Annihilation Emotion

A Christian pastor wrote dismissively of the belief that God would annihilate the wicked. His held to the more common belief that God would torment the wicked forever. His fundamental opposition to annihilation was that every argument he had heard for it was based on...

Fire of Purification

Fire is associated with three major themes in the Bible: fire that indicates the presence of God, fire that God uses to consume evil, and fire that is used by God to refine and purify. Many have cited biblical language that suggests a connection between fire and...

Hell No Introduction

Hell No Introduction Hell is a forