You get to live in Gods kingdom with him, Jesus and all of the saints that have also gone to Heaven. While Hell is mentioned, Jesus describes it as a place where sinners who have refused to change their ways go. He compared it to Gehenna, a rubbish dump outside Jerusalem, people in wretched poverty picked their way through it to find scraps, and fires burned. Being raised in a very catholic home I have come to know many things. I know that God is loving, kind and forgiving. Yet my question is why does he tell us to forgive those who have done us wrong but he does not. He is not very forgiving if he condemns those who have sinned against...
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...Heaven and Hell Popular, secular opinion seems to conclude either: 1) there is no after-life or 2) everyone and their pets go to heaven. There isn’t much talk about Hell, except to dismiss the possibility of anyone going there. But one historical figure spoke very forcefully about the reality of Hell and the very real possibility of human beings spending eternity there. That person is none other than Jesus Christ, the Second Person of the Blessed Trinity who became man. God did not dismiss Hell as either non-existent or not a threat. We should follow His example and learn what He taught. Who will go to Heaven? So after the Judgment, one will go to Heaven or Hell. Who goes to Heaven? How can I get there? The simple answer is that the souls of the just who are free of guilt and punishment will go to Heaven. But, we need to break that down a bit. First, let’s be clear on one point: no one can earn their way into Heaven by their good works… no one. Salvation is a free gift from God. In Catholic terminology, the person who enters Heaven is said to have died in a state of sanctifying grace. Protestants sometimes refer to this as the grace of justification. And they are correct. The souls of the just are those who have been justified by grace through faith. So the question is, who has been justified? This is where Catholic and non-Catholic teaching parts ways. We receive the grace of justification, that is, Sanctifying Grace, at our baptism when we are born anew from above Two...
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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...
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...Analysis of Hell-Heaven Jhumpa Lahiri is an Indian American writer who has developed a way of writing that reflects off of events in her life and certain incidents she has endured throughout her time. Although Lahiri was not born in the heart of India, her parents passed down the passion of their culture due to spending a part of their lives in Bengali. The Bengali culture that was maintained as she grew up allowed her to apply her knowledge and experiences into her short stories. In “Hell-Heaven”, the Bengali culture played a prominent role throughout the whole story. This story had been told through the eyes of a woman who had been recollecting on her life as a young, growing girl. Lahiri chose to use the daughter as the narrator because it was easiest for her to see the dynamics between her parents and the newcomer. The newcomer is Pranab Chakraborty, a Bengali from Calcutta studying engineering at an institute in America. He ironically came across a woman who lived in America, shared the same Bengali culture as him and was also raised in Calcutta. To come across such a familiar thing in an unfamiliar, foreign country, allowed Pranab to feel as if he wasn’t alone and had someone to share his experiences with. Now knowing that Lahiri had parents from Bengali and she spent her years growing up in America, it is evident that her family’s culture is strongly reflected in the story “Hell-Heaven”. Living in America and having to assimilate to the American culture is easier...
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...November 2011 Gnosticism and Marcionism vs. Christianity What and where is heaven and hell? Many Christians today can answer these questions based on the beliefs they’ve obtained through the church. Most Christians would answer that heaven is a place in the sky where an obedient person’s soul goes after they die, and hell is a place in the ground where a misbehaved soul goes. These beliefs of afterlife are often taught in Christian churches; however, these beliefs weren’t always this way. This change was important because it answered the critical question in Christianity about the Last Judgment Day. This change took place after the church had to create specific writings of the beliefs of the Christian religion to refute the popular beliefs of Gnosticism and Marcionism. The ideas about heaven and hell came out of neo-platonic philosophy, which played the major role of influence in the Christian religious cults Gnosticism and Marcionism, who then prevailed with the same ideas that were adopted by the Christian orthodox. Another importance of this change in the history of the church is that the Christian orthodox today still practices these neo-platonic ideas that were first present in the Gnosticism and Marcionism. The Christian orthodox beliefs about heaven and hell would not be the same without the Gnostic and Marcionic influences on the church. Neo-platonic philosophy about heaven and hell show up in the beliefs of Gnostics and Marcionites and the Christian orthodox....
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...Belief in Heaven and Hell Christopher Shane Inlow CGD218: Visual Literacy in Business Professor Felicia Maxwell October 31, 2010 I. Introduction A. Thesis Statement II. Religion and History A. Definition Heaven and Hell B. Heaven and Hell in many religions. III. Heaven, Hell, and Culture Influence A. Cultures around the world B. C. IV. Conclusion Heaven and Hell, the belief in the existence of both realms has influenced human society throughout history and most likely before recorded history. “Many people follow a religion because it promises them happiness in life or in some kind of life after death, or they believe it will save them from eternal damnation. The prospect of an afterlife also offers hope to those who suffer in this life.” (World Book, 2010). After life is a thought process that helps eleminate the fear of nothingness that often accompanies the thought of death. This life is often seen as a precursor to eternity. Many view this life as a test. The score determines where the after life will be spent, Heaven or Hell. Religion and the concept of an afterlife has affected and been affected by both culture and history. The belief in Heaven and Hell has been held and is still held today by various cultures and religious sects. Therefore, the definition and name of the afterlife are influenced by the respective culture or religious affiliation it belongs too. The religious...
