Missionaries go to the hell universe to preach to its inhabitants and are instantly martyred. But surely they then enter the hereafter, if there is one, thus proving that it is confusing to call the "hell universe" that?
Our narrator argues that the missionaries should:
"'...understand that, pretty much by definition, the denizens of the hell universe are...
"Well. Damned. That means 'not subject to salvation.'" (p. 154)
If the hell universe were Hell, then I would agree with him. However, applying the word "hell" not to a hereafter but to another universe does not establish anything "by definition." It just confuses the issue.
An elderly Salvation Officer interviewed on British TV said that, if she found herself in Hell, then she would preach Christ and then it would not be Hell anymore. I imagine that, if you can think like that, then you are not going to find yourself in a condition called "Hell" in the first place. But faith can be tested in this life.
3 comments:
Kaor, Paul!
Putting aside issues like whether a "Hell universe" is also supernatural, I agree with the narrator of the story. The Catholic teaching is that no one goes to Hell who does not choose to ETERNALLY reject God. So it would be futile to try persuading the damned to repent.
Ad astra! Sean
Sean,
But these are beings that are born, live and die there, not who have sinned elsewhere, then died and gone there.
Paul.
Kaor, Paul!
Before I can comment more coherently, I'll first have to read Flint's story.
Ad astra! Sean
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