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November 6, 2005 Mural Worthey A Major Objection to Christianity:
Hell Introduction On Wednesday evenings, we have been studying
“Criticisms of Christianity.” One of the
major objections to the Bible is its teaching on hell. Critics and unbelievers often point to this
doctrine as being unacceptable and out of harmony with a God of love and
compassion. Someone wrote that the
doctrine of hell is “the most difficult to defend, the most burdensome to believe,
and the easiest to abandon.” I want to
discuss this objection to the Christian Faith. Quotations Objecting “There is one very serious defect in my mind
in Christ’s moral character, and that is that He believed in hell. I do not myself feel that any person who is
really profoundly humane can believe in everlasting punishment. Christ certainly as depicted in the Gospels
did believe in everlasting punishment, and one does find repeatedly a
vindictive fury against those people who would not listen to His preaching—an
attitude which is not uncommon with preachers, but which does somewhat detract
from superlative excellence. . . Christ said, ‘Ye serpents, ye generation of
vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell.’ That was said to people who did not like His
preaching. It is not really to my mind
quite the best tone.” (“Why I Am Not a
Christian,” Bertrand Russell, lecture presented in “I will call no being good who is not what I mean when I apply that epithet to my fellow
creatures: And if such a Being can sentence me to hell for not so calling him,
to hell I will go.” (John Stuart Mill as
quoted in The Wisdom of Israel, John Paterson, 14-15.) “It
seems to me now that the idea of hell is so disgusting that it makes a mockery
even of the most terrible horrors of WW2. For people to believe in it or even seriously
entertain the idea makes me wonder if we have learnt anything about human
compassion, cruelty and our real needs. It really seems to me that the idea is
so vindictive and abhorrent that it is a very serious moral defect for anyone
to believe in it with any kind of understanding of what it means. The fact that
the church throughout the ages and that Jesus and The
quotes could be greatly extended. But
they say much the same thing. For many different
reasons, many reject the very idea of hell finding it incompatible with the
nature of God and the goodness of humanity.
Is hell an outdated doctrine?
Should Christians believe it today? Clarifying
the Issue If I
were to be asked if I like the idea of hell, the answer is without hesitation,
“I wish that hell did not exist.” But
that does not change the fact that the Bible clearly teaches that hell does
exist. William Lane Craig, a Christian
philosopher, wrote: “No orthodox Christian likes the doctrine of hell or
delights in anyone’s condemnation. I
truly wish that universalism were true, but it is not.” (“No Other Name,” Faith and Philosophy
6, no. 2 (April 1989), 186.)
Neither is there any indication in Scripture that God delights in hell. In fact, we find just the opposite. Note these words: “Say unto them, As I live
saith the Lord, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the
wicked turn from his way and live. Turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for
why will you die, O house of If I
were to be asked if I understood God’s reasons for preparing such a place for
the ungodly, I would reply that God’s thoughts and ways are not ours. (Isaiah 55:8-9.) Think for a moment about how understanding
death is so overwhelming to a child.
Yet, death occurs to those we love.
Just as a child does not understand the why of death, I do not
understand all the reasons for hell. Yet,
it remains in the Book. My protests will
not remove it. Compared to God, our
thoughts and ways are like a small child before the Infinite God. The
issue then is not whether I like it, or understand it, or even approve of the
reality of hell. The real issue is
whether belief in hell is so contrary to reason that we should abandon the
Bible because of it. Why
Such Objections The
argument is that the existence of hell is contrary to a God of love. But the nature of God includes more than
love, especially man’s definition of love.
The Bible does not conceal the fact that God is just and holy. He will take vengeance against evildoers.
“Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God. On them which fell, severity, but toward thee
goodness if thou continue in his goodness; otherwise, thou also shalt be cut
off.” ( “For
we know him that hath saith, Vengeance belongs to me; I will recompense, saith
the Lord. And again, The Lord shall
judge his people. It is a fearful thing
to fall into the hands of the living God.”
