I'm curious about this. Last Tradhican rightly replied that Limbo is a paradise in Hell.
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This is not a discussion about the limbo of the infants, so Last's mention of it is not relevant to this discussion.
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So one does wonder if a naturally virtuous pagan who didn't have supernatural faith but had few mortal sins could perhaps get something that is not quite that but maybe somewhat close to it, perhaps suffering the pain of loss alone, as is shown by Dante's 1st circle, or perhaps some mild torment.
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Our Lord said the wicked would be condemned to eternal fire, where there would be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Do you have any source that supports your view? It's not just Our Lord, but every saint I've ever read who spoke about Hell, that said it was a place of terrible suffering. I really don't understand what you gentlemens' basis is for saying there are people in Hell who don't suffer all that much.
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as is shown by Dante's
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Nothing is shown by Dante's Infero, as it is a work of fiction that is not intended to be a work of theology. I believe he even put canonized saints in Hell. It is not intended to be taken literally.
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From what I'm aware, the *images* of Hell in Scripture and Tradition are primarily intended to make people fearful to end up there (though that's not to say they aren't accurate, understand.) And since Scripture is written to Catholics, could we *speculate* that what's being described there is the kind of torment that Catholics who don't cooperate with the many graces they are given are going to end up with? And that perhaps, say, some Muslim in the sand dunes of Saudi Arabia who lives a naturally good life might end up with an eternity that's.... something closer to just living in Saudi Arabia?
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So you are going against what Scripture, theologians and the saints teach about Hell, about how it is a place of unimaginable torment. To answer your question, no, Catholics cannot speculate in that manner.
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I find the speculation interesting at any rate and I'm curious if anything would rule it out.
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Yes, as far as I know, every word I have ever read about Hell in Scripture, theology and the writings of the saints rules it out.