We present in this issue the topic #77 from the Systematized Study of the Spiritist Doctrine, that is being presented weekly, according to the programme elaborated by the Brazilian Spiritist Federation (FEB), structured in 6 modules and 147 topics.

If the reader uses this program for a study group, we suggest that questions proposed be discussed freely before the reading of the text that follows. If you would like to study alone, we ask you to try to answer the questions at first and only then read the text that follows. The answer key can be found at the end of the lesson.

Questions

1. Is the doctrine of eternal punishment, constant in the Catholic theology, admitted by Spiritism?

2. What is the point we can make, based on Jesus’ teachings, about the doctrine of eternal punishment?

3. Where did the doctrine of eternal punishment come from?

4. What is the cause of unhappiness which is inflicted on most humans?

5. Is there in the Universe any placed reserved as Hell?

Text

The eternal punishment goes against the kindness of God  

1. The traditions of different peoples register the belief, intuitive many times, of punishment for the bad ones and reward for the good ones, in the after-life. With effect, before the immortality of the soul, reason and the feeling for justice take us to understand that must have been a different treatment according to our deeds. 

2. The doctrine of eternal punishment for those who break the laws of love, as well as the existence of hell, falls, however, at a thorough study. Reason leads us to the following premise: If the Spirit suffers because of the evil he did, his unhappiness must be proportional to his fault.

3. It is also considered that the eternal punishment does not go along with the Christian idea of justice and Divine mercy. Jesus gave testimony of Kindness and Love of God, as he said that our Father does not want any bad thing for us.

4. Reason leads us to consider that God is, according to Spiritism, an infinite being in his perfections, because it is philosophically impossible to conceive of the Creator in another way, once that, if He did not possess the infinity of His perfections, He would not be God, for there might be some other Being possessing the quality, which He lacked. Being, however, sovereignly just and good, we can’t believe that He created people to be eternally unhappy because of a fault or mistake, due to the own imperfection of man. 

Jesus revealed that God is just

5. The doctrine of eternal punishment within the Catholic theology was created from the primitive ideas which conceived the existence of an evil Creator – an angry and revengeful God, to whom the man attributed human characteristics.

6. The everlasting fire is a figure that the man used to materialize the idea of hell, so to reveal the cruelty of the punishment, as the fire is the most destructive one. These ideas fit, in a certain period of the History, to control the passions of the still imperfect creatures, but they don’t fit anymore, if we look at them logically. 

7. Jesus used the figures of hell and everlasting fire so that the men could understand him. The strong images he used were, then, necessary to impress the imagination of individuals who couldn’t understand the things of the Spirit and whose reality was closer to the matter and physical phenomena. But Jesus also emphasized the idea of God as a merciful Father. 

8. The Divine Justice, according to Spiritism, happens to the man no to inflict punishment, but with the sole intent to drive him onto good things. God created the Spirits to progress in knowledge and love. This evolution can only take place in the physical and spiritual dimension, and the pain is the stimulus the Providence uses for those who only understand such a language, always aiming for our progress.  

There are no places reserved for Hell in the Universe 

9. Unhappiness is, therefore, the reflection of the imperfection of the Spirit and exists for the sake of progress. The punishment is not eternal, because evil is not. As the creature progresses in love and wisdom, the suffering eases, and time will come when the evilest heart will be touched by the love of Jesus. 

10. Happiness and unhappiness are, this way, proportional to the accomplishments and conquests effected registered by the human creature in its evolving experiences. The harmonized conscience with the Divine will reflects the sheer love and aims the good; inner peace and happiness at its peak are the result of that. 

11. The man who is inner unbalanced, as he goes for bad things, incurs in the mechanisms of the Divine Justice, which, through pain or suffering, make him to repair his faults. It is up to the man the length of his sufferings. The earlier he uses his free-will to progress, earlier he will be released from pain. 

12. There are no places reserved for Hell in the Universe, because pain, regardless of the place it happens, makes the man change. There are, though, places of punishment in the invisible plan, in which suffering comes in different intensity. But these places are not like hell in its acceptation, since they are transitional, and will cease as the creatures evolve. 

Answer Key 

1. Is the doctrine of eternal punishment, constant in the Catholic theology, admitted by Spiritism? 

A.: No. The doctrine of eternal punishment for those who break the laws of love, as well as the existence of hell, falls, however, at a thorough study. Reason leads us to the following premise: If the Spirit suffers because of the evil he did, his unhappiness must be proportional to his fault.   

2. What is the point we can make, based on Jesus’ teachings, about the doctrine of eternal punishment? 

A.: It is also considered that the eternal punishment does not go along with the Christian idea of justice and Divine mercy. Jesus gave testimony of Kindness and Love of God, as he said that our Father does not want any bad thing for us.

3. Where did the doctrine of eternal punishment come from?

A.: The doctrine of eternal punishment within the Catholic theology was created from the primitive ideas which conceived the existence of an evil Creator – an angry and revengeful God, to whom the man attributed human characteristics.

4. What is the cause of unhappiness which is inflicted on most humans? 

A.: Unhappiness is, therefore, the reflection of the imperfection of the Spirit and exists for the sake of progress. The punishment is not eternal, because evil is not. As the creature progresses in love and wisdom, the suffering eases, and time will come when the evilest heart will be touched by the love of Jesus. 

5. Is there in the Universe any placed reserved as Hell? 

A.: No. There are no places reserved for Hell in the Universe, because pain, regardless of the place it happens, makes the man change. There are, though, places of punishment in the invisible plan, in which suffering comes in different intensity. But these places are not like hell in its acceptation, since they are transitional, and will cease as the creatures evolve. 

Bibliography: 

Heaven and Hell, by Allan Kardec, Part 1, items 2, 7, 10, 21 and 33.

Matthew, 5:44-48 and 18:14.  

John, 6:39 and 10:16.

The Consoler, by Emmanuel, psychographed by Chico Xavier, item 244.