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November 6, 2005

November 6, 2005

Cawson St. Church of Christ

Hopewell, Virginia

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 London to the National Secular Society, March 6, 1927.)

 

   “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 St. Paul even entertained the idea really makes it hard for me to believe them to be anything more than men caught up in the religious ideas of their time. I honestly cannot believe that anyone, not even God, has the right to send people to hell or even allow people to believe in it with such conviction. I do not think I will ever believe that the butchering guards at Dachau, Buchenwald, Mauthausen, Auschwitz and the like were actually perfect and that what they did to Jews, gypsies and homosexuals is justice which I will someday have revealed to me as right. Neither do I think that I will ever believe that a God who lets this happen (and natural disasters) is perfect and I will realize when I meet him that "all will be well" and it is right that people go to hell. How more offensive and ignorant can a religion be?! Far too many people believe in hell. It is a dreadful and dark thing that makes people believe in holy damnation. The fact that Jesus, as depicted in the gospels, believed in hell is to me such a serious religious problem that it was one of the things that finally broke up my Christianity. What was going on in this book! As a liberally natured Christian I had never really believed in the existence of hell, or at least I shied away from hell thoughts, as it did not fit with my idea of a loving God. Rather I thought all this hell talk must mean something else. But the problem was that there was so much of it in the NT and the fact that God seemed to allow the doctrine to be so popular within the church did bother me very much, as did the fact that if Jesus & St. Paul etc. really didn't believe in literal hell then the fact that they didn't make it abundantly transparent that they meant something else was just utterly culpable irresponsibility to me, so abhorrent is the merest sniff of that doctrine and so dreadful the consequences of Christians believing it down the ages.”  (“Why I Left Christianity,” Steve Locks, internet article.)

   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 Israel?”  (Ezekiel 33:11.)  “The Lord is not slack concerning his promises, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to usward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.”  (2 Peter 3:9.)  No one can charge God with sadistic delight in anyone entering into hell.  The one most heartbroken will be God, the Father of mankind.  Since God, out of his mercy and grace, has provided abundantly an entrance into the everlasting Kingdom, having given his only Son, with all provisions having been made for everyone, none of the blame for man’s lost condition can be put upon God!

   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.”  (Rom. 11:22.)  Is there a contradiction here, that God is both good and severe?  No, there would be contradiction if God expressed severity and goodness toward the same person.  But God is good to those who continue in his goodness, doing his will.  But God is severe toward those who highhandedly disregard his will.

   “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 America:

   “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 World Trade Towers out to fly again?  Should God allow those who deny and disregard his will into his presence with all the spiritual blessings that those who love him enjoy??  Hell is eternal for good reasons.  Men who have finally rejected God will be separated from Him forever.

   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.

Paradise Lost by John Milton

“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.  (Rom. 1:21.)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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