The sheer brilliance of Dante’s work, The Inferno, has given us a view of hell that leads us to think it is an orderly place, with justice for all. Catholic Fundamentalism has a different view. It is certainly not as profound, but possibly worth considering.
To begin, how large is a soul? It is smaller than a brick. It is larger than an electron. Is it the size of a grain of sand? Is the soul a “spiritual” grain of sand? A spark that, unless dimmed by sin, glows brightly forever.
Let’s begin with the assumption that a soul is a spark, the size of a grain of sand. Some sparks are brighter and bigger, but the average is smaller than the period at the end of this sentence. About the size of a grain of sand.
There are a billion grains of sand in a cubic foot. Today, there are about five billion people. All those souls would fit in a box a foot square and five feet tall. All those souls take up less space than a small person. About 27 million souls per cubic yard.
About a hundred billion people have lived. Their souls would all fit in a 10′ x 10′ x 10′ cube. Ten by ten by ten. We may imagine the souls being sent to one of three of those cubes. The lowest cube is filled by the souls spending eternity in agony. Unlike Dante’s orderly picture of hell, Catholic Fundamentalism suggests that they may all be jammed rendomly in there. The box is alternatively frozen, roasted, and turned, much like the moon, alternatively freezing in the dark and baking in intense light. “Why would God bother with those who rejected him? Why not just cram ’em all in together? After all, they have their sin, hating God, in common.”
Hell’s Middle Cube is composed of the cubic yards of souls who were somewhat obedient. This may be where those in the looser schisms end up. They were baptized, and avoided many sins. The semi-faithful of many beliefs regretted the sins they did commit, but not enough to become Catholic and have them eradicated from their souls by priests empowered by His Church to do so. They may be spread out so they can look down at the lowest cube of endlessly suffering souls and be thankful “Glad I’m not down there!” And, they may look up at the souls above, and say, “Wish I’d had enough sense to be Catholic and have ended up there where everything is always perfect, including my happiness.”
When those in the middle think that thought, they look downward, taking solace in the fact they aren’t actually suffering anything more painful than eternal regrets.
Those in Heaven are in the huge structure described in Revelation 21. They are happy forever. A question: Do they look at the suffering and semi-suffering below and find more joy, knowing they aren’t with the lost below? Or, are they kept from such knowledge so their happiness may be greater?
That’s a question. Hopefully, a reader can answer it. God bless and save us all.
