In 2003 a research group discovered 64% of Americans expect to go to heaven when they die, but less than 1% think they might go to hell. Not only are there plenty of people today who don’t believe in the Bible’s teaching on… [hell], even those who do find it an unreal and a remote concept. Nevertheless, it is a very important part of the Christian faith, for several reasons.
Thank you for that…I have only just recently become acquainted with Fr. Keller and find his sermons and book, The Reason for God, absolutely compelling in the way he tells the Story to today’s folk.
A powerful, well-written and important message — one that seems to be largely ignored in contemporary mainline churches.
It surprises me that we don’t talk about it more, because, as I’ve suggested [i][url=http://rericsawyer.wordpress.com/2008/02/24/how-can-a-loving-god-damn-people-to-hell-a-response/]here,[/url][/i], it seems such an unavoidable result of all the other things we say we believe.
One can only get around it by embracing the idea that God will continue working until everyone comes around, and all are saved. I find that idea enormously attractive. But it has one major flaw: Jesus does not seem to have believed it.
Like with all the quotes from the Gospels, how can I affirm Jesus as God, and in the next breath say that He has it wrong? St. Peter tried that once.
http://www.orthodoxpress.org/parish/river_of_fire.htm
Dr. Keller’s excellent sermons can be downloaded at redeemer.org
Well, Kendall, I know from previous posts that this is an urgent topic for your heart, an urgency that I share. We do well to remember that Jesus preached far more about hell than about heaven in the Gospels, and about the many and the few, the broad smooth path and the narrow gate, and the horrified shock in the judgement of those who used the name of Jesus to glorify themselves, while never coming to know Him as their Lord and Saviour. Christe eleison!
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom – and if only 1% or so believe they can go to Hell, then that speaks volumes on the wisdom and piety of American churchgoers today, not to mention their lack of respect for the Lord. So much for working out your salvation in fear and trembling.
This is incredibly widespread. Even in the Catholic Church, where the doctrine is very clear on the matter, many don’t hold to it and in fact in some quarters it is actively taught against. At adult catechesis at my former parish for converts (I was involved in the program as a sponsor), the parish “administrator” who ran the program actually taught that the question of Hell was unknown, and that she believed fervently that no one went there, and devoted some time to arguments against, and no time to arguments for (i.e. scripture and the Catechism she was supposed to be teaching).
It probably wouldn’t surprise any that this person holds a range of views on other matters of doctrine that goes against the teaching of the Church, and self-identifies as a “dissenter.” I think loss of belief in Hell (or at least that you yourself might go there) might be the mother of modern heresies; once you’ve dropped that, is there really any deterrence to disobedience?
PS – Father Greg, your linked article was a gross distortion of Roman Catholic doctrine.