The Problem of Eternal Suffering I
“My Idea of Hell,” a song by Graham Coxon from the year 2000, has only six unique words. It might take a few listens to actually discern “this is my idea of hell” hidden among a slew of jarring sounds that stretches on for two minutes and fourteen seconds. It’s hard to tell if the song was intended as a social or religious commentary, or if, as one online reviewer said, it was just intended to be “absolutely insane.” Or maybe the lack of meaning is the meaning: that hell, at least for Graham Coxon, is tortuous, mindless repetition with no resolution.
The attempt to label hell isn’t unique to the music world. War, famine, and waiting in line at the DMV have all been described as such. TV shows from Bugs Bunny to Futurama boast their own versions of a place designed for punishment and torture, and Marvel superheroes appear to experience judgment based on their own unique religions. While culture seems pretty familiar with the concept of a hell, when it comes down to the Christian’s definition, we’re faced with some pretty heavy questions.
For many people, the questions run something like this: “If God is love, how could He possibly condemn people to hell? That isn’t loving or fair.” A quick online search reveals a number of different answers to this tough question. Most of them settle on the idea that because Hell seems unloving and unfair, it must not exist. As author and former pastor Rob Bell writes in his book Love Wins,
A staggering number of people have been taught that a select few Christians will spend forever in a peaceful, joyous place called heaven, while the rest of humanity spends forever in torment and punishment in hell with no chance for anything better. It’s been clearly communicated to many that this belief is a central truth of the Christian faith and to reject it is, in essence, to reject Jesus. This is misguided and toxic and ultimately subverts the contagious spread of Jesus’ message of love, peace, forgiveness, and joy that our world desperately needs to hear (Rob Bell, Love Wins: A Book about Heaven, Hell, and the Fate of Every Person who Ever Lived (New York, NY: HarperOne, 2011), 9).
As attractive as it may seem, explaining away the problem of “how could a loving God send people to Hell?” with “actually, Hell doesn’t even exist,” is neither a Scriptural nor a reasonable response. On the other hand, is the objection that we can't believe in God because we can’t believe in Hell any stronger? If we are to provide a Christ-centered answer, we’ll have to take a look at what Christ actually said about hell. From a logical standpoint, proving that something doesn’t exist is often a fallacy. So how can we begin to answer this issue?
Hell and Other Curse Words
It’s ironic that we throw around phrases like “sure as”—ahem—“h-e-double-hockey-sticks” since many people seem to view Hell as anything but sure. It’s a popular word to use… as long as you’re not using it as a proper noun. Belief in an objective place of eternal torment seems at odds with the concept of an all-loving God, and it’s also at odds with worldviews that prioritize inclusion and tolerance. As we examine how to best answer questions on this tricky topic, it’s helpful to take a look at the importance of defining our terms. Just like we can flippantly use curse words, we often don’t take the time to understand the meaning of other words we use, and if we don’t understand them, we won’t be able to communicate effectively.
Oddly enough, part of having discussions concerning Hell means affirming that Hell is consistent with a Christian worldview. Some people use Hell as an excuse to not be a Christian, and some people explain (or remove) Hell so that it fits into a more “friendly” version of Christianity. Keep an ear out for language that defines or explains away Hell, and if you’re not sure what someone means by it, don’t be afraid to ask for clarification.
TIP: Look up Matt. 25:46 and 2 Peter 2:4. How does Scripture inform our definition of Hell?
Love is another word that appears often in conversations about Hell. Objections often invoke love as a reason for not believing in eternal suffering: “A god of love would never do that,” “Jesus is love, so He won’t condemn anyone,” and so on. This word is crucial to define. When you hear someone say it, ask for a definition!
TIP: Read John 3:16-17 and 1 John 4:7-12. How does the Bible define love? Can you think of other verses that give us a definition?
Punishment sometimes isn’t directly stated, but it’s implied. “God is going to condemn me to Hell just because I didn’t do all the right things? Really?” Punishment implies a standard that isn’t being met; there is some consequence for not doing the right thing. When people are uncomfortable with the concept of punishment, it’s worthwhile to ask whether they think certain crimes deserve judgment or not. Look deeper to uncover what they might be basing their version of “punishment” on (hint: how do we know what is right and wrong?).
TIP: Look up Rom. 6:23, and Rom. 2:12. What does Scripture have to say about punishment? What is the “bad news” about it? The “good news”?
DIG DEEPER: What other words have you heard in conversations about Hell that need to be defined? What does Scripture have to say about these words?
Behind most strong opinions are even stronger emotions, and this is especially true when it comes to the concept of Hell. Just like we discussed in the article on Earthly Suffering, it is important to distinguish between intellectual and emotional objections, and to treat each objection (and person) fairly and respectfully. Often people will repeat things that they have heard, not necessarily things they have examined for themselves, and it is possible to help them engage with concepts for themselves in a humble and loving way. To find out more about how to give a loving and thoughtful response to this challenge, read Part II of this series here.