European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - January 22, 1994, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 10 the stars and stripes religion saturday january 22,1994 new improved hell in t just fire and Brimstone by Roy Rivenburg los Angeles times just when it seemed Safe to enter the afterlife Eter Nal damnation has returned. That glowing Light at the end of the Tunnel the Story goes might be a blast Furnace. Hell after practically vanishing from Public thought in recent decades is making a comeback in a Rush of new books philosophical debates and accounts of near death experiences. It also has been remodeler. Since Dante left the place has been overhauled by everyone from Catholic priests to far Side cartoonist Gary Larson. The result a state of the Art hades with such innovations As constant psychological torment a skyscraper sized human Popcorn Popper and unending Muzak and mimes. Its location has changed too. During the 1700s, scientists theorized that hell was on the Sun or aboard a Comet. Today theologians believe it less a place than a spiritual state. Then again it might be underneath Western Siberia. In 1990, the Wacky weekly world news reported that soviet engineers had found hell there while drilling for Oil. They allegedly sealed it off after smelling smoke and hearing the wails of the dam Ned. V \ ".  and wherever it is hell ranks As one of his tory s most influential concepts historian Ala Bernstein said. And one of its most misunderstood. The popular image of hell has next to nothing to do with the doctrine of it said father Augustine Dinoia a theologian for the National conference of Catholic Bishops it is flame free and people go there by Choice. God in t some vindictive judge sending humans to a place of punishment he explained echoing the views of mainline protestants and conservative evangelicals. If that were the Case he would be a  so then what is hell and who ends up there the latest Christian thinking locates hades in some sort of invisible dimension. If souls Don t occupy space As we know it theologians reason neither does hell. It exists but it s not a place said . Moreland a philosophy professor at Biola University in la Mirada calif., and co author of immortality the other Side of death. -. It s like numbers. They re real but no one knows where they Are he said. Therefore hell s pain is More spiritual than physical. It s like the misery of a broken love Dinoia said. Suppose you marry a superficially very attractive Man of woman Only to find out later that he or she married you just for your Money. And suppose that in fit Illus Rolion order to marry this person you gave up someone who really loved you. The pain you d feel in knowing you chose the wrong person is what hell is  in the same Way he said people who choose a life apart from god s love will spent eternity quarantined from him knowing they made the wrong Choice. Can t they change their minds once they realize their mistake the answer is complicated and controversial. For starters Moreland said god wants people to choose him freely which becomes impossible after death at that Point it s not really a Choice to be with god. It s merely an attempt to avoid  also people who end up in hell Don t want to be with god. The decisions they be made in life and the kind of person they be become Don t fit in with him Dinoia said. They d be like fast food addicts in a great French restaurant he said. Visions of the nether world among a or religions by the los Angeles times in one form or another hell figures into the beliefs of almost every major world religion. Hinduism souls on the Way to reincarnation must first Stop off in one of 21 hindu Hells to be purged of bad Karma. Among the tortures getting cooked in a Jar or eaten by crows. Islam Given this Faith s harsh temporal punish ments one might expect a particularly horrendous hades. Instead Muslim hell is remarkably similar to other abodes of the damned. After death each soul must follow the path a narrow Bridge leading to Paradise. Those who Are judged unworthy fall off into a Crater of fire. Some believe that the flames Are literal others consider them figurative says Maher hath out chairman of the islamic Center of Southern California. The Koran does t say whether hell is eternal. Buddhism tibetan buddhism lists eight cold Hells while classical buddhism Speaks of seven hot ones Complete with torture Chambers flaming pits and quagmires. Buddhists Don t believe in souls so the torments Are experienced by a person s five senses. Judaism until the 18th and 19th centuries hades was a common fixture in jewish religious thought. Although hebrew scriptures did t men Tion a place of eternal punishment rabbinical tradition from about 200 . Forward developed an elaborate concept of afterlife torment called Gehenna. Early literature depicted sinners