Why are so many Christians insistent about “dumbing down” the reality and horrors of hell?

Question

…I mean, for a non-Christian to do this makes perfect sense!
But why so many Christians…?

Some Christians would say that hell doesn’t even exist!
Some Christians would say that only Satan and other fallen angels go to hell, and none of mankind!
Some Christians would say that only a few number of people go to hell, and that eventually get out of hell!
Some Christians would say that hell only exists for a short time, and then all people there are erased from existence (annihilation)!
Some Christians would say that hell only means “separation from God” and seem to indicate hell is not so bad!
Some Christians would say that hell is nothing more than what this world currently is!

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Is it just too hard to accept that MANY people will go to hell in general, MANY people who call themselves Christians will go to hell, and that hell is more horrific than anybody can even possible conceive?

Perhaps it is “avoid” the overwhelming responsibility to warn others of this truth…?
How profoundly UNLOVING!

What the "hell" is your problem, you so-called “Christian”?!?

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That is:
Perhaps it is in order to “avoid” the overwhelming responsibility to warn others of this truth…?

Samurai Jack - Now in HD:
Some are, some aren't.
Salvation is by grace alone, not by grace AND good doctrine. Its just that most Christians (even "true" Christians") are so POORLY taught by so-called Christian "leaders"...who would rather scratch their itching ear then speak and teach the truth.
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Nikki - "leaving that job to God"...? That's like saying, "God, I am not going to do what you want me to do - instead, I'll leave that for you." God commands you to share the Gospel...and HELL is a part of the "good message", which is salvation from SIN and the wages of sin...which is death and HELL.
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Kaliko - you do not "please God"...for you CANNOT please God. He was pleased with His Son, Jesus Christ...and only through HIM can anyong have "hope" of going to heaven. Salvation is by grace alone through faith alone in Jesus Christ. Your works...and even your faith do NOT earn you salvation or merit from God, as if to "please" Him and "appease" Him. Christ's sacrifice alone pleased and appeased Him.

And if "Christians" are so worried about "offending others" so much that they reject speaking the truth in love, then He WILL be offended by such "Christians" and will reject them!

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jimmeisnerjr:
You speak of the Pharisees and Sadducees...and associate yourself with them. WONDERFUL!

What amazing WOES did Christ speak to them! He called them hypocrites, serpents, vipers, and white-washed tombs!

You call yourself a "Christian Pastor"...and make yourself a "teacher"...and for such, you will have a much stricter judgment!

You speak naïve and immature nonsense, as if eternal torment could be likened to a land of fire with a pitch-forked devil with horns!

I can only hope (for YOUR sake) that you inadvertently dumb down hell…for words cannot express the horrors of it, and for you to liken it to the “living hell” that non-believers are in on earth is tragically and enormously dumbing down of the realities of hell! Indeed, they ARE dead in their sins and trespasses and stand condemned already…thirsty and hungry, without hope, and lacking love, joy, and peace that are the fruit of the Holy Spirit! But even now, all non-believers TREMENDOUSLY blessed by the grace of God, who provides air for them to breath, the sun for warmth, and food to sustain their fragile and fleeting physical lives…

Answer 1

Some Christians "sugar-coat" the biblical doctrine of Hell because they do not want to drive unbelievers away. However, this is EXTREMELY unloving...I would want someone to warn me of the horrors of Hell!!

Answer 2

Dear Yach,

What an excellent question which brought out some really terrific answers! TheBerean really gave you the BEST answer.

I'm only answering after reading the last answer which speaks of a "loving God". The agony of the cross shows us just how serious God is about providing the ONLY way for us to be spared. If hell were NOT eternal then Jesus would not have had to go to the cross. Think about it.


If you ever have the chance listen to Cat and Dog Theology. It describes one type of people who are backing AWAY from hell and the other type of people who are walking TOWARD God. It is very eye-opening.

Edit for Lone Ranger:
Jesus believed in Hell and he spoke more about Hell then he did about heaven. Are you saying the cross is also mythical?

