HELLFIRE!

By

John Roberts

(Thoughts on the subject of death and judgment).

All the Christian Sects possess at least one belief, in common. This is the idea of judgment, following upon the death of the individual. Most subscribe to the notion that the dead will remain in the grave, pending an event, which is foreseen as a “general resurrection”. This will be triggered by the coming of the Messiah in the person of Jesus of Nazareth, who will adopt the role of “Judge” of the Nations. This Messiah will not merely judge the Christian dead but all the nations and generations of humankind. The fact that many people of non-Christian background might object to such an arrangement, is seen as irrelevant, as they, of course, have no say in the matter.

This idea of judgment is as old as civilization itself and was a central feature of the religious belief of the Egyptians, some four or five thousand years ago. It has descended to present generations of Christians, via Judaism: from which, of course, Christianity is derived.

We are, naturally, terrified by the idea of death but even more concerned at the thought that we might be “judged” and found wanting. Indeed, there can be no doubt that we shall all be adjudged to be deficient in regard to the desirable virtues. It will merely be a question of degree. Will we pass the test and be permitted to move on towards the halls of the blessed, or will we fail and be consigned to perdition?

Our forefathers were obsessed by the fear of Hell and this was instilled into their minds by the repetitive and ghoulish sermons of clergymen, of whatever denomination, with whom the idea of perpetual damnation and the burning fires of Hell were an ever-present preoccupation. “The soul that sinneth, it shall die!” (Ezek. Ch 18, v 20) This text is still very popular with a certain fundamentalist sect. Indeed, very many Christian Fundamentalists believe this to be the certain lot of the vast majority of humankind. Only those predestined to be “Saved” will enter Paradise, rather than experiencing the “Flames” of Hell, which, reportedly, burn hotter than anything to be found in this mundane sphere. If true, the prospect appears anything but desirable or agreeable and one might be justified in entertaining grave apprehensions, concerning the “nature” of any future state. Surely, annihilation would be preferable to suffering perpetual torments, with no sign of any relief. The prospect is horrifying!

Some of the Eastern Religions do not envisage such a depressing idea as eternal torment for sins committed during this life. Rather, do they conceive the idea of continuous and immediate rebirth in the world, following the death of the body. The nature and quality of the future life is determined by the law of “Karma”, which is merely the application of the principle of cause and effect. If one leads a good and useful life, then one progresses accordingly. If the life is devoid of selfish activity and is devoted to the service of one’s fellows, one might even progress to the state of “Enlightenment” and break, once and for all, the cycle of birth, death and rebirth.

Such a concept is more attractive, in many respects, than that in which we are left in doubt, as to the consequences of the life we now lead. Even good works do not, in themselves, guarantee a benign and happy immortality and this is entirely dependent upon the whim, or particular fancy, of Deity, according to some Christian teachings. It is a very doubtful situation in which to find oneself. Nevertheless, the doctrines of predestination and election are integral elements of Christian teachings.

My own particular view of the situation is based upon over three-score years and ten of human experience and is not contingent upon any particular doctrines. It is also the result of a series of “dream experiences”, recorded over a period of almost forty years, in which I believed myself to have been granted a glimpse into the nature of the future life. At the eventide of life, I still dream a great deal, but it is not often, nowadays, that I consider myself to be privileged to catch a glimpse of the Spirit World. I do not propose to canvas these experiences, which are freely available to anyone who cares to peruse them on my Dream Experiences file.

I may be permitted to affirm that I do believe in the “existence” of a Divine Intelligence, which is at once, infinitely superior to mere mortals and yet remains “concerned” for the welfare or evolution of the human race, representing, undoubtedly, the highest life-form on the planet. I also believe that it is possible for each individual to enjoy a “personal relationship” to the Godhead. I do not propose to express any opinion as to the “nature” of the Divine, other than to affirm my view that we can comprehend our relationship to the Godhead as that of a child to a parent. Suffice to suggest that my life-time of experience has satisfied me that we can all enjoy a direct relationship to Deity via the medium of love and compassion.

As to the fact of the continuity of life beyond the physical death, I am quite satisfied. But the true nature and quality of that life remains a mystery, even to one who feels that he has been given a glimpse of the spiritual realms. If this is the case, and if there is the slightest validity to be afforded to such claims, then one might ask, “What is your idea of the eschatology of death and judgment?”

