Bikpaia—i Lait Strong o i Laik i Dai?

LONG yia 1740 samting, long Amerika, wanpela pasto Talatala (Jonathan Edwards) i save mekim ol stori nogut long bikpaia (hel) na em i pretim tru ol man i bin kam sindaun long dispela kantri. Wanpela taim em i stori long God i holim ol sinman antap long paia olsem spaida nogut. Pasto i krosim kongrigesen na i tok: “Sori, sinman, yu hangamap long liklik hap tret antap long paia bilong belhat bilong God, na paia i laik kukim tret na i bruk olgeta.”

Tasol bihain liklik long taim em i mekim dispela tok, i olsem bikpaia i laik i dai, long wanem, ol man i no bilip strong moa long paia bilong hel.a Wanpela buk i tok, “long yia 1740 samting, planti man i gat askim long dispela tok olsem ol man nogut i kisim pen oltaim.” (The Decline of Hell, bilong D. P. Walker) Kirap long yia 1800 na i kam, bilip bilong ol man long paia bilong hel i wok yet long i dai, na long yia 1950 samting nau ol man i no toktok moa long hel olsem dispela pasto i bin stori long en, em i tok hel em i ‘ples paia na ol man i stap long en i kisim pen nogut tru long tingting na long skin inap oltaim oltaim.’ Wanpela niusman (Jeffery Sheler) i tok, ‘Save bilong nau i daunim dispela bilip, na bikpela pen i bin painim ol man long Hirosima na ol Juda long Jemani (1939-1945), dispela i mekim na ol man i no pret moa long pen bilong paia bilong hel.’

Na planti pasto i no laikim moa tok bilong paia. Ol bikpela misin i no autim tok moa long paia bilong hel long haus lotu. Planti tisa bilong lotu i no stadi moa long hel. Sampela yia bipo wanpela man bilong raitim stori bilong lotu long bipo em i laik mekim wanpela tok long hel long yunivesiti, tasol em i no inap lukim dispela tok “hel” long buk bilong ol saveman. Olsem na wanpela nius (Newsweek) i tok, em i ting, “Hel i lus pinis, na i no gat man i save.”

Bikpaia i Kamap Bek

Hel i lus pinis? Nogat. Nau long sampela hap, tok bilong bikpaia i kamap bek, na planti man i kirap nogut. Ol i bin skelim tingting bilong sampela Amerika na long 1981 liklik hap lain tasol (53 pesen) i tok ol i bilip long bikpaia, tasol long 1990, planti moa (inap 60 pesen) ol i bilip. Na nau ol misin evanjelikal i kamap planti na ol i tokaut strong long bikpaia. Olsem na tru tumas, tingting bilong bikpaia i kamap bek long ol misin long olgeta hap.

Olsem wanem? Ol man nating tasol i bilip gen long en, o ol pris pasto tu? Sampela olpela misin i no bin lusim pasin bilong autim tok long en olsem pasto (Jonathan Edwards) 250 yia bipo. Long 1991 wanpela nius i tok: “Sampela olpela misin i orait long nupela tingting, nau ol tu i kirap long tingting gen long hel.” (U.S.News & World Report) Tru tumas, bilip bilong bikpaia i kamap bek long ol misin. Tasol olsem wanem long paia bilong en?

Sampela Askim

Wanpela tisa bilong lotu (W. F. Wolbrecht) i bilip strong olsem: “Hel em i hel, na i no gat wanpela laik o tingting bilong man inap senisim strafe bilong en i bilong oltaim.” Tasol planti man i go long lotu ol i no bilip strong olsem. Ol i bilip olsem hel em i stap, tasol ol i no save, em i ples paia o nogat. Narapela tisa bilong lotu i tok: “Mi bilip olsem hel em i stap tru; Baibel i tokaut olsem. Tasol em i wanem kain ples, em hatwok long save.” Em nau, planti tisa bilong lotu na ol man nating i bilip olsem hel em i stap, tasol ol i gat askim olsem: “Em i wanem kain ples?”

Bai yu tok wanem? Ol i bin lainim yu olsem hel em i wanem kain ples? Planti Kristen i givim bel long lotu, bilong wanem ol i tingting planti long dispela bilip?

[Ol Futnot]

[Piksa Kredit Lain long pes 2]

Cover: Doré’s illustration of Tumult and Escape for Dante’s Divine Comedy

[Piksa Kredit Lain long pes 3]

Doré’s illustration of Devils and Virgil for Dante’s Divine Comedy