The Evangelical Universalist Forum

Sarte's No Exit Purgatory

I want to call this discussion Sarte’s No Exit Purgatory. I was thinking about this play, as I am reading The Skeletons in God’s Closet: The Mercy of Hell, the Surprise of Judgment, the Hope of Holy War by Joshua Ryan Butler. In the book, his idea is to just have God exile the unrepentant. And Sarte’s play is about this:

Of course, to take this view, we need to look at Biblical descriptions of heaven and hell as metaphorical. But suppose this is the “punishment” for the univeralist perspective. Wouldn’t this as a purgatorial punishment - from a purgatorial or universalist’s perspective - be a fitting punishment, in and of itself? Thoughts anyone :question:

Of course, it could be worse. Like that Twilight Zone character, who wished he was surrounded with people like himself (i.e. click on 19:30 minutes into the program on YouTube). :exclamation: :laughing:

Was it Sartre that said “hell is other people”? I think being locked up with Sartre might be at least - heck. :laughing:

Randy said:

I have not read the book nor seen the play… That may count me out.

But… If we look at earthly life after Christ (his birth, dead and resurrection) as being necessary cause and effect, in other words, Christ’s sacrifice was only as complete as our belief in him may be, is not the universal reconciliation argument a non point?

If we have to believe (in this life), or do something, then Christ’s death was of no avail. If we have to be punished, did Christ’s cross really do what the gospel and epistles said it did?

Evangelicals (and the Bible) speak of being ‘born again’… why can’t that happen when one finds them self before the King of Kings? In an instant before the most incredible place and time we will ever behold? (when we cross from this life to the next) Why does this have to be so hard and there has to be punishment / refinement by fire involved? And if that is the case, can not God do that in and instant? Are not we just taking the ECT thought and re arranging it to suit our belief system? (obviously not eternal, but there seems to be torment involved)

Many here are very smart and can take minute things and make big discussions about it. Cool.

But I have to ask, ‘what did Christ really do for the world?’

Just an opinion

Maintenanceman, I was reading your post, and I must admit that I see things much differently. If we don’t believe in this life and do something, then I would say that Christ’s death was of no avail. For I believe that is why Jesus came to Earth, to raise us up from the living dead and show us how to live a better life in the here and now.

I tend to agree with you, in that the knowledge of what Christ has accomplished awakens us in this life.

My point is that Christ paid the whole price and reconciliation is complete without us having to pay any ‘extra’ penalty after we die.

I must not have been very clear :blush: