As public opinion about hell changes, so have the teachings of many churches. But what does the Bible really say?
by David Treybig
Syncretism-the assimilation of cultural
values and social agendas-has long defined mainstream Christianity. Biblically
assigned days of worship were set aside centuries ago in favor of Sunday,
Christmas and Easter.
Similarly, popular tradition long ago replaced
the biblical teaching about hell. Recently, beliefs about hell have
begun to change again. A recent poll reveals an amazing shift in opinion
among the American populace as to what hell is. True to historical
form, major religious organizations are adjusting their teachings accordingly.
The latest version could be called "hell lite" or a "kinder, gentler
hell."
According to U.S. News and World Report, in
1997, the majority belief among U.S. citizens was that "Hell is a real
place where people suffer eternal fiery torments." Now, 53 percent
believe "Hell is an anguished state of existence eternally separated
from God" ("Hell Hath No Fury," Jeffrey L. Sheler, January 31, 2000,
p. 47).
The change has been gradual and is attributed
to several factors. "Lampooned by modern intellectuals and increasingly
sidelined by preachers preferring to dwell on more uplifting themes,
the threat of post-mortem punishment of the impenitent in an eternal
lake of fire all but disappeared from the religious mainstream by the
1960s. Theological discourse on the subject at the nation's divinity
schools almost evaporated. And while polls showed that the majority
of Americans professed to believe in hell's existence, almost no one
thought he would go there" (ibid.).
The reasoning behind the shift often paints
punishment as a childish fear tactic that is no longer valid or needed
by mature adults. Others reason that a good God couldn't possibly punish
people forever, as that would be against His very nature. " 'Once we
discovered we could create hell on Earth,' says John Dominic Crossan,
professor emeritus at DePaul University in Chicago, 'it became silly
to talk about it in a literal sense' " (ibid., p. 50).