Well, it certainly does not encompass any idea of Hell, as envisaged by our ranting forefathers. This is perhaps fortunate, as the prospect of spending one’s life, in perpetuity, in being roasted alive, upon a red-hot griddle, would be decidedly unpleasant. However, neither do I subscribe to the proposition that life is all, “Beer and Skittles” in the Spirit-World.

In one or more of my essays and writings on religious matters, I have affirmed my belief that each one of us is the “product of his/her own activity”. In other words, the “law of cause and effect” governs our lives. It is a form of Karma, in the sense that, whatever we think, speak or do, results in a continuous chain of events, either beneficial or harmful, and the sum total of these events directly affects the nature of our own individual personalities. I do not believe, for one moment, that our conduct affects our lives in future incarnations (although this is possible). Rather does it affect us directly, here and now. One cannot avoid such consequences, which must follow, as night follows day.

Well, then! What will happen to me, the individual, if I depart this life this instant, or at least when I have finished writing this particular note? I certainly do not know, for certain, and can only speculate on the degree of my own spiritual progression, having regard to my intimate knowledge of my own life, with its attendance memory of sins of omission and commission. A Christian might suggest that I would rest in the grave until the “Crack of Doom”, when I would then rise to judgment and, ultimately, Heaven or Hell.

My own conviction is that I would rise immediately, to find myself in an intermediate state of consciousness, in which a period of temporary confusion would result in an increasing awareness of the fact of my transition. I would then, no doubt, experience some anxiety for the welfare of any relatives or individuals whom I had “left behind”. Perhaps my surroundings would be bright or dark, depending upon my individual condition.

There is no doubt in my mind that the Spirit World is very similar to the physical world and, indeed, Spiritualists teach the validity of the idea that the physical is merely a mirror image of the spiritual: that the spirit forms the framework upon which the material world is extended: thus, reversing the commonly held concept that the world of Spirit is a ghostly, unreal place, haunted by wraithlike spirits who have no really solid identity.

Whatever my own idea as to the measure of my own spirituality, I most certainly could not claim to have an advantage over other individuals, other than, perhaps, the fact that I have been permitted some perception of the nature of the Spirit World. This would have to be an advantage, of course, as it would assist me to readjust to the new life of the Spirit.

If my life has been spent in general conformity with the spiritual laws of non-violence, obedience to the moral law, etc., then it may well turn out that I am not so spiritually retarded as to constitute a great handicap to my further growth. On the other hand, if I have been a “rotter” and lived a thoroughly selfish existence, I might have cause for concern, as to the likely course of my future “life” in the world of the Spirit. As things stand, there might be scope for my further evolution.

But to dwell upon the “nature” of the Spirit World and to describe the likely states and conditions of those who dwell there, would be mere speculation. However, in the light of my claim to a certain insight, I might be permitted to use my imagination to give my readers a glimpse into the Spirit World: a world to which we must all eventually depart.

Many much wiser and spiritually enlightened individuals have described the nature of the Spiritual spheres. Indeed, Buddhist tradition refers to numerous and increasingly refined states to which the soul of Man can aspire, with how much clarity of perception, must remain obscure, as with each ascending progression, one loses contact correspondingly with the mundane sphere. Be that as it may, there can be no objection to such a scheme. Indeed, so wise a sage as Emmanuel Swedenborg himself subscribed to something of this nature, although his understanding and perception of the Cosmos was, to my simple nature, rather complex.

I would think that we are, necessarily, limited in our ability to conceive and understand matters pertaining to the Spirit World. As Paul, the Apostle, suggests, in our present condition, we merely glimpse spiritual truths. (l Corinth Ch 13, v 12). Perhaps, when we each move onward to the world of Spirit, itself, we shall see and understand a little more clearly.

My own limited perception is that of “Broomstick” visits to the world of spirit, which appears to me to be remarkably similar to the physical world. It is a world of darkness and of light, of beauty and ugliness, of joy and sorrow, of understanding and of ignorance. Obviously, time and motion are things which differ, in Spirit, from those of the physical world and are best left to be understood at that inevitable later time. Swedenborg suggests that “states” are more important in spirit, where the concept of time and place is irrelevant.

One thing has been made abundantly clear to me, that there are places of great scenic beauty and loveliness and fine cities, places of learning and civic buildings in the Spirit world. There are also hovels, places of darkness and filth and countless thousands of individuals who seem to be in confused and ignorant states.

As for “Hellfire and Brimstone”: I have not been privileged to witness any such conditions or souls being tormented in such a fashion. However, I have, I believe, witnessed individuals confined in dark prisons and in darkened, miserable circumstances: people in need of assistance, in order to obtain release from their conditions of confinement.

From time to time, I have visited places consisting of dark and miserable holes, with floors ankle deep in filth or excrement. To have to subsist in such conditions would be very unpleasant indeed, especially if one did not possess the means of cleaning oneself and one’s environment. We all reflect within ourselves the level of our personal progression and in the world of Spirit, this principle finds its fullest application. I do not for one minute accept the idea that God sits in judgment upon any individual but I do believe that we are responsible for our actions and that we reflect the manner of our life in our own personalities. In the world of Spirit, this principle also finds expression in one’s personal appearance. There can be no hiding of our character attributes in Spirit: if we are thoroughly selfish, evil, hypocritical individuals, this is shown quite plainly in our physiognomy and even in the shape and form of our spiritual body. That we do possess such a body is well-known to Spiritualists and Seers, who are often permitted to observe such souls.

Spirit-Guides not only impress as bright and beautiful people, who exude great spiritual power., Some Spirits display themselves as grotesque, deformed characters, filthy in body and in mind. What we need to understand is that, according to the nature of our lives in the body, so do we associate spiritually with our unseen “friends” in the Spirit world. It is we, ourselves, therefore, who set the standard for our personal evolution. A life spent in selfish and wicked living, is reflected in our own personalities and our own spiritual bodies, which we will occupy following the death of the body. This idea may seem absurd to us here and now but will ultimately become a reality. It will be too late then to do much to remedy an unpleasant situation: we will be stuck with the product of our own making.

In this sense, therefore, there is a judgment following death and “resurrection”: for the resurrection is immediate. We merely discard the body and take cognisance of our new surroundings. If we have lived a rotten life, then we can expect to find that the spirit-home which we have made for ourselves does not quite come up to expectations. A filthy, mud-floored hovel will not be quite such a comfortable environment as we have enjoyed whilst in the body, and our associates, who are dirty, morbid or raving lunatics, will not be such welcome friends, as we have been able to entertain in style in our large, commodious and tastefully furnished mansions of the world. We will, perhaps, wonder why the place is so dark and dismal and yearn for the light of the sunny world we have left behind. As it is also quite possible that we have not realised that we have “died”, such things having never occurred to us, as a possibility for ourselves, we will continue to puzzle over our predicament. How “long” such a condition will last, I do not know, nor can I begin to express an opinion. Whether there is scope for “improvement” in our lot, is also a speculative question. I suppose it will depend on the degree of our own retardation and the precise nature of our individual earthly life. Very wicked people might find themselves very firmly entrenched in a veritable “Hell” of their own manufacture: certainly not a place ordained by the “Creator” as a receptacle for the souls of the wicked. “Hell” in this sense being merely the mass of darkened and ignorant souls who, naturally, congregate together.

All this is, of course, mere speculation and incapable of verification. It might, however, serve to indicate how I feel about the nature and quality of the life beyond the grave. I certainly believe this to be true or, at least, pretty close to the facts and, accordingly, I have written this short essay, largely repeating ideas expressed in other notes on these Web pages.

One thing I am convinced about, there are many, many individuals out there in the Spirit-world who are much in need of guidance and of the prayers of people here in the body. To this end, prayer is of value, even though we cannot comprehend its nature. No, there is no Hell-fire but there is a judgment of a kind, the consciousness that we ourselves are responsible for our own condition of darkness and despair; in the knowledge that we have not only let down our relatives and friends, but that we have, in the aggregate, been very unkind towards ourselves.

Those who presently entertain evil intentions towards their fellow men, of whatever Race or status, would do well to consider these thoughts. The wickedness we inflict upon others will undoubtedly reflect in our own spiritual makeup, in direct proportion to the evil that we generate.

Finis

John Roberts,

Sydney,

Australia.

6th February 2003.

mailto:robertsj@gmail.com