You talk about a loving god but I don't think you have thought your idea of love through to its logical conclusion. Why would your loving god allow Jesus who was without sin to die a horrific death on the cross if he were going to just wave his magic wand and say "Everybody goes to heaven. I'll overlook your sin because I love you." Where is the love in that?

I live with my nearly 2 year old grandson and I love him very much but there are certain things I absolutely will not let him do. Tonight he unplugged the TV and then tried to plug it back in but I stopped him. We live on a street that does not have a sidewalk so when we walk each day he either has to ride in his stroller or hold my hand or his mother's hand. There are times that he makes a fuss about it but even if the cars, trucks and buses didn't exceed the speed limit, at 25 mph he could still be badly hurt if he got hit.

I do not think that you have read the entire Bible. I have and just the thought of being separated even momemtarily from my heavenly Father is more torment than I ever want to endure for myself and for all of those whom I know and love.

For His glory,
JOYfilled

Answer 3

Because most of these people who say these things are not real Christians. Any true born again, Bible believing Christian knows the horrors of hell. Before I was saved I use to think hell was a place where bad people went that didn't quite make the qualifications to enter heaven. I also thought hell was just a place where we will still see all of our friends and it will be kind of like a get together for the so called "bad" party animals. In my mind and from what others said, I figured hell would be dark, but with fires similar to camp fires and that there would be trash everywhere and beer cans (this was my thought as a teenager). As I got older I figured you really had to do something bad, like kill someone to end up in hell and that the majority would be in heaven, because I thought that no good, loving God could send us to such a place. Now I will say this, I was raised catholic. I am no longer catholic today!

Now about a year and a half ago I got saved. I am now a true Bible believer and now know that hell will not be a party or any kind of get together. In fact I now know hell will be hotter then any incinerator can get and there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth, where one will remember regrets forever in all eternity and where your thirst never quenches. It will be a place where one will never ever see any loved ones again and God will be very far apart from people there. This is not even the final stop. The lake of fire is the final place. Hell is just the holding place, as it says in the Bible about some of the fallen angels being chained up in hell waiting for judgement day because they are so evil they cannot roam the earth. This is a place I will not be.
I thank my brother in law for witnessing to me and taking me to his friends house and learning more about the Lord so I could be saved. I was given a Bible. I thank the Lord God so much for sending Jesus to die for us so we could escape this terrible place called hell. With Jesus as my Lord and Savior, and my sins forgiven I know I am on my way to heaven.

To all people who read this, don't be deceived by man and religion. Trust only in Jesus Christ.
A great website:

http://www.jesus-is-savior.com

Answer 4

You've already got some great answers here, so let me give you the short answer.

The reason so many Christians "dumb down" the reality and horrors of hell is because it's unpopular. It doesn't win converts. It scares people rigid.

It detracts from the love of God and focuses attention on punishment. "There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love" (1 John 4:18). The next verse continues, "We love because he first loved us."

Whilst it is true that Jesus spoke more about hell than any other Bible contributor, he focused on the antidote. That is where the emphasis should be laid.

Pastors, ministers, priests have a duty to alert people to the realities of hell. Sadly, they seldom do. For this they will be held accountable.

But have you ever heard of someone being converted to Christianity because they were scared of ending up in hell? Just a thought.

Edit and note to theBerean: You make a valid point. I take back that last paragraph. Perhaps I just haven't met any Christians who came to Christ because of the fear of hell. That's a new one to me. All I do know is that it's the work of the Holy Spirit that draws people to Christ. We're all different and with some people they are attracted more by the love of God and with some people they are repelled by the wrath of God. Check out some of the answers. God knows us intimately, better than we know ourselves, and he knows how to call us. If I was having a conversation with a non-Christian who was asking important questions about God I would not bring up the subject of eternal damnation. However, if that subject was raised, I would not hold back from speaking the awful truth about hell and trust in the Holy Spirit to guide me.

