As promised earlier, I will continue my review of the claims in Lee Strobel's Case for Faith. I decided not to follow them in order because honestly some of these claims just aren't that compelling. I would like to address the issue of hell, mostly because that particular theology is what triggered my growing doubt in the Christian god. I grew up with the standard view of hell ( or at least what I thought was standard); those who don't choose to accept Jesus will be cast into the lake of fire for eternity. While this idea bothered me some, I was able to hold a suspension of disbelief about the justice of this teaching because I was told that God didn't send people there, but they chose it. It wasn't God's fault that people didn't want to be with him; he was just giving them what they wanted. It was easy to imagine that those hard-hearted wicked people were choosing to live apart from God, and just getting what they deserved since I didn't have to deal with the reality of someone I loved being sentenced there. When I realized that the majority of people who were "going to hell" weren't evil and wiked and openly rejecting a God they had full knowledge of, but rather good, kind people just doing their best, the whole idea flew right out the window.
In Strobel's book, his interviewee makes different claims about hell, which are becoming more popular given the blatant injustice of the typical theology. J.P. Moreland clearly feels that fire and brimstone teachings about hell are no longer en vouge; he writes off all passages about fire and torture as "figurative" and then devises his own ideas about what hell must be like. "The punishment of hell is separation from God, bringing shame, anguish and regret.... The pain that's suffered will be due to the sorrow from the final, ultimate, unending banishment from God, his kingdom, and the good life for which we were created in the first place." He makes it clear that while there will be no official torturing of souls, "Hell is the worst possible situation that could ever happen to a person". So, even though he eliminated the fire, this is still an awful, eternal, tortuous place to exist. While this view is still cruel and unjust, if he had stuck to it, at least there is some support from scripture to back his claims. However, he continues, "You have to understand that people's character is not formed by decisions all at once, but by thousands of little choices each day without even knowing about it. Each day we're preparing ourselves for either being with God and his people and valuing the things he values, or choosing not to engage with those things.... If people do not fall passionately in love with him, then to force them to have to be around him forever--doing the kinds of things that people who love him would want to do--would be utterly uncomfortable." At this point, Moreland has just stepped all over his argument. He wants to communicate that hell is a terrible place to be, because if it isn't, Christianity might lose a portion of their followers who are believing solely on Pascal's Wager. However, if hell is a terrible place, then it is cruel of God to send people there for all eternity, so Moreland attempts to argue that people choose to be there and wouldn't really want to be around God anyway. I think the problems with the argument are self evident, but what is interesting is that scripture is pretty clear about what hell will be like; no sugar coating there.
This is a summary from religioustolerance.org of a few passages about hell:
Matthew 13:42: "And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth."
Matt 25:41: "Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels." This passage relates to Jesus' judgment of all the world.
Mark 9:43-48: And if thy hand offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter into life maimed, than having two hands to go into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched." The reference to fire is repeated three more times in the passage for emphasis.
Luke 16:24: "And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame." This is a plea described as coming from an inhabitant of Hell.
Revelation 20:13-15: "...hell delivered up the dead which were in them...And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire."
Revelation 21:8: "But the fearful, and unbelieving ... shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone." Brimstone is sulphur. In order for sulphur to form a lake, it must be molten. Thus, its temperature must be at or below 444.6 °C or 832 °F
In spite of the flames, Hell is totally dark:
Matthew 8:12: "But the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness..."
Matthew 22:13: "...take him away, and cast him into outer darkness."
Matthew 25:30: "And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness..."
Torturing prisoners with sulphur:
Revelation 14:10: "...and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb." The "Lamb" here refers to Jesus. It is not clear whether Jesus and the angels are present as torturers or merely as observers.
Worms -- apparently flesh-eating:
Mark 9:44-48: "Where their worm dieth not..." The immortal worm is repeated three times in this passage for emphasis. One point of interest is that the author of Mark refers to "their worm" not to "the worms." That seems to imply that each prisoner has his own worm.
Extreme thirst:
Luke 16:23-26: "And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame."
Prisoner's reaction to the torment:
Matthew 8:12: "...there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth."
Matthew 13:42: "... there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth."
Matthew 13:50: " there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth."
Matthew 25:30: "... there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth"
Thats quite a lot of metaphor....
When I was a Christian, I was one of those liberal, re-constructionist-types who read biblical literature as metaphor--but ultimately, even as metaphor, Hell is a truly horrific place, or state of being, or experience, or whatever. Moreland's argument doesn't make any sense to me: I can't imagine choosing to go to a place where my worm never sleeps and the fire is never quenched (metaphorically or otherwise) over going to a place where it's awkward because everyone else is in love with God. It sounds like Moreland is saying God, in His great compassion, is sending us to Hell to be nice to us. I'm not buying it.
