There were a few observations I would like to share from the overwhelming response to this article. First, was the extreme emotional response, it began on one end of the spectrum with no middle ground. Many took the article and "shared" it on their timeline, saying, "great article", "good stuff", "things to think about" amongst others. Then on the other end there were outcries of heresy, apostasy, poison, Satanic, etc. Some well-intentioned folks gave warnings of the dangers of the article--some spiritual warnings, other warnings about the Huff Post as terrible source to get info. You get my point.
As with any controversial subject that threatens the status quo, it begins with a little fun, but slowly leads to reaching into the very soul of a person and pulling out what they are really passionate about. I heard somebody say a long time ago, "Show me somebody's anger and I'll show you what they are passionate about." Well, I learned very quickly that there were a lot of people passionate about the subject of hell and the "realness" of it. I tried as hard as I could to understand why folks could be so passionate about it. I mean, hey, I was the one that posted it so it shows that I'm pretty passionate about it too--maybe just in a little different way. The only thing that my brain could assume would be this: good intentioned religious people need a way to justify their feelings for justice. I can understand this...I know some people that I can think of that deserve, in my opinion, a fiery, tortured, existence--forever. That sounds really harsh, and I'm embarrassed to say such mean things, but I'm sure the thought has come to your mind as well. Now this thought doesn't stay with me and I usually feel bad the next day for thinking this horrible thought, but I have thought it. Have you ever been really, really, really deeply hurt where you just couldn't forgive and move on in life? No matter how bad you wanted to, you just couldn't let it go. That is where the "calming effect" of hell comes in. It takes care of all the people who don't believe like we do. Hell is all about "pay back." The eternal "told you so." The, "you got what you deserved" forever. Hell is human, reconciliation--now that is God! What is the "hell" of the Bible all about? Reconciliation, or payback...God or human?
Are we "ok" with folks not believing exactly like us? What is the "deal killer" where we take our cards off the table and not play? Is "hell" the deal breaker/killer? How about this, what if I or whoever has a different view of hell than you do, but still believes in some kind of eternal separation of God...is that ok or not...when will we stop saying "You are not Biblical" if our interpretation of a 2000 year old text is different. I know I'm asking a lot of questions, but if our interpretation is the only interpretation, and the only right interpretation would that makes us a god unto ourselves? If God truly made human beings in his own image, I believe that every person has something valuable to offer...regardless of religious affiliation. I can learn from the Christian, the Buddhist, the Taoist, the Atheist, etc--you get the point. No one group has a monopoly on an all powerful, all knowing, perfect, unchanging God. I, personally, think the Bible--the whole thing is awesome, but I'm not going to close my eyes to everything else. If God spoke the world into existence then the whole universe is God's word. To neglect certain aspects is to close yourself into a created box where suddenly a created god becomes the deity of that box. This box can be all of those things I mentioned above--Christianity, Buddhism, Taoism, Islam, and even Atheism. Why do we feel we need to build fortified cities surrounded by moats that we have to fill with people, and then pull up the drawbridge keeping everybody inside? It then becomes a "us" "them" battle. Those on the inside need to fight those on the outside--its totally like medieval movies where cities fight each other. It's like "Lord of the Rings" where anybody on the outside trying to come in, is an Ork. Religion launch their propaganda with catapults over the city walls hoping to "strike down the enemy." Christians (and other religions) launch bible verses (or whatever their book may be) while atheists launch intellect. Both in boxes--fortified cities launching hate with "politically correct" verbiage like "it's all in love", "trying to save their soul," etc.
Last point, "hell" is such a minor. Seriously! Yes, I know I'm the one posting it, but my purpose was to prove that the minors have become the majors. I got an email that said, "There are some things we just don't question, and one of those things is hell." Really...really?!?! So, we should just blindly accept what somebody told us in order to create fear. Fear's purpose is to control and have power over, as well as rob a person's identity. Let's get real for just a second. Let's talk about the Jesus in the Bible--not the Jesus in church, not the Jesus in the paintings, not the Jesus we ask into our heart while every head is bowed and every eye closed--let's talk about Jesus...the one who claimed to be God, was a Jew, lived 2000 years ago, was a carpenter (tekton to be precise), as well as a religious figure--a rabbi.
This Jesus came into a corrupt religious system, which was the most popular and accepted religion in the area he lived--and wrecked it. He challenged the beliefs of every religious leader he came in contact with and questioned everything. He busted up traditions left and right. Changed 300 gallons of water into wine and threw a huge party (that's not very conservative now is it). He hung out with some riffraffs, appeared homeless, used very strong language (calling some of the religious leaders, "sons of hell"), and was finally killed by a some backbiting religious leaders who had Rome do it for them. If we are supposed to follow this "Christ" as "Christians" we've got a lot of "hell to raise," and I would argue, we aren't doing a very good job--myself included. If my little pathetic post on hell offended you, would you be offended if Jesus came to your church during offering time and dumped all the plates on the floor--then began to yell? Oh, my Jesus wouldn't do that--or would he? What if He told you that the precious church building that people sacrificed their time, money, blood, sweat, and tears through years of building campaigning, fundraising, and bake sales was going to crumble--because it's not the subject--He is. Would you be mad? What if He looked at you square in the eyes and said, "You've had it wrong this whole time...you are a teacher/pastor and don't know these things."(kind of like he told Nicodemus) How would that make you feel? What if he looked at you and said, "I spoke a whole lot more than what you have in your little Bible" (John 21:25)...would you look at him and say, "Well, my Jesus gave me everything I need in what I've already got--I don't need anything else."
Maybe Depeche Mode wasn't far off when they wrote the song, "Personal Jesus." I believe Jesus would rock our little religious world. He's rocking mine right now!! I just have to let him be Jesus and not Nate...or what I would like him to be--the punisher and the one who will cast the unbelieving infidels into a fiery hell (I'm sure some of you will send me Luke 12:5 on this one--I'm trying to anticipate it). Did Jesus preach hell to the religious or unbelieving damned? Answer this, and you may be surprised that Jesus wasn't Christian and didn't promote the Christian hell. I believe in the hell Jesus talked about--The Hades, the Sheol, and the Gehanna. I don't quite yet understand the hell (Tartarus) that 2 Peter speaks of because he is borrowing this straight out of mythology for some purpose--I just can't understand that purpose yet. I don't believe God is sending people to these places, but self-righteous religious folks who think they have all the answers, send themselves there because they've become a god to themselves...it's a little thing called "idolatry." 1 Corinthians 10:12 in context it is pretty clear--it is written to the religious who think they've arrived--"He who thinks he stands/strong, be careful because you may fall." Jesus directed hell towards the religious of his day--what has changed?