Answer 5

Boy, what a deceived mind you have!! How do you reconcile a just, merciful, loving God with the false pagan concept of a place of eternal tormenting called "hell"? The dumb ones are those who have unquestioningly accepted this pagan doctrine as Biblical.

No, the fate of the unrepentant wicked is death for all eternity. The scripture (Matthew 25:26 ) says eternal punishment not eternal punishing.

Romans 6:23 The wages of sin is death....and then you dare to add to the scripture something htat is not there!

The concept of a place of eternal torment is from pagan religions and was popularized by the poet Dante in his play "The Devine Comedy", part of wich was titled "The Inferno". The false chruch at Rome picked up most of their beliefs about hell from this play, and the protestants have just continued in this deception.

In Revelations there are at least 2 resurrections, why? The Bible says "the soul that sinneth it shall die"....Why?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dante%27s_I...

http://www.cog21.org/site/cog_archives/b...

Edit: Joyfilled, Prove that from the Bible, unequivocally. Where does it say that the wicked dead will suffer the eternal torment of the mythical hell? I guess the best place for you to start is to unlearn the pagan concept of the immortality of the soul, the Bible teaches the exact opposite, as I posted above. Read it. "The soul that sinneth it shall die"...."the wages of sin is death".. how can something immortal die?
You need to learn to prove all things, especially when it involves these obviously pagan concepts, in the light of what the scriptures actually teach.

Answer 6

Hell Is a real place !
God didn't create It for man.
He created It for satan & his fallen angels.
We being human and our small minds can't fathom the Beauty & splendor of heaven. Heaven being a place of sheer beauty & perfection.
How much worse Is the horrors of hell ?
Jesus spoke twice as much about hell than heaven. It's not God's desire that any should perish,but that all should come to salvation.
Remember the burning bush that God used to speak to Moses through ?.
It was completely comsumed with fire yet It didn't burn up.
Revelation 20:10
Then the devil who had led them astray (deceiving and seducing them) was hurled Into the fiery lake of burning brimstone,where the beast and the false prophet were;and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever (through the ages of the ages).
14 Then death and Hades were thrown Into the lake of fire. This Is the second death,the lake of fire.
15 And If anyone's name was not found recorded In The Lamb's Book of Life,he was hurled Into the lake of fire.
It's forever. There are no exits In hell. There will be no parties,no fire extinguishers or fire escapes. Repent .
Today Is the day of salvation.Tomorrow may be too late.

Answer 7

Hell doesn't exist. History tells us that in Jesus' day, in the area he lived in there was garbage dump called "hell", where the towns people dumped their garbage, as well as the bodies of people who were too poor to afford a proper burial, and that the place seemed to burn all the time from all the rubbish being burned to make room for more.

Over time, stories of hell have evolved into a burning, fearful place that we'll all go to if we don't get "saved." The problem with some religions is that they take the Bible too literal, without really investigating or truly understanding the basis for the stories contained within.

Furthermore, as far as hell is concerned, why would a "God" create and give life to living beings only to condemn them to an eternal burning death if they didn't follow his ways? Isn't that a bit narcisistic, or vain? (which itself is a 'sin') The two just don't mesh.

ALSO, being raised the son of a baptist minister, I can tell you all this hell stuff is just a bunch of scare tactics to keep a hold on the church's congregation. As a child I was subjected to watching church movies like "A Thief in the Night" - a brainwashing type of movie about the rapture and 666 that would give any mainstream horror flick a run for its money.

Answer 8

Hell is very bad it is burning lakes of fire. The last place you ever whant to go to. You can not be a christian and not believe in the reality of Hell. Revelations 20, 2 Peter 2

Answer 9

There are so many scriptures in the Holy Bible which support only a couple of ideas you have posted in your question. That is, separation from God, and annihilation.
When your life force is removed, in death, it is returned to God. At that point you are dead, and you know nothing. At the second death, you are permanently separated from God, and never more to suffer the pain of being in His presence. That is Hell. That is annihilation...Sin cannot survive God's presence. We all have the choice to choose God, or Sin. The Second Death will happen at the end of this World. God will create a New Earth. I'm looking forward to that....
God is not the sadist that Satan would like us to believe...He does not tell us that the soul is immortal. In His Word, God explains that He is the owner of the soul, and we are to beware...because the soul can be destroyed.