boiling in human excrement or being flayed and burned later interpretations Allegro sized the threat said Richard Hecht a religious studies professor at the University of California Santa Barbara. In the 1700s, philosophers began arguing that hell did t conform to the idea of a merciful god. Today with the exception of Judaism s orthodox Branch jews have abandoned the ideas of hell and an afterlife. Vatican urges tighter training of clergy Vatican City a Bishops and others responsible for training student priests need to set firm examples of behaviour and identify seminarians not ready for the Priesthood s demands a Vatican document advised last week. The responsibilities of Priesthood training have caught the Public s attention following cases of alleged sex abuse in seminaries and Church run institutions. The document warned that educators clergy Aswell As Lay teachers educators should be sufficiently prepared to assess whether a future priest has the maturity and Faith to carry out the vocation. The document does t mention celibacy but makes references to  Blacks saved from bomb celebrate with Fri agents from wire reports los Angeles members of a Black Church have hugged Fri agents in a moving service to thank them for foiling White supremacists from bombing the congregation. The ceremony of song and prayer was held sunday at first african methodist episcopal Church in South los Angeles where members also presented the agents with plaques Reading you have Given us  we were in Shock when we first heard about this the plot said Church member Glenice Como. We owe these agents everything. We owe them our  police detective and a Federal attorney also were honoured for their roles in  probe of White supremacist groups in Southern California. The Effort thwarted an alleged scheme by the fourth Reich skinheads to blow up the first ame Church and Rake its members with gunfire. Christopher Fisher Leader of the fourth Reich skinheads,.was sentenced last week to More than eight years in Federal prison for plotting to bomb several churches including first ame and to kill noted Blacks and jews. Carl Daniel Boese was sentenced to nearly five years in prison. Both had pleaded guilty to arson and conspiracy charges. Church to increase safety Austin Texas the pastor of a Church where Bible study class members were robbed recently says his Church is reluctantly taking Security precautions. A lot of people think a Church ought to be a Sanctuary a Safe place from put society and culture and that s not even True said John Babcock a pastor and business administrator at Grace covenant Church. Members of a new Bible study class at the Church s Library were waiting for a few stragglers last week when a baby faced teen Ager robbed the 11 Middle aged women at gunpoint and then ran away. Leaders of the Large nondenominational Church have decided not to use the Library a Small building somewhat isolated from the rest of the Church for night meetings any More Babcock said. They also plan to put up More lights at the Church and Are reluctantly considering hiring Security guards Babcock said. Baptists vow to end feud Greenville . Conservative and moderate baptists in South Carolina May be ready to Call a truce on political spats leaders of the South Carolina Baptist convention say. Baptists Are deciding to concentrate instead on declining memberships and other problems said president Steve Hogg and executive Directo Carlisle Driggers. I m discovering that so Many persons who Are baby Boomer types Are saying to me to not concerned about denominational politics. I am concerned about the Church i serve "  Hogg a conservative said he has made a Public commitment to appoint both moderates and conservatives to a top committee. We won t get completely out of it overnight but i think we re Well on our Way Hogg said. Vatican meets Plo group Vatican City a Vatican meeting this week with a Plo delegation is the Start of planned higher profile meetings by roman Catholic Leader with palestinians. The Plo delegation met monday with monsignor Claudio Maria Celli the Vatican s undersecretary of foreign affairs who signed an agreement for diplomatic relations with Israel late last year. A Vatican statement described the meeting As the Start of a phase of More frequent contacts and a More official dialogue Between the holy see an palestinian representatives. Pope John Paul ii has met twice with Palestine liberation organization chairman Yasser Arafat at the Vatican in 1982 and 1988. But meetings with Low level officials have been infrequent. Monday s Vatican statement said the Long and warm meeting was mainly dedicated to an examination of the peace talks in the holy land and the Vatican s position on Jerusalem. In signing the Accord recognizing Israel on dec. 30, the Vatican made Clear that it intended to be sensitive to Arab concerns