Matthew 7: 21-23
Would you hold it against the world for not paying attention to anti-semites before the Holocaust? It happened more than 69 years ago, after all.
Hate is hate, and it behooves all of us to pay attention to it.
Get me a nice place in Puerto Vallarta and I’ll do my part by moving away.
Actually, it is against Christian doctrine to say that Hell is empty. The Bible says that “Satan and his angels” were sent there, so that implies a population of at least three. Nearly empty, however, is still a possibility. Phelps (or Hitler, or Judas) being in Heaven is consistent with doctrine. That said, though, I’m not going to be the one to canonize any of them.
This might be a silly question, but how do we know that the thief wasn’t baptized? It seems unlikely, but he could have been right?
Only negative evidence. His name is never mentioned as a follower of Jesus or John the Baptist - only that he was a thief (meaning, perhaps, a political adversary of the Roman occupation). It’s possible that he was arrested along with Barabbas.
But no connection is described. Interestingly, Simon of Cyrene is mentioned in all three Synoptic Gospels as the one who carried Jesus’ cross, and Mark, considered the earliest of the Gospels, mentions Simon as father of Alexander and Rufus. Someone named Rufus is named in Romans. It is possible that it is the same person, and that is why the name is mentioned, or perhaps either Rufus or Alexander was well-known in the early Church. But no such connection is made for the other men crucified with Jesus.
So it is possible, but there is no evidence that he was baptized. Jesus never baptized anyone, and John the Baptist was long dead by that point.
So either it didn’t happen, or else the Gospel writers didn’t know about it.
Regards,
Shodan
Well, Lazarus is described as being in heaven, and (if you believe the Mariological interpretation of Revelation 12, like Catholics do) Mary is there as well. But you’re right that the Bible is notably cagey about stating exactly who is in heaven or hell. For good reason.
Speaking of the thief on the cross, does anyone know what types of thievery would have been punishable by crucifixion at that time?
He’s dead, he’s not anywhere.
His body is wherever they left it.
buterflies, I suppose he may have been a highwayman. One thing to remember when it comes to the crucifixion story, is that part of what’s supposed to impress about Jesus getting it like that is not just that it was extra cruel or painful, but that it was vile and shameful. It was how you executed rebel slaves, highwaymen, deserters; the death method for scum.
However that’s often explained as being the usage of the term word “hell” as in the sense of Hades/Sheol, the general Abode of the Dead, as opposed to the more common concept of Hell as the Place of the Damned; and that Jesus’ descent into Hell refers to the old Christian belief of the Harrowing of Hell, wherein the Christ releases the believers who died before the consummation of his sacrifice.
(This version was for the longest time also a justification of the notion of Limbo as an abode for the non-baptized righteous or innocent, and why Dante placed it in Hell’s front foyer, so to speak – they remain in isolation from God due to Original sin, but no need to put them to the fire for no fault of their own.)
Phelps is in heaven. However, considering who else is there with him he thinks he’s in hell.