Answer 10

Yach,

You have some good answers here, so I'm not going to duplicate them. But I am going to respond to some points made by "jimmeisnerjr".

NOTE TO READERS----Since I posted my answer, "jimmeisnerjr" has deleted his answer. This is typical of some cowards. When "caught" in errors and silly statements, they simply "delete". No courage of conviction I suppose. But I'm going to let my answer stay. I believe I accurately stated his main "points".

If I sound, or come across as angry, it's because I'm very angry.
I'm not sure what makes me angrier; apostacy or doctrininal stupidity.

Mr. Jim meisner jr,

1) You make the point that there is no mention of hell in the O.T.(first 5 books) ---So what! Dont you know what progressive revelation is? God revealed truth in scripture over a period of time.

2) You proudly make the point that "sheol is not hell".---Well duh. You know perfectly well that most folks today use the word "hell" when actually refering to the "lake of fire". Its a convience. So you can stop patting yourself on the back like you are the only person that knows there is technically a difference.

3) "The devil and pitchforks" is a strawman argument and you know it. Nobody really believes that. So please stop insulting us by pretending that that is what we are talking about.

4) Did you really imply that folks are "walking around in hell today" and not know it? And did you really compare hell with "bad breath"?---If you were serious, then I am serious also when I say that you must be the dumbest "christian pastor" around. (I know that sounds unloving, but it's meant to be descriptive, not a pejorative. But so be it)

5) The N.T. does NOT reflect a "greek hellenised world" but reflects EXACTLY what God wants to say. (I suspect that you deny the Absolute Authority and Inerrancy of Scripture)

6) You say you follow, "a rabbi and his teachings".---Gee, and here I thought we were supposed to follow the "LORD of LORDS, and KING of KINGS".

7) To paraphrase; You say that different christians and jews have different views of the afterlife, hell and the bible, but we all worship the same God of Abraham.----No we dont. Christians worship God as revealed by God Himself, Jesus, as part of a Holy Trinity, yet ONE God. That is Gods true nature. Jesus said if you dont worship God in Spirit AND Truth, then you are NOT worshiping God. So the jewish people are NOT worshiping the "God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob". However, according to Paul in Romans they WILL be "grafted back in" and someday will worship Him is Spirit and Truth. Until then, they are in a state of unbelief.

8) Finally, you call yourself a christian pastor. You might be a pastor, but, "christian" pastor is debatable. I dont know you well enough to say for sure. But I do recongnize APOSTACY when I see it. Your answer reeks of it. From what you wrote, you seem to be a perfect example of the kind of "teacher" that Paul warned Timothy about. To put it simply, Sir; You deny the plain reading of Scripture. A child can see it. But you cant.

Do you understand any of this? Probably not. The "natural" man is hostile to the things of God. And Spiritually blind.

I feel pity for the congregation that sits under your "teaching".



....theBerean

Answer 11

The word Hell is so misused. I believe in the bible and I believe it to be the inspired words of God. Hell means, mans common grave. When one dies they go to hell, because that is simply their grave. God is a loving God and he would never punish us by condemning us for a eternity in the pits of hellfire as most believe. God told Adam in the very beginning what would happen to him, it was death, not the fiery pits of hell. Even Job who had found favor in the eyes of God, prayed to go to hell.Do you think that he would really want to go to a hell fire only to be tortured more? He was in torment already. Or was he praying to just die so his torment would end? The bible even says that Jesus was in hell. Why would Jesus go there if it was a place of torment? The conception of the word Hell got started with one man and his idea of what hell was like.(Dante) And people have been believing his idea and following his belief instead of studying the bible and believing the word of God.