Do you think if there was no hell that there would still be many Christians?

Question

If it was proved there was no hell, do you think people would continue to be Christians? Or, do you think people would abandon their Christian views?

I personally think a lot of people are afraid of "hell" like the Bible describes, so they become or remain Christians because they fear going to hell if they reject Jesus.

What is your opinion?

Answer 1

Considering so many Christians live by the motto, "I'd rather be safe than sorry," I don't think there would be many without the threat of Hell. I don't know how many times I've heard Pascal's wager. Too many.

Answer 2

I think there would still be Christians because they also want to go to heaven (as well as avoid hell), so some would be motivated by a desire for heavenly reward. If it were proved that everyone went to heaven regardless of religious faith, then I think almost all organized religions would disappear almost overnight.

Speaking of the importance of hell, have you heard about that preacher who once had a huge congregation and was a star in the Christian born-again world until he decided that he didn't think there was a hell. He started preaching that there was no hell and his co-pastors quit, his congregation left and he was effectively ex-communicated by his fellow Christian fundamentalists.

I guess some folk need the idea of hell to hold them to their faith. I suppose that's why the fantasy was invented in the first place.

Answer 3

There would still be some as not all christian denominations believe in Hell (Seventh Day Adventist, Jehovah Witnesses etc) but it would probably decrees. There are those who come to Christ because they fear Hell but there are also those who come out of love.

Answer 4

That depends on your definition of a 'Christian'.

If a Christian is someone who goes to church and calls them self a Christian then they would have no need for 'God' if hell didn't exist.

However, if a Christian is someone who truly believes in God and has repented of their sin because they recognize that God is our creator, King and savior and therefore deserves our devotion. Then the existence or non-existence of hell is irrelevant.

I think that many 'Christians' fall under my first definition and just go to church as a form of fire insurance.

Peter
http://www.nabitunics.com/life

Answer 5

You can't prove the existence of heaven or hell. I'm sure if you could, though, then yeah, a lot of people would stop being Christians. The incentive to be one would be gone and the disincentive to not be one would be gone too.

Answer 6

I agree that a lot of people would give up Christianity.
However, I wouldn't because my time here on Earth, I've come to know and have fallen in love with an awesome God. I would never want to miss out on a single minute of Him.

Answer 7

I believe we are in hell now and are salvation is to get to live eternal life in heaven. The bible says in hell you watch love ones die from diseases, pain, etc. we see that here.

Answer 8

You know, honestly, I give hell so little thought in my spiritual life and in my Christian practice that it doesn't even make a "blip" on my radar screen. It has no effect on how I practice "Loving God with all my heart, soul and mind...and my neighbor as myself"

Answer 9

There would be ZERO. Christians just use hell (fake) to scare people into church so that they can get their greedy hands on more money.

Answer 10

There would still be Christians of course. Jesus had a great message too bad it was altered for the bible.