Hellish beliefs

Good Friday is, for Christians, a day to dwell on the dark side of human existence, so it is ironic that in 2018 the day saw a debate over Pope Francis’ belief in Hell. He was reported by a journalist friend, Eugenio Scalfari, to have suggested that, at death, sinners simply cease to exist while those who are saved enjoy eternal life.

As news spread, the Vatican further muddied the waters with a “non-denial denial” and it looks as if the Pope did endorse the doctrine of “conditional immortality”. The Holy Father is certainly not alone among Christians who believe eternal punishment to be inconsistent with the notion of a just, moral and omni-benevolent God.

Of course, there’s no clear indication of an afterlife in the Jewish scriptures from which Christianity springs, which are more concerned with life in the here and now. It was the Persians who gave us our notions of an afterlife but their gentle optimism envisaged the dead being purified and living in a joyful new world devoid of evil.

Eastern religions don’t share West’s notions of Hell – instead, they offer a release from the illusion and suffering of the present world. In fact, a survey of the Kirk’s attitudes to Hell carried out by St Andrews University reported that “even a new generation of more theologically conservative ministers find it deeply unattractive”. (REV DR) JOHN CAMERON,

Howard Place, St Andrews