ReplyDeleteHell is a very real place, people aren't sent there because they are good people doing the best they can, they are sent there because sin separates us from God. You ask any of these good people doing the best they can if they are good people and they would agree that they are, however if you look a bit deeper you will see that they aren't.
ReplyDeleteLet's just take you for instance, ever lied? (that's the 9th commandment) Ever Lusted (Jesus said if you even lust after someone than it is adultery.) (the 7th) Ever hated anyone (Jesus says thats just like murder the 6th commandment) Ever stolen anything (the 8th commandment, how about used Gods name as a cuss word (the 3rd) or failed to give him praise for his mercy and infinite kindness in creating us (the first)
You see the problem is you think you are a good person, and I know I am a horrible no good rotten person, and that on my own I am deserving of Hell, no one chooses Hell, they deserve it (and yes I do)
However here is the good news, God in his loving kindness has given you a way out, He sent his son, Jesus to die for our sins on the cross, he rose from the grave and has conquered sin.
You must repent of your sin and You must trust in him like a skydiver trusts a parachute, he will save you from the jump to come. I encourage you to read your bible and obey what you read, if you don't have one let me know how to get a hold of you and I will get one for you. Hell is a real place and we all deserve it, but you don't have to end up there if you will Trust in Jesus.
Serah,
ReplyDeleteThere are two issues that, if rightly understood, will bring some light on the Biblical doctrine of Hell.
1.) You need to appreciate the gravity of your personal sin, and
2.) You need to understand to Whom your sin is directed against.
We have a tendency to might sin lighter than it is, to excuse it, justify it, and rationalize it. Like the Nazi guards to one another while committing crimes, we dont fully appreciate how horrible the things are that we do by nature.
God sees things like lust, murder, hatred, lies, adultery, theft, etc. differently because He is Holy and Just. We measure our lust against the lust of other people who sin in a similar fashion; so it really doesnt seem that bad. We see lust, porn, etc. as a light thing, a harmless diversion.
But to a Holy God, mere lust and adultery of the mind is just as depraved as the worst sexual perversion imaginable. It is only a matter of degrees, the lust filled person, who only sins in his or her heart, is guilty before God and condemned. Likewise the lust filled person, that commits such acts, is guilty before God and condemned.
God searches the hearts and reigns. He sees the thoughts and intents of the hearts, the secret counsels of the mind. We think lust is a small thing, but I ask you. If you met a man that was a peeping Tom; would you have anything to do with such a fellow? Would you trust them around children? No way. So how can an infinitely Holy and Just God be in the presence of sin and not judge it completely? Only His forebearance and long-suffering delay the inevitable justice.
I ask you, would you be comfortable to have your thoughts, all of your secrets, recorded for a year in hight definition, and then broadcast on the evening news for the entire planet to watch in horror? You would go insane to prevent this type of shame. How much more shame would you rightly feel before a Holy God. These folks are just sinners, equally guilty before the law. But your Creator is Holy; He is perfect. He cannot be bargained with, He cannot be bribed. His justice is perfect, and His promises sure. His promise is to "render to everyman according to his deeds, whether they be good or evil."
You also need to understand that God's common grace restrains sin. In Genesis, God restains the King from committing adultery, later God restrains David from taking revenge and shedding blood. The Holy Spirit currently restrains evil from becoming fully manifest. None of us are as evil as we could be. Even Hitler did not kill his own mother. Even Hitler released one Jew from the death camps. Are you better than Hitler? I say that if God had given Hitler more of a leash, he would have corrupted himself even more. Think of an innocent baby; take the child's toy away and I tell you that sweet baby, if he or she were 300lbs would beat you to death without a thought or restraint. Such is the nature of man's depravity.
Man is fully aware and guilty of sin. Every single one of us, and if a Holy and Just God is telling us, commanding us to repent; then we need to take it seriously. It isnt going to matter on the day of justice whether you think Hell is reasonable. Dont you think an omniscient and Almighty God can judge each person rightly and fairly? The Bible says that we will give account for every idle word. God is not going to judge unjustly.
God has given us a pardon, an absolution from the justice that we rightly deserve; and that narrow gate is through Jesus Christ alone. Only God Himself could bare the wrath for sin, the penalty for sin. And only a man, a sinless man, could take your place to suffer such righteous wrath. Faith and repentance are a gift from God. You cannot pretend saving faith. It comes from Him as a free gift, grace.
But you must repent, turn from your wickedness, admit and confess it. Humble yourself before a Holy God; and then put your faith and trust in Jesus Christ and what He did on the cross. If I were you I would seek the Lord in earnest prayer and repentance.