Introduction |
History |
God's Judgment |
Catholicism |
Mainstream Protestantism
"Traditional" Fundamentalism |
"Progressive" Fundamentalism |
Conclusion
Introduction
This page gives a brief survey of the attitudes of various brands of Christianity to the concept of "Hell".
For a further discussion of the implications of the concept of Hell, see my page Why the 'Christian God' is immoral, needy and irrational.
The History of Christian Hell
The often conflicting views of the afterlife shown by the Bible demonstrate the evolution of the concept in the history of Judeao-Christian mythology. [ga]
"...Among ancient Jews, Sheol or Tophet was conceived as a gloomy place of departed souls where they are not tormented but wander about unhappily. The ethical aspect apparently developed gradually, and Sheol became like the hell of Christianity..." Encyclopedia.com
"Hell, as it exists in the Western popular imagination, has its origins in Christianity. Judaism, at least initially, believed in Sheol, a shadowy existence to which all were sent indiscriminately. Sheol may have been little more than a poetic metaphor for the death, not really an afterlife at all: see for example Sirach. In any case, the afterlife was much less important in ancient Judaism than it is for many Christian groups today; indeed, the same can be said for modern Judaism as well... The Hebrew 'Sheol' was translated in the Septuagint as 'Hades', the name for the underworld in Greek mythology. The New Testament uses this word, but it also uses the word 'Gehenna', from the valley of Ge-Hinnom, a valley near Jerusalem in which in ancient times garbage was burned. The early Christian teaching was that the damned would be burnt in the valley just as the garbage was. (It is ironic to note that the valley of Ge-Hinnom is today, far from being a garbage dump, a public park.) Punishment for the damned and reward for the saved is a constant theme of early Christianity..." - Wikipedia
"...The translators of the King James Version (KJV) tended to translate all three words: Sheol, Hades and Gehenna, as Hell. This had the advantage of making the Bible appear internally consistent. But many theologians believe that it disguises the very different beliefs of the ancient Israelites, the Jews who were under the influence of Greek culture and the writers of the Christian Scriptures. Some religious conservatives criticize the translation because it treats two different places as if they were a single location..." - ReligiousTolerance.org
Of course, it is not just views of hell which have changed over time:
- Ancient history shows a clear development of the Jewish view of God being a jealous "one of many", until monotheism was made the "state religion" in the time of Josiah (c. 640-609 BCE) [cr].
- In early Jewish texts, "Satan" appears as an agent used by God to commit evil acts. (Compare 2 Samuel 24:1-15 and 1 Chronicles 21:1-14). As ReligiousTolerance describe:
"During the last three centuries before Christ's birth, the portrayal of Satan underwent a major change. The Zoroastrian / Persian dualism concept appeared in Jewish writing: God was now looked upon as wholly good; Satan as profoundly evil. History was seen as a battle between them. No longer was Satan simply God's prosecuting attorney, helper, or lackey. Satan, and his demons, were now humanity's greatest enemies." [rs]
All this confusion has led to many different interpretations of exactly what punishments are promised by the words of Jesus in the New Testament:
"The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity; And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth." [Matthew 13:41-42]
The Nature of God's Judgment
There is Biblical support for the idea that God's judgment is based on deeds committed while on earth (Matthew 11:22, Luke 20:47, 2 Cor. 5:10, Rev. 20:12-13).
However, the central question is whether "salvation" is available only to Christians - and whether, as Mark says:
"He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned." [Mark 16:16]
For, if non-believers can be saved, much of the reason for Christianity would appear to vanish. It is quite incredible to note, therefore, that even according to the NIV Bible:
"The most reliable early manuscripts and other ancient witnesses do not have Mark 16:9-20." [nm]
In fact, their inclusion does not seem to have been settled until the fourth century CE [j1]. That said, the doctrine of the necessity of belief has been the basis for Christianity ever since that time.
(One further point which must be mentioned is the statement in Revelation 14:3-4 that only 144,000 unmarried men will be saved. Only the most hardcore of Christian cults accept this as a literal teaching [jw].)
The Catholic Church
Unlike the Protestant Fundamentalists, the Catholic Church has long had the concept of a "purgatory", where lesser sins can be cleansed before a later ascent into heaven.
