What the Hell?

It's St. Valentine's Day, which means that I am in my office thinking about eternal punishment. Not that I think being married is equivalent to damnation, not at all. It's just that sarcasm and melancholy are like love languages to me.

I have been thinking a lot about hell over the past few weeks. I have been wondering why I believe in a place called "hell," a place where all those who don't love Jesus go to be tortured by the God who "so loved the world." It seems a strange doctrine to me. Sorry, but it does.

I also wander why the concept of hell has been elevated to such prominence in the modern day evangelical message. We have made hell one of the most significant pillars of the Gospel message. We run around telling people that the key to eternal bliss is to have a "personal relationship with Jesus." The consequences for not beleiving in that relationship, or not accepting it, or not understanding it, or having never heard about it is to be burned alive for all of eternity in a lake of fire. What does that make Jesus? It makes him sound like he isn't so much a savior as he is an abusive bully.

"Love me, or else."

Now there's some good news that'll get 'em running down the isle at our next revival service. Amen, brother. Amen.