Can people in heaven see people in hell?

Yorkshireman · #1 Apr 16, '10, 5:01 am

In my reading I came across a quote from Thomas Aquinas the medieval theologian. He said, "That the saints may enjoy their beatitude and the grace of God more abundantly they are permitted to see the punishment of the damned in hell."

I'm not at all comfortable with this. How can heaven be enjoyable if you can see people, even friends and relatives maybe, burning in hell?

vz71 · #2 Apr 16, '10, 5:13 am

Does the knowledge that there are people starving to death stop you from enjoying a juicy steak?

Seatuck · #3 Apr 16, '10, 5:21 am

Quote:

Originally Posted by Yorkshireman

In my reading I came across a quote from Thomas Aquinas the medieval theologian. He said, "That the saints may enjoy their beatitude and the grace of God more abundantly they are permitted to see the punishment of the damned in hell."

I'm not at all comfortable with this. How can heaven be enjoyable if you can see people, even friends and relatives maybe, burning in hell?

When you are in the Beatific Vision you will understand God's perfect plan which we cannot do now. So if that is the case that we see suffering we will be able to bear it through the grace of God.
St. Thomas may have speculated on that but I'm not sure that the church teaches that as a matter de fide.

Ron Conte · #4 Apr 16, '10, 5:24 am

The souls in Heaven know that the souls in Hell are suffering from the just punishments of God. They might even have some knowledge of particular persons and their just punishments, such as those who harmed them in their life. But the souls in Heaven do not wish to know anything inordinately, so they do not dwell on the just punishments of Hell, but on the goodness of God and of Heaven.

kage_ar · #5 Apr 16, '10, 6:17 am

The souls in heaven know that the souls in hell freely chose to go to hell and they understand that God is just and honors their decision.

Rascalking · #6 Apr 16, '10, 7:08 am

Quote:

Originally Posted by kage_ar

The souls in heaven know that the souls in hell freely chose to go to hell and they understand that God is just and honors their decision.

Even so, it breaks my heart to think that some people are suffering that punishment. Choice or not, forever is a mighty long time.

TedDC · #7 Apr 16, '10, 7:14 am

Quote:

Originally Posted by vz71

Does the knowledge that there are people starving to death stop you from enjoying a juicy steak?

To be relevant to the original post, the question should be: "Does the knowledge that there are people starving to death increase your enjoyment of a juicy steak?"

adv1sor · #8 Apr 16, '10, 7:26 am

Can people in heaven see people in hell?

Luke 16 would say that they can.

Rascalking · #9 Apr 16, '10, 7:28 am

I'm curious-why would anyone want to see that much horror and suffering?

kage_ar · #10 Apr 16, '10, 8:08 am

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rascalking

I'm curious-why would anyone want to see that much horror and suffering?

Right now, we think of it through a cloudy haze of this world, as St Paul said, we see through a glass darkly.

When we are in Heaven, we will see with clarity all of God's plan. We do NOT know what heaven will be like. We do know that we will have perfect happiness. If we need to see those separated from God to be perfectly happy, we will. If we need not to see that, we will not.

Yorkshireman · #11 Apr 16, '10, 8:31 am

Quote:

Originally Posted by vz71

Does the knowledge that there are people starving to death stop you from enjoying a juicy steak?

Well I couldn't eat a juicy steak if I had to see people starving to death while I was eating it. Especially if the starving person was a loved one.

Yorkshireman · #12 Apr 16, '10, 8:39 am

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ron Conte

The souls in Heaven know that the souls in Hell are suffering from the just punishments of God. They might even have some knowledge of particular persons and their just punishments, such as those who harmed them in their life.

You make it sound like God allows people in heaven to get vindictive pleasure from seeing others suffer in hell.

Rascalking · #13 Apr 16, '10, 8:41 am

Quote:

Originally Posted by kage_ar

Right now, we think of it through a cloudy haze of this world, as St Paul said, we see through a glass darkly.

When we are in Heaven, we will see with clarity all of God's plan. We do NOT know what heaven will be like. We do know that we will have perfect happiness. If we need to see those separated from God to be perfectly happy, we will. If we need not to see that, we will not.

Well, whatever works.

I still think that most people don't want to see this degree of suffering. It's sort of like walking into a cancer ward and thinking, "Those people smoked-hahahaha! They deserve this! Hahahahah!"

For the record, I don't smoke, I wouldn't reccomend it, but dying a slow death of cancer doesn't fit the "punishement" of smoking.

vz71 · #14 Apr 16, '10, 8:47 am

Quote:

Originally Posted by Yorkshireman

Well I couldn't eat a juicy steak if I had to see people starving to death while I was eating it. Especially if the starving person was a loved one.

Very good.

But what if the one starving is doing so of their own free will?

There is food in abundance, but they want no part of it.

Does it continue to interfere?

TedDC · #15 Apr 16, '10, 9:56 am

Quote:

Originally Posted by Yorkshireman

In my reading I came across a quote from Thomas Aquinas the medieval theologian. He said, "That the saints may enjoy their beatitude and the grace of God more abundantly they are permitted to see the punishment of the damned in hell."

I'm not at all comfortable with this. How can heaven be enjoyable if you can see people, even friends and relatives maybe, burning in hell?

In fact the quote is even more disturbing, since it suggests that part of the enjoyment of being in heaven comes from seeing people in hell.