Answer
In the shifting winds of modern cultures, the idea of everlasting torment and damnation is difficult for many people to accept. Admittedly, the concept of an eternal hell is not a pleasant thought. Most people would rather not think about the possibility of a never-ending judgment from God.
Despite the aversion many people have to the idea of eternal damnation, the Bible teaches that hell is a literal place. And it’s not only Satan and his minions who will be punished there; everyone who rejects Jesus Christ will spend eternity in the lake of fire (Revelation 20:15). Reinterpreting Scripture to explain away eternal damnation will not change the facts. Rejecting the doctrine of hell will not mitigate its flames. Still, many people are repulsed by the idea of an eternal hell. Here are some reasons for their rejection of this doctrine:
The influence of contemporary thought. In this postmodern era, many go to great lengths to assure no one is offended, and the doctrine of hell is no doubt offensive to the natural man. The doctrine of hell is often deemed too harsh, too old-fashioned, or too insensitive for publication. The wisdom of this world is focused on this life, with no thought of the afterlife.
Fear. Never-ending, conscious punishment devoid of any hope is indeed a frightening prospect. Many people would rather ignore the fear than face it and deal with it truthfully. The fact is, hell should be frightening, considering it is the place of judgment originally created for the devil and his angels (Matthew 25:41).
A flawed view of God’s love. Many who reject the idea of eternal damnation do so because they find it difficult to believe that a loving God could banish people to a place as horrific as hell for all eternity. However, God’s love does not negate His justice, His righteousness, or His holiness. Neither does His justice negate His love. In fact, God’s love has provided the way to escape His wrath: the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross (John 3:16–18).
A downplaying of sin. Some find it unfair that the recompense for a mere lifetime of sinning should be an eternal punishment. Others reject the idea of hell because, in their minds, sin isn’t all that bad. Certainly not bad enough to warrant eternal torture. Of course, it is usually our own sin that we downplay; other people might deserve hell—murderers and the like. This attitude reveals a misunderstanding of the universally heinous nature of sin. The problem is an insistence on our own basic goodness, which precludes thoughts of a fiery judgment and denies the truth of Romans 3:10 (“There is no one righteous, not even one”). The enormity of our iniquity compelled Christ to the cross. God hated sin to death.
Alternate theories. Another reason people reject the concept of eternal damnation is that they have been taught something different. One alternative theory is universalism, which says that everyone will eventually make it to heaven. Another is annihilationism, in which the existence of hell is acknowledged but its eternal nature is denied. Annihilationists believe that those who end up in hell will eventually die and cease to exist (i.e., they will be annihilated). According to this theory, hell is a temporary punishment.
Incomplete teaching. Many contemporary pastors who do believe in the doctrine of hell consider it simply too delicate a subject to preach on. This further contributes to the modern denial of hell. Congregants in churches where hell is not preached are often ignorant of what the Bible says on the subject and are prime candidates for deception on the issue. Part of a pastor’s responsibility is “to contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to God’s holy people” (Jude 1:3), not pick and choose what parts of the Bible to leave out.
Satan’s ploys. Satan’s first lie was a denial of judgment. In the Garden of Eden, the serpent told Eve, “You will not surely die” (Genesis 3:4, ESV). Denying the reality of judgment is still one of Satan’s main tactics. “The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers” (2 Corinthians 4:4), and the blindness he produces includes a denial of God’s holy decrees. Convince the unsaved that there is no judgment, and they can “eat, drink and be merry” (Luke 12:19) with no care for the future.
If we understand the nature of God, we should have no difficulty accepting the concept of hell. “[God] is the Rock, His works are perfect, and all His ways are just. A faithful God who does no wrong, upright and just is He” (Deuteronomy 32:4, emphasis added). Our just and perfect God created hell to eternally quarantine sin and bring an end to its devastation. Yes, God is love (1 John 4:8), and His desire is that no one perish (2 Peter 3:9), but His love does not exist independent of His other attributes. We cannot sift divine holiness out of divine love without destroying both.
To contradict the Bible’s teaching on hell is to say, essentially, “If I were God, I would not make hell like that.” Such a thought is inherently prideful—it suggests that we can improve on God’s plan. But we are not wiser than God; we are not more loving or more just.
Albert Mohler wrote, “There are particular doctrines that are especially odious and repulsive to the modern and postmodern mind. The traditional doctrine of hell as a place of everlasting punishment bears that scandal in a particular way. The doctrine is offensive to modern sensibilities and an embarrassment to many who consider themselves to be Christians. Those Friedrich Schleiermacher called the ‘cultured despisers of religion’ especially despise the doctrine of hell. As one observer has quipped, hell must be air-conditioned” (“Doing Away with Hell? Part One,” 3/8/11, https://albertmohler.com, accessed 11/4/24). The sad irony is, attempts to “air condition” hell only serve to send more people there.
