Wow, I didn't realize this had gotten so many responses.
Jeff: thank you for that. As I have mentioned here and to you, I am still wading my way through the Catechism, I do think it's going to take some time to get through it.
I just thought of something. Some months back I was watching Mother Angelica on EWTN. She was talking about hell. And in all honesty, she scared the crap out of me. The way she described hell, really did not match what I had thought the Catechism said. (Which now that you have kindly posted it, it doesn't.) In fact, her description, didn't even sound that biblical. I have to admit, I was really surprised. And I partly wonder if that was something that turned me off to The Church.
Tetra: Hmm, how true.
Abandoned: Wait, wait... the movie itself Did Not concentrate on hell. It touched on it at some point. Other then the fact that it was tear jerker, the movie was really good. Not at all what I expected, but very good.
5go: Lol, very cute. Actually I did a wiki search on Christian beliefs regarding hell and came up with this. Note the jw info at the bottom.
Foundmyway: For me, paganism just really expresses my thoughts on life and God, whatever and whoever God is. You could ask 100 pagans what they believe, and you might likely get 100 different answers. To me, that is perfectly ok and I love it. Everyone has a very different way of seeing God. Be it solely within themselves or a polytheistic pantheon of deities. It's all good. It may contradict at times, but then who of us can ever really say we have all the answers and know for sure what's out there? (I mean this in a non literal physic type way ahem)
I do think you are right. That it was invented to keep people following in fear. It kept them in line. Much the same way that fear of Armageddon keeps people in line in the Org.
Stealth: Again, I agree with this. It's a tool to keep people enslaved. Sad really.
thank you for the answers, and my apologies for losing track of it!!!!!