On the fairness and fire-ness of hell
“What are you in for?”
The convicted serial burglar crossed his tattooed arms behind his head as he lay back on his bunk and examined his new roommate. He always thought it best to know just what kind of criminal he’s been locked up with.
“I didn’t take the pardon. That’s what.”
The burglar furrowed his brow in confusion at the new inmate’s response. “Pardon for what? What’s the crime for which you are doing the time, numbskull?”
“I told you. I refused the pardon and they sent me here. That’s my crime. Now shut up and leave me alone.”
As the new guy climbed onto the top bunk, mumbling about injustice and petty spitefulness, the other shook his head in disbelief. The idiot doesn’t even know why he’s here, he thought. No wonder he didn’t take the pardon. He’s a goddamn fool.
A common objection to Christianity charges God with petty injustice for sending otherwise decent people to hell merely for being unconvinced of his existence. But that’s a misperception, as the above scenario demonstrates. Sin…our personal, willful disobedience to God’s commands…is what merits us hell; belief and trust in God is what secures for us a pardon from that sentence. If we are capable of belief and choose unbelief instead, we are choosing to reject a pardon which we do not deserve, thereby consigning us to a punishment we do deserve.
So although it is technically accurate to say those in hell will be there because of their unbelief, it is only in the same sense that a person:
- died because he didn’t take his prescribed medications (the illness is what killed him)
- got wet because she didn’t have an umbrella (the rain is what made her wet)
- was convicted and jailed because he didn’t take a plea deal (his guilt is what merited his punishment)
Now, regarding the question of whether a place of eternal torment is a just punishment for seemingly petty or harmless sins like lying, greed, and pride, I share the skeptic’s assessment that it appears to be a bit extreme. But here are some propositions that help me make sense of it.
- God is clearly revealed as just, and even merciful. It is not possible for a perfect, unchanging, wholly good, just God to oppose his own character and act unjustly. So even if with our limited knowledge and understanding hell seems undeserved and extreme, we can believe that those who end up there are receiving a just sentence.
- Biblical descriptions of hell as a “lake of fire” or “fiery furnace” are most reasonably understood as symbolic language meant to vividly depict a place no one wants to be. Fire consumes and then burns out, but the inhabitants of hell are not consumed. They are immortal, just as are those in heaven. In addition, hell is also described as utter darkness, but fire gives light. So it seems that the fire imagery is metaphorical.
- Hell will be hellish because God will not be there, and everything good comes from him. Some may think an eternal place away from the one who makes demands on them where they can sin all they want sounds more like heaven. But I think that’s why God describes hell as fiery torment. We have no idea how utterly awful an existence without him would be, and he wants us to know it so that we will choose him over our sin.
- Ultimately, hell is just God giving people what they want…a Godless existence. Because he respects our freedom of choice he will not force us to choose him. Though he wants all to be saved, in the end he will have to say to those who reject him, “Your will be done.”
- And finally, we all know there are genuinely evil people in this world…some even in our own circles. And we know how wrong it would be if they did not receive their just punishment. Imagine if all the 9/11 terrorists were really welcomed into the arms of dozens of beautiful virgins upon their deaths as they believed they would be instead of finding themselves standing before a just and holy, and very angry God. Without the punishment of hell there would be no ultimate justice.
Concluding that God does not exist because the concept of hell seems unjust is unreasonable and unwise. We must look at all the available evidence if we hope to arrive at the truth, and it’s squarely on the side of theism. It is also unwise for finite and fallible defendants to expect to fully know and understand their infinite, omnipotent, all-wise Judge. Better to acknowledge our limitations, confess our crimes, and throw ourselves on the mercy of the court.
And then gratefully take the pardon.
Is it possible to demonstrate that such a place as hell actually exists, apart from referring to the NT?
LikeLike
Not that I can think of, no.
LikeLike
Many Christians don’t necessarily believe in a literal hell. Edward fudge comes to mind with a type of ‘conditional eternal life’ for believers, cessation of existence for the rest. Others believe in anihilation.
LikeLike
Pingback: Fear that saves | a reasonable faith
I have cut all family out of my life that believes in this toxic theology. That anyone can delude themself into assuming the idea of eternal conscious torment is just and we can’t understand it with our limited mortal minds is morally repugnant. Anyone that can rationalize that with their conscience is evil and a threat to society, these are the kind of people that would kill their child if convinced that their made up god told them so.
People are leaving Christianity at an accelerating rate, western society is coming to its senses that Christianity and its cohort of sociopath believers deserve no place in the public square. That they CHOOSE to worship their morally evil and repugnant god disqualifies them from any reasonable influence for society. You that believe the vileness of this post are not salt and light, you are not living and just, for there is no instance that anyone or anything should lead to the punishment of hell. Oh the wickedness of sin! I could save a billion children from death and disease, yet god understands that this means nothing, he prefers the truly repentant serial killer that strokes gods ego.
I consider the first amendment to also guarantee the right to freedom FROM religion. This privileged cult is the skid mark stain on human intellectual and moral development. Christians are not good people, they must be marginalized for their repugnance. A modern society cannot function with the disgusting views this woman has. Her mind is poisoned, and she can’t be convinced she is fooled without being a lunatic and saying Satan must be tempting her. Really? Luckily I have the tooth fairy as a bodyguard and she’s badass.
the Christian’s in my life have finally realized that I and all my generation think they are disgusting monsters and a menace to our children. Once a Christian tried to convince my daughter of original sin, I was so proud to see her look of nausea at what this Christian believed yet was winsome and smiling while saying it. “Dad, what is wrong with them?” I tell her the truth, that what was described by this person was a delusion and that the problem is not “original sin” but rather communally accepted mental illness. Christians have been shown to be less intelligent and can’t access logic like most people, and she said “that explains a lot.” Luckily she wasn’t bothered for herself, just felt bad for the Christian and her inability to do basic reality testing. Christians, I explained, are willfully archaic and regressive due to inabilities to cope with reality.
And I do agree with the author that there is much we don’t understand, but not because there is an infinite invisible sky genie with all the true knowledge and wisdom beyond our meager minds that is written in CIA code by a bunch of 2000 yr old schizophrenics. As my science teacher said, the natural world clearly demonstrates a petty, vindictive, overly harsh and evil creator. This created also loved to get drunk and create, explaining the creation of a doomed primate and the creation of the platypus.
please pray for my poor heathen soul, pray for my faithless daughter that lives people and animals but will still deserve hell. How gross we are. (Just kidding, I couldn’t be prouder of the life of love and respect we show the world, we are spreading the word of anti theism, and so far we’ve gotten 8 family members to ditch church and incredulous to “the stupid stuff I used to think was true and actually good, I was brainwashed.” It’s ok, all Christians are
(I’m sure this won’t be posted, it’s too offensive for the thin skinned magic believers)
LikeLike
You’ve made a lot of unsubstantiated claims here, Ryan. But never mind all that. I’d like to ask you a question: On what basis do you judge Christians, and God himself, to be morally deficient…as “evil and repugnant”? What is your standard of morality by which you can measure people’s behavior and beliefs, and where did it come from?
LikeLike