Russell, Christ and Hell (an addendum to the previous)

 On further reflection, I will say this about Russell's holding believe in hell against Jesus. Whatever Jesus' metaphysical being may be--whatever it means to call him "the son of God" or "the second person of the trinity"--it's clear he was a more profound religious thinker than Bertrand Russell. Russell seems to suggest it might be possible to believe in Jesus if Jesus didn't believe in Hell. I have to say, I don't know what Hell is or may be. I'm sure it's not accurately described by Milton or Dante, great as those writers were. I'm sure it's described in the New Testament in figurative language because that's all that's available to us in these matters. Even the idea of eternity is described to us as endless time, one moment succeeding another there as it does here. But that is not likely. As every Buddhist will attest, that idea would eventually become tedious if we remain the beings we are are. God is outside time and space (something Russell doesn't want to deal with, it seems). We will be transformed; this is the claim of the New Testament. We don't know what we will be. Even the risen Christ as represented in the New Testament can only be a hint for us. But as for Hell, we have to understand that without some concept of Hell, Earth does not make sense. This life must be in some way preparation for the next life, and therefore how one lives this life must have consequences for eternity. C. S. Lewis suggests that Hell is not where God puts you but where you put yourself. That may be. William Blake suggests that what we call, in our symbolic language, Hell, is really Heaven. That too may be. 

I don't believe that Hell should properly function as a goad. It may with some people sometimes, and that might be better than the alternative if the alternative is actually to go there. But I will stand by my conviction that Christ's message is "Love one another" and "forgive one another." He came to give comfort not to condemn. He came to allay fear, not to prompt fear. Religion is about fear. Jesus is not. Religion has always been co-opted, was co-opted even before it uttered its first word, by those who would use it to do Hell's work. That must be resisted, but it can't be stopped. 

Love is hard. Perfect love is impossible, but we're here to learn how to do it, to practice it in a place where it needs to be practiced, not in a place where no need is. If God just ushers everyone into Heaven after the last day no matter what they did or tried or suffered on earth, then what is the point of this earthly existence? Don't get me wrong. I hope everyone gets to Heaven. And I don't know what Hell is. But I do know that Hell cannot be held against Jesus as evidence he didn't know what he was talking about. That Russell refused to see that--or in any case didn't see it--can be held against him as evidence he didn't care to find out what he was talking about.