(Heb. 10:30-31, Deut. 32:35, 36.) “Let
us serve God acceptably with reverence and a godly fear, for our God is a
consuming fire.” (Heb. 12:29.) The
objection, then, is that men do not like to entertain the idea that God will
punish evildoers. What would unbelievers
have God to do to satisfy them? Would
they be in favor for any punishment for sin against God? If so, what kind of punishment? How would you propose that someone like
Hitler, Stalin, or Mussolini be punished? The
truth is that those, who like to criticize God for his stand against evil, take
no stand at all against such atrocities as those political leaders who murdered
millions of innocent people. They would
prefer that they go free and not even serve any time in jail, much less in
hell. Listen to what Clarence Darrow
said in a speech to officers of penal institutions in “I
don’t believe in your prisons. Let ‘em
all out, I say!” He reasoned that if man
evolved from lower forms, then he does really possess free will. He is simple acting on impulse and is not
really responsible for his behavior. He
compared man to an automobile that breaks down mechanically. You simply get it fixed; you do not punish
the car. Why
are so many opposed to capital punishment, to war, and to disciplining children
at home or in school? They believe that
any punishment is wrong. If people
reject the very idea that man is a responsible being, then they will naturally
reject any form of punishment. Capital
punishment, war and even eternal punishment holds to a high view of man. Those who do not believe that man is
responsible naturally holds to a low view of man; i.e., an evolutionary
view. What if someone killed you son or
daughter? The courts decided that the
criminal should not even serve jail time.
He could do just a few hours of community service and then go free. Is that justice? Does that reflect the value of human life or
degrade it. I maintain that it denies
the value and dignity of human life. What
are the alternatives? What
are the alternatives to hell? What would
critics do in the place of having a place of everlasting punishment? Here are some alternatives: 1) Remove hell
altogether. If so, then there would
be no consequences to evil deeds that men do.
Wickedness would be held to be just as acceptable as godliness. Murderers are the same as though who love
their neighbors. Our society is quickly
accepting all behavior as equal. Do not
say anything against homosexuality, sexual perversions, or unnatural acts
because there is really nothing wrong with such deeds. Frank Borman wrote, “Christianity without
hell is a toothless religion.” 2) Lighten
the punishment. Some would accept
purgatory, or a place of temporary punishment. We could lessen the
punishment. I do not believe that the
Bible teaches that all lost people will suffer in the same way or extent. Jesus said to Pilate, “Those who delivered me
to you hath committed the greater sin.”
(John 19:11.) Jesus said, “That
servant, which knew his lord’s will, and prepared not himself, neither did
according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes. But he that knew not, and did commit things
worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes. For unto whomsoever much is given, of him
shall be much required. And to whom men
have committed much, of him they will ask the more.” (Luke 12:47-49.) Would you allow Stalin back in power after a
few years in jail? Would you let the
murderers who flew the airplanes into the Who
are we, as mere men, to tell God what he should and can do to those who disobey
him? This illustrates the real
problem—men want to do as they will and disregard the will of God. “What though the field be lost? All is not lost—the unconquerable will, And
study of revenge, immortal hate, And courage never to submit or yield. And what is else not to be overcome? That glory never shall his wrath or might
extort from me. Farewell, happy fields, where joy forever
dwells! Hail, horrors! Hail infernal
world! And thou profoundest Hell,
receive thy new possessor—one who brings a mind not to be changed by place or
time. The mind is its own place, and in
itself can make a heaven of hell, a hell of heaven. What matter where, if I be still the same,
and what I should be, all but less than he whom thunder hath made greater? Here at last we shall be free; tho’ Almighty
hath not built here for his envy, will not drive us hence. Here we may reign secure; and, in my choice,
to reign is worth ambition, though in Hell.
Better to reign in Hell than to serve in Heaven.” Invictus Out of the night that covers me, Black as the Pit from pole to pole, I thank whatever gods may be For my unconquerable soul. In the fell clutch of circumstance I have not winced nor cried aloud. Under the bludgeonings of chance My head is bloody, but unbowed. Beyond this place of wrath and tears Looms but the horror of the shade, And yet the menace of the years Finds, and shall find me, unafraid. It matters not how strait the gate, How charged with punishments the scroll, I am the master of my fate; I am the captain of my soul. William Ernest Henley (1849-1903) This
is the issue—the will of man versus the will of God. Some men refuse to bow before their Creator
and worship Him. Those who do so will be
conquered by the Sovereign God. Sinful
man cannot oppose God Almighty with impunity (without harm or punishment). Some
Conclusions Man
can argue against the idea of hell till eternity begins and it will not change
the truth that Jesus said more about this subject than anyone else in
Scripture. He did not delight in it. But hell, nonetheless, exists. Who are we to tell God what he can or cannot
do? Our arguments will not change the
truth hell exists. Our protests will
amount to nothing. We should trust God
and allow Him to run his universe.
There is no valid contradiction between the nature of God and the
existence of hell. It is our false view
of God that causes the problem. We must
acknowledge God as God. ( |