As much as I disliked The Final Battle, the final book in the Narnia series and my least favorite, I have to say that I liked the way C.S. Lewis explains hell in it.
I'd previously heard heaven explained as "being united with God" and feeling perfect peace as a result. All the fluffy cloud stuff was just to make it easier to imagine for those who need imagery.
In The Final Battle, Aslan (God) says that those who don't believe in heaven can't see it. He's showing to them; they just refuse to see it, feel it, etc. They are in hell(not in heaven=in hell) not because he is punishing them, but because they simply refuse to see heaven. He can't force them to see it because free will does them in. (As it will me if I'm wrong. [Grin])
As for the way many churches treat gays: Well, my friend J is a lesbian, and her local parish church hasn't chased her or her partner out yet. In fact, their daughter just made her First Communion, and she went up to the front of the church flanked by her two moms just like her classmates went up with their parents. Some Christians really are all right.
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branchandroot
(no subject)
Date: 2007-05-11 09:28 pm (UTC)I'd previously heard heaven explained as "being united with God" and feeling perfect peace as a result. All the fluffy cloud stuff was just to make it easier to imagine for those who need imagery.
In The Final Battle, Aslan (God) says that those who don't believe in heaven can't see it. He's showing to them; they just refuse to see it, feel it, etc. They are in hell(not in heaven=in hell) not because he is punishing them, but because they simply refuse to see heaven. He can't force them to see it because free will does them in. (As it will me if I'm wrong. [Grin])
As for the way many churches treat gays: Well, my friend J is a lesbian, and her local parish church hasn't chased her or her partner out yet. In fact, their daughter just made her First Communion, and she went up to the front of the church flanked by her two moms just like her classmates went up with their parents. Some Christians really are all right.