I wish that I could thank Dante for this fictional description of Hell because for starters, I have never been so intrigued about learning about Hell before! I have had plenty of discussions about the different "levels" of Heaven and Hell that might exist, but Dante puts it into a WHOLE new perspective. It was genius for him to classify the levels by the categories of sin, as not necessarily the quantity. People were punished according to their worst deeds, and those deeds that they committed were then used against them for eternal punishment. For instance, the philosophers in Hell could never acquire any hope through problem solving and critical thinking. It was pure torment to experience this....
I also enjoyed reading about the different types of ancient gods that existed in Hell. It was clever of Dante since be basically indirectly implied that God is superior to other religions. He basically put them in Hell to say that these religions are worthless, and that they will only get you INTO Hell.
After reading Inferno, it almost seems to put the fear of sinning back into you. I feel like today's generation has become numb to the Gospel and that we are no longer a God fearing people. We still do what we want to despite our knowledge of where that will get us. Personally, I do not have as much fear of doing wrong anymore, and I know that that is incredibly dangerous. However, it is descriptions and stories like these that help me to remember what this life is. I mean, I hate that I can lose care for my actions at times, but I believe that it is a stubbornness that exists in our human nature. What this generation needs to do is draw themselves back to God and to realize His power and what He can do. We need a fear of God placed in our hearts.
P.S. I commented on Jasmine's "Dante's Hell."
I personally take very little if anything of the Inferno to be factually true, what we have to do however is go to the word of God to formulate what we believe and the bible does not say anything about different layers of hell. As far as the man who has never heard the gospel, again we have to go to the word of God. Scripture says that we all have sinned and fallen short, and we all deserve hell, but it also says that when all else fails the rocks will cry out to the Lord. What I take this passage to mean is that even if men don't bring the gospel to a person it will be reveled to him by revelation, natural revelation first then through divine revelation and through this revelation he will come to the saving grace of Jesus Christ.
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