Do Catholics and Christians Do a Good Job Explaining Eternal Life ?

Msgr. Charles Pope has a good post at this place that touches on a central Catholic belief that like the Resurrection of the Body Catholic and Christians need to do a better job of explaining. That is living forever and forever amen. See What Is Eternal Life?

He includes in his throughts that Pope Benedict had as to this subject in his Encyclical Spe Salvi .


Perhaps many people reject the faith today simply because they do not find the prospect of eternal life attractive. What they desire is not eternal life at all, but this present life, for which faith in eternal life seems something of an impediment. To continue living for ever —endlessly—appears more like a curse than a gift. Death, admittedly, one would wish to postpone for as long as possible. But to live always, without end—this, all things considered, can only be monotonous and ultimately unbearable….The term “eternal life” is intended to give a name to this known “unknown”. Inevitably it is an inadequate term that creates confusion. “Eternal”, in fact, suggests to us the idea of something interminable, and this frightens us; “life” makes us think of the life that we know and love and do not want to lose, even though very often it brings more toil than satisfaction, so that while on the one hand we desire it, on the other hand we do not want it. (Spe Salvi, 10, 12).