The Economics of Eternal Damnation.

Posted on the new Theology for Dummies with regard to "Hipster Rob Bell “Discusses” Universalism."


A thought has been slowly developing in me based on a Thomistic insight. What if the existence of Hell, with the real possibility of damnation and all that implies, is necessary for our salvation simply because we are embodied beings?

We are embodied intellectuals beings. This means chiefly two things - first, we have temporal wants, and, second, we inhabit an intellectual world that is largely our own. This would tend to mean that we might overvalue our own temporal goods at the expense of collective goods and spiritual goods. Not surprisingly, we tend to "overconsume" immediate, temporal goods and "externalize" onto other people the costs of our overconsumption. We might call this "sin" as when we steal something belonging to another becuse we want it now.

One way to force us to "internalize" the true costs of our embodied nature is to pose a cost on us. Because of our calculating, concupiscent, economic nature, the less immediate that cost, the higher the cost has to be when imposed and the more credible the threat of imposition has to be.

We can see evidence of this practical reality of human nature from this study of comparitive behavior between Christians and nonbelievers, which concludes that there is no difference between the behavior of Christians and non-believers when it comes to cheating, unless the Christian believes in a "mean and retributive" God.

Now if behavior is important to salvation, then, ironically, Bell's preaching about a loving God who (probably) doesn't sen anyone to Hell is exactly the wrong message to preach if the aim is to save souls.

What do you think?