Syncretistic Catholicism

another minority report

Syncretistic Catholicism where any Anglican, Episcopal, Roman & Orthodox

consensus informs core beliefs & divergences are received as valid theological
opinions

I believe it is impossible for anyone to go to hell

because …
I believe it is impossible for anyone to go to hell because

1. God WOULD not do otherwise than cause human beings to love him AND

2. human beings WOULD not do otherwise than love God, ergo

3. the concept, hell, could only refer to what’s commonly called purgatory.

Purgatory should more properly be conceived as a state. The purgatorial state

would necessarily be transitory. That’s to suggest that it will be much more so
instantaneous & precipitous and not so much some open-ended eventuality.
That’s because, even as a mere eventuality, it could at some point still
become disproportionately punitive, even notwithstanding that it would not
otherwise be everlasting.
In my view, the purgatorial state will be gifted as part & parcel of that same
immediate divine presence, which will impart the beatific vision to us all.

My belief that God would not do otherwise than cause human beings to love
him is based on the Anselmian principle: potuit, decuit, ergo fecit – twas
possible & FITTING, ergo accomplished.

My belief that human beings WOULD not do otherwise than love God is based
on realities like justification, impeccability & inancaritability, where, beyond
mere assent & refusal, authentic freedom can be realized, even, in one’s
absence of refusal, all as consistent with our natural inclinations (as defined
per Scotus to include our affection for justice).

The above does entail that – without sufficient knowledge – human persons
could not definitively reject God.

It also entails that – with sufficient knowledge – human persons WOULD not
definitively reject God, although it’s metaphysically possible that they could
(but would obviously lack any apparent reason to do so once gifted an
immediate divine presence).

Of course, none of this, in the least, entails that human persons could not sin
venially or seriously & gravely as well. Of course we can have sufficient
knowledge & freedom to sin, horrendously so.

How this all squares with other universalist stances, I can’t really say.

John Sobert Sylvest May 8, 2023 Uncategorized

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