Jasper County Democrat, Volume 17, Number 48, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 19 September 1914 — LETTERS FROM OUR READERS [ARTICLE]

LETTERS FROM OUR READERS

There Is a Hell. The word "Hell" is,used in the Bible sometimes to denote a grave and then again to signify a place and condition of eternal torments. In order to avoid any confusion in the minds of my readers, I wish to state here that 1 employ the word “Hell" in this article to designate the prace and the condition of eternal torments. Moreover 1 wish to premise that facts exist independent of our likes and dislikes. In other words to deny the existence of "Hell” does not throw it out of existence. Suppose a crowd of criminals agree among themselves that they will not believe in the existence of a state prison. They say, it is too cruel to think that a man should be deprived of his liberty for an act that lasted only a few moments. Does their dislike and disbelieve do away with the state prison? By no means. But they do not want to believe in it, because they have reasons to fear it. They go on denying the existence. Full soon they are in the clutches of the law and confronted with the prison walls, they learn the lesson that facts exist independent of our likes and dislikes. Good citizens are not tempted to deny the existence of a state prison. Good Christians are not tempted to doubt the existence of hell. Their good conduct preserves their good sense.

Every now and then the question is mooted in our public papers: “Does the Bible leach that there is a hell?" All the leading Christian denominations answer in the affirmative: "Yes, there is a Hell. The holy Bible teaches this plainly." The holy Bible records the following pertinent sayings of Jesus: ‘And if thy hand scandalize thee, cut it off: for it is better for thee to enter into life, maimed than having two hands to go into hell, into unquenchable fire: Where their worm dieth not, and the tire is not extinguished. And 1? tty foot scandalize thee, cut it off. If > is better for thee to enter lame into life everlasting, than having two feet, to be cast into the hell of unquenchable fire: Where their _worm dieth not, and the tire is not extinguished. And if thy eye scandalize thee, pluck it out. It Is better for thee with one eye to enter into the kingdom of God, than having two eyes to be cast into the hell of fire: Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not extinguished." St. Mark 9:42-47. In the twenty-fifth Chapter of St. Matthew s gospel Jesus Christ gives us a vivid discretion of the last judgment. He tells us that He will welcome the elect in these cordial words: “Come, ye blessed of my Father, possess you the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world." As reason for their election die assigns their deeds of charity. Jesus continues: "Then he shall say to them also that shall be on his left hand: Depart from me, you cursed, into everlasting fire which was prepared for the devil and his angels." (St. Matth. 25:41.) The reason for their damnation is lack of charity, want or good works. Here Jesus adds: “And these shall go into everlasting punishment: but the just into life , everlasting." St. Matthew 25:4 6. St. John, the beloved disciple of the Lord, tells us in his Apocalypse, also called Revelation, when speaking of the reprobates: "And the smoke of their torments shall ascend up for ever and ever; neither have they rest day nor night.” Apoc. 14:11. As God created a heaven, for the elect for those that serve Him faithfully, thus in equal justice He created a Hell for the reprobate, for those who live and die defying His laws and the graces of conversion. By the practice of charity and in the strict observance of the laws of God, everyone can save his immortal soul and thus avoid eternal torments. It is the wilful abuse of reason, and free will that brings damnation upon the sinner. God has revealed the fact that there is a Hell —FATHER V H. KRFLL, C . PP. C.