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...My Journey In Purgatory, Hell, and Heaven I had a dream. I dreamed that I was able to journey hell, purgatory, and heaven. My account is I was in the purgatory with four murderers named John, Romeo, Billy, and Raymond. Day 1. They were there before I came. They were speaking to God almighty with Jesus beside him. John and Raymond were asking for forgiveness from God for the sins they made while they are living. They also said that it’s okay if he doesn’t forgive them because their sins are unforgivable. Then, they were gone. Romeo and Billy were not asking for forgiveness from God but instead, they have confidence in themselves that they will go to heaven. Then, they were gone too. One of God’s followers asks me to rest. So I went to sleep. Day 2. I went to the judging palace where I saw the four murderers talking to God in day 1. Then, God asked me: “Do you think that your sins are forgivable young man? Do you think you will go to my heaven?” I remained silent. After a while, I said: “I know that some of my sins are unforgivable but I want to go to heaven so I want to ask you to forgive me Lord. Cleanse me Lord, remove all my sins”. “Do you want to take peek in hell and heaven?”, God asked. “Yes, I would like to see hell and heaven.” I said. Then, we travelled. Day 3. I saw hell. It was horrible. It was dark and so hot in there. And I saw Romeo and Billy suffering. “They were not sincere in themselves and they didn’t ask forgiveness.”, God said. I’m sad for them. I can’t...
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...In Heaven or Hell, we have spent the first semester exploring various religions and philosophies, with the intentions of grasping a better idea of the soul. We have studied the works of neurosurgeons, famous philosophers, prominent poets, novelists, and the oral history of the ancient Israelites. Each one of these beautiful and intriguing works, whether biographical or philosophical, has given me a better idea of what the soul really is. At the beginning of the semester, I had a fairly strong idea of the soul, however I was sceptical of its existence. After reading Proof of Heaven, by Dr. Eben Alexander, I was confident that the soul was real. Now that it has come to the end of the semester, my idea of the soul has not dramatically changed, however it has greatly expanded. In the beginning of the school year, I thought that the soul is one’s true identity in its purest form and that when doing something one loves, you can get a glimpse at it. Today, I still believe the same, however my idea of the soul has developed into a larger understanding. After a semester in Heaven or Hell, I have a better understanding of the soul due to the insights I have gained from Socrates, Dr. Eben Alexander, and Dante Alighieri. After being exposed to these new theories I now believe in the...
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...Katrina Jabbari Professor Scott-Curtis English 46B 3 Feb. 2015 “The Marriage of Heaven and Hell” by William Blake The poem, “The Marriage of Heaven and Hell” by William Blake, largely expresses Blake’s views and feelings regarding the social and political situation going on at the time the poem was written and engraved in the late eighteenth century. The poem is a satirical work and a bit of a mockery of the bible—a “bible” in which Hell is portrayed as being the place of interest, with the author being the Devil’s disciple. Themes in the poem strongly suggest Blake’s feelings of anti-conformity and anti-institutionalized religion. Blake feels as though institutionalized religion represses people and inhibits creativity and happiness. In the portion of the poem titled “The Proverbs of Hell,” almost all of the proverbs portray ideas of pro-indulgence and giving in to one’s desires. For instance, “The road of excess leads to the palace of wisdom…” or, "The tigers of wrath are wiser than the horses of instruction." Blake advocates for the arts and leading an uncensored life led by one’s desires, as opposed to following “instruction” and conforming to religious ideals of what is “good.” Blake is an intellect and believes in the power of art. He states that “Improvement makes straight roads; but the crooked roads without improvement are roads of Genius.” He seems to have believed in the madness of art over the “advances” made with science and “good” which is guided by...
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...a very distinct picture of 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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...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 God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” This raises the question of the form of the afterlife; is it physical or spiritual? In Philippians 3:20-21 it is said that Jesus Christ “will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like His glorious body.” Consequently from...
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...University Hell Debate: The Classical view and The Annihilationist view of Hell RLGN 335 B08 Professor: Wesley Handy By Tami L Moore October 16, 2015 Jesus, suggest that hell is “outer darkness “beyond heaven because heaven is light “where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” He teaches that many will seek to enter heaven but be shut out (Luke 13:22-30), suggesting that there is no way to escape from hell once there. Throughout life, we have heard plenty of talk about Heaven and Hell. Heaven was for the people that believe in doing well unto God as Christian and lived their lives accordingly to God's Commandments. . And Hell was always known as the place where the devil reside and the place that sinners and evil people that resisted God and refuse to accept God into their hearts and lived in sin, and last judgement is served. Heaven and Hell was spoken of in church, but most Pastor spoke on hell lesser than they did heaven. Sinclair Ferguson expresses how the doctrine of hell should influence one’s preaching. “He says preachers should stress God’s righteousness, the sinfulness of sin, and God’s justice in condemning sin. He adds that expositors should affirm that hell is real, that hell is vividly described in the New Testament, and that hell, though prepared for the devil and his angels, is shared by human beings” (Morgan and Peterson). Many Pastors thought it was easier to reach the people if they talk more on Heaven and God's blessing...
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...three of these groups are similar in that they believe that upon death the soul will face judgment for his or her actions while on earth, they each have their different perception of when and how it will happen. These in-between states mentioned above are classified into two planes, Heaven and Hell, within the New Testament. Even though Hades appears in both the New Testament and in the Revelation, to express the concept of hell, the idea of hell does not derive from the place in Greek mythology that is the underworld the place of the dead. This is due to the fact that it is a place that consists of the undead both good and bad. Therefore to better understand hell one talk’s about Tartarus a place in the underworld even lower than Hades were the wicked go. Hell is described to be a place or state, were souls who have not repented for their sins and/or have rejected Jesus Christ as their savior, suffer eternal damnation. In biblical teachings it is said that the soul passes into hell after God has judged them irredeemable for their actions while on earth. Hades also consist of Elysium, a utopia were those who have lived worthy lives go. This is known as the kingdom of God or Kingdom of heaven, discussed mostly in Revelations in the New Testament. It is considered a place or state that is inherited by the righteous a place of paradise and eternity with god. Although the...
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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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