Does the Orthodox Church have a direct doctrine about Hell? I've heard that She teaches what Heaven is for Christians is Hell for unbelievers. Is that a universal, sound teaching in the whole of the Orthodox Church or does anyone know for sure?
Thanks & God Bless†
I am not that familiar with early Fathers, but right now, here's what one can find on the doctrinal page of the Orthodox Church's Web site:
"The end-time will follow, with a permanent separation between good and evil, between those who will be awarded etemal life of happiness and bliss in heaven, and those who will be condemned to the fire of eternal damnation, to the eternal remorse of their conscience for having rejected God and authentic life in Him and having joined the inauthentic life invented by the devil and his servants."
http://www.goarch.org/en/ourfaith/articles/article8038.aspI don't see here any rigid connection with "believing/non-believing." Rather, hell is for those who consciously chose to join the devil and his demons, i.e. to remain unrepentant, proud, selfish, unkind to others etc.