Is What We've Been Taught About Hell True?

Is Hell real? When we look through religious literature at how hell is used, we see that hell is used as a threat. The threat is that you must believe a certain way (that is suspiciously in agreement with the beliefs of the speaker) or you will be burned and tormented in hell forever. Let's take a look at this. Is the only way that God can get people “saved” to threaten them with hell unless they “repent”?

Many modern day preachers seem to try to scare people out of hell into heaven. But is Hell real?

An example of some religious teachings about hell:

From reading the above mention web page about hell, one might assume that the purpose of hell is:

• to scare people into "coming to God". With so many preachers using hell in their sermons, it is obvious that God can't get people to come to him unless he "scares the hell out of them."
• and to "punish evil-doers throughout eternity

But, Is that True? Is there really a hell?

To listen to many preachers, you would think that the purpose of hell is to keep people on the "straight and narrow" road. The logic behind this would seem to be that God gives us "free will", but he has to scare the living daylights out of us for us to choose him. We are told that God created mankind with free will, and yet we are told that if we don't "chose" to follow God, then we will be sent to hell to be punished and tortured forever.

It has been said that God made man with "free will" because he wanted man "to freely choose" to accept him. Then, if hell is true, that means that if anyone doesn't "freely choose" to come to God, he is sent to hell to be punished and tortured forever and forever. This is free will?

Some Questions about the Concept of Hell:

If there truly is a hell, then let's look at these questions.

• If hell is true, did God plan it from the beginning of time OR was it an afterthought
• If hell is real, when was it created?
  • Did God created hell at the same time he created the heavens and the earth?
    • If so, then that would mean that God knew in advance that people would "fall away".
  • OR Did God create hell afterwards?
  •  
• If hell is real, then who created hell?
  • If God is the creator of all things, then does that mean that God created hell?
  • If God didn't create hell, then that means that God is NOT the creator of all things.
• If hell is real, then why was it created?
  • Was hell created because God failed in his creation of the perfect man?
  • Was hell created because God is retaliating against man for disobeying him
• If hell is real, then what is its purpose?
  • If hell is real then is God using it as a device to scare men into following him?

If hell is true, then it means that:

• before the foundation of the world God's plan was for many people to go to hell. This would mean that God knew that his plan for mankind wouldn't work and that he'd have to scare them into living right. OR it would mean that God likes to torture and torment people.
• OR hell was an afterthought because he found out that his plan wasn't working.
• God didn't do a very good job making man to be good enough to escape hell
• OR hell is part of God's plan from the beginning, which means that
  • God planned to torture people for eternity because .....

Modern day Christianity has taught us that God is loving, kind, faithful, etc. At the same time, it teaches us that if someone doesn't "accept Jesus Christ as Lord and savior" that God will send that person to hell to be punished and tortured forever and ever. Quite frankly, if this was true, God sounds like a vengeful mean and cruel God. It is no wonder that so many people walk away from this portrayal of God.

Quite frankly, I don't believe that God is like that.

In reality, if we are truly living our life according to God's will, then does it really make any difference whether or not there really is a hell.

Is God capable of making things as they are supposed to be?

Free Will

The whole idea of there being a hell goes against what God is all about.

Going back to the idea of "Free Will". If you were put up against a wall in front of a firing squad and told that you could leave there any time that you wanted, but if you left you would be shot, is this free will? How is the concept of hell any different. "You have the freewill to reject God, but if you do you will burn in hell forever and forever.

A conversion under threat?

"A person convinced against his will is of the same opinion still." If someone "accepts Christ" and is "converted" ONLY because they are afraid that they will go to hell, then they aren't truly changed. Instead, they are just living in fear and pretending to be a "christian".

If God is all powerful and all knowing then don't you think he would know know about any coerced “conversions”? Is a coerced conversion (made under threat of everlasting punishment) a real conversion?

If you will look seriously at many typical Christian “plan of salvation” preaching, how much coercion is involved? 

• 1. T. Watkins, “The Truth About Hell”, 1995. [Online]. Available: http://www.av1611.org/hell.html.