Easter and its story about the resurrection is an integral part of the Christian religion. Like most religions, Christianity takes the " carrot and stick " approach to how we lead our lives and what we expect when death finally claims us.
There is the reward of entering Heaven if we obey the laws of the church, but there is also the threat of eternal Hell if we are found wanting on the day of judgement. That is the threat that has kept souls strictly on the straight and narrow for thousands of years.
This Easter an atheistic and anticlerical left wing Italian literary giant claims that in an interview with the Pope that the church leader said that " a Hell doesn't exist " ! This was widely reported by left wing media and resulted in a front page article in the respected Italian newspaper La Republica.
Bad souls are "not punished ", journalist Eugenio Scalfari (93) reported the Pope as saying. " A hell doesn't exist ". Scalfari has since backtracked, admitting that he did not use either a recording or a notebook during the interview. He also moved away from the terminology of " interview " by replacing that with " meeting " and claiming that it was more of a " chat " ! Remarking on his age, he observed that he was more used to being interviewed than interviewing.
The Vatican has since felt obliged to clear up this misunderstanding and the matter has been characterized as simply a " misquotation ". In western society, a steady stream of former worshippers have been leaving the church and any suggestion that hell is a myth casts a doubt on" Satan " ! The " Devil " and " Hell " seem synonymous !
This " Hell " question leaves many things unanswered. It seems that God once had a bit of a mutiny in Heaven and Lucifer, one of his angels misbehaved and was cast out. He is now referred to as Lucifer or Satan and he hangs out in Hell. He is now officially " the opposition " and he roams the earth and tempts souls.
The book of revelations tells us that eventually there will be confrontation between Heaven and Hell and Satan will defeated, but strangely hell will remain - under new management. On the day of judgement how we have conducted our earthly life will determine whether we head for the Pearly Gates - or the fiery pit.
That is a question that will not be decided until life on this planet comes to an end !
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