This concept is based upon the Biblical verses referring to the nature of God's judgment (discussed above), and on the following pronouncement from the sixteenth century Council of Trent:
"Whereas the Catholic Church, instructed by the Holy Ghost, has from the Sacred Scriptures and the ancient tradition of the Fathers taught in Councils... that there is a purgatory, and that the souls therein are helped by the suffrages of the faithful, but principally by the acceptable Sacrifice of the Altar; the Holy Synod enjoins on the Bishops that they diligently endeavor to have the sound doctrine of the Fathers in Councils regarding purgatory everywhere taught and preached, held and believed by the faithful." [cp]
Moreover, the Catholic concept of Hell seems rather more pleasant than it might otherwise be:
"Pope John Paul II stated [in 1999]... that, 'rather than a place, hell indicates the state of those who freely and definitely separate themselves from God.' In so doing he described hell as something figuratively portrayed in the Bible as a 'pool of fire' or a 'second death'." [gn]
Of course, the Catholic Church continues to teach that salvation is only available to "believers" in the true faith (and seems to be "guaranteed" to Catholics only!)
Mainstream Protestantism
Non-fundamentalist Churches reject the idea of "purgatory", but have shied away from the concept of "eternal damnation" in recent times:
"The doctrine commission of the Church of England recently recommended a hell of 'final and irrevocable choosing of that which is opposed to God' instead of medieval fire and torment. And the newest Presbyterian catechism hardly mentions the subject at all ... Even among evangelicals, hell as a subject from the pulpit is less ubiquitous than before." [gn]
Once again, however, "salvation" is only "officially" open to Christians (even if individuals rationalise otherwise).
"Traditional" Fundamentalists
Christian Answers are a Fundamentalist website affiliated to the Young Earth Creationists AnswersInGenesis.
They have very clear views on right and wrong (with their emphasis):
"We have our catalog of sins. We have rape and incest and murder; and we have them all cataloged and classified--but there isn't one of them (or even put them all together in one big hunk) that comes close to the sin of keeping Jesus Christ out of your life. Did Jesus say, 'I'm going to send the Holy Spirit to convict the world of sin because they rob banks'-- or, 'because they believe not on me'?..."
"You jump off a high building, the law of gravity will take care of you. You might say, "God is love," all the way down, but you're still going to get splattered when you it the bottom! You break the law of gravity, and it breaks you! You may love your little child, but if he puts his finger up on that hot burner on the gas stove or the electric stove, he's going to get burned!"
"Fire burns. Gravity kills. Water drowns. And you can say, "God is love, God is love, God is love," until you're blue in the face. But water will still drown you, fire will burn you, and gravity will kill you, and sin will damn you no matter how much you say about a loving God." [c1]
So, if you're going to go on rape-and-murder spree, make sure that you are "saved" before the cops get you into "the Chair" and heaven will, apparently, be yours...
We are told that even little children are damned if they are not "saved":
"one would be more consistent with Scripture to realize that at whatever age a child is capable of learning simple Biblical truths, at that age he becomes accountable to God for acting on those truths." [c2]
Moreover, Christian Answers are crystal clear on the reality of hell:
"Is there an actual place called 'Hell'? When someone questions the fact and reality of Hell, he's actually questioning the authority of the Bible, and the authority of the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. The Christian faith is all tied up together, and when it is attacked at one point, it becomes vulnerable at all. It holds together beautifully." [c3]
Some (but not all) Fundamentalists argue that the concept of "Hell" as mere "oblivion" is contradicted by Scripture:
"The doctrine of eternal punishment for those who have rejected Christ appears to be thoroughly biblical. This is not an easy teaching or one that brings us joy. But the unpleasantness of a doctrine should not cause us to deny biblical truth." [c3]
It goes without saying that Fundamentalist salvation is only open to "believers".
"Progressive" Fundamentalists
Evidence.info are "Old Earth Creationists" - fundamentalists who believe that "the Bible and science" are in "harmony".
They provide a handy list of "sins" which lead to damnation:
"sexual immorality; idolatry; adultery; prostitution; homosexual offenses; theft greed; drunkenness; slander; swindling; impurity; witchcraft; hatred; discord; jealousy; fits of rage; selfish ambition; dissensions; factions and envy; orgies; abomination; lying; cowardice; unbelief; murder; sorcery... The list is fairly extensive and includes some things that all of us have done." [eh]
Note that no distinction is made between "dissensions" or "unbelief" and "orgies" or "murder". And the penalties?
"If you have committed any of the violations of God's laws listed above, you should expect to go to the lake of fire. As with any transgression of law, we are convicted on the basis of our guilt with regard to the crime. The good things that we have done do not change or impact the charge for which we stand trial." [eh]
In short, "Progressive" Fundamentalists are anything but.
Conclusion
According to Christian Fundamentalists, the greatest sin is the lack of belief in Jesus Christ as "savior". God, they say, gives mankind the choice of love or damnation. Since even liberal denominations teach that salvation is only open to believers, this idea extends to all of Christianity.
However, if "the choice of love" can only be based on faith, then we are left with a God of questionable morality, to say the least.
For more, see my page Why the 'Christian God' is immoral, needy and irrational.
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