A Perspective on Fear of Damnation and Punishment at the End of Life
Last month a woman I met about 35 years ago passed on.
I had very little contact with her the last 15 years, but had been in the same religious community with her for the first 20 years.
When I knew her she had been terrified of death.
Actually, that's not quite true.
She had been terrified of being judged as having failed as a woman of God and being sent to hell after her death.
The View of a Judgmental God When she entered religious life as a Roman Catholic Sister, she entered at a time when religious life focused on perfection in every little thing.
The God she came to know was one of judgment and harshness.
She viewed God as someone who waited for you to sin and then was ready to cast you into hell for your offense even they were minor.
She was a kind and gentle woman.
She worked hard and was also afflicted with depression for most of her adult life.
I always thought she was amazing and loving.
She thought otherwise.
She looked at every little fault she had, every little sin, and, for some reason saw it as something God would could forgive.
She worried that she wasn't good enough to make it into heaven.
In her view of God as harsh and critical she missed the Divine Being of love and support.
The God of religion or of spirituality The Christian Bible consists of the two main divisions called the Old and New Testament.
The Old Testament is the Jewish scriptures, the first 5 books consisting of their most sacred writings known as the Torah.
When you read the Bible you can find support for almost any point of view.
If you want to believe in a Divine Being who is ready to punish and send people to hell, you can certainly find that.
There is also the God of love, compassion and salvation.
Religion often focuses on getting you to do what the powers that be want you to do.
Many religions do this by preaching hell and damnation if you don't follow the 10 Commandments and the laws of that particular religion.
Often the message of a God of love is not emphasized.
I don't know if this is because the heads of the religions believe people will only respond to threats and not to promises of love.
Spirituality takes you into the depths of yourself to a place which is, paradoxically, beyond yourself.
If you allow yourself to enter in to a world of spirituality rather than fear, you will meet the Divine Being of Love who wants you to live forever in a place of happiness and joy that many call heaven.
I had very little contact with her the last 15 years, but had been in the same religious community with her for the first 20 years.
When I knew her she had been terrified of death.
Actually, that's not quite true.
She had been terrified of being judged as having failed as a woman of God and being sent to hell after her death.
The View of a Judgmental God When she entered religious life as a Roman Catholic Sister, she entered at a time when religious life focused on perfection in every little thing.
The God she came to know was one of judgment and harshness.
She viewed God as someone who waited for you to sin and then was ready to cast you into hell for your offense even they were minor.
She was a kind and gentle woman.
She worked hard and was also afflicted with depression for most of her adult life.
I always thought she was amazing and loving.
She thought otherwise.
She looked at every little fault she had, every little sin, and, for some reason saw it as something God would could forgive.
She worried that she wasn't good enough to make it into heaven.
In her view of God as harsh and critical she missed the Divine Being of love and support.
The God of religion or of spirituality The Christian Bible consists of the two main divisions called the Old and New Testament.
The Old Testament is the Jewish scriptures, the first 5 books consisting of their most sacred writings known as the Torah.
When you read the Bible you can find support for almost any point of view.
If you want to believe in a Divine Being who is ready to punish and send people to hell, you can certainly find that.
There is also the God of love, compassion and salvation.
Religion often focuses on getting you to do what the powers that be want you to do.
Many religions do this by preaching hell and damnation if you don't follow the 10 Commandments and the laws of that particular religion.
Often the message of a God of love is not emphasized.
I don't know if this is because the heads of the religions believe people will only respond to threats and not to promises of love.
Spirituality takes you into the depths of yourself to a place which is, paradoxically, beyond yourself.
If you allow yourself to enter in to a world of spirituality rather than fear, you will meet the Divine Being of Love who wants you to live forever in a place of happiness and joy that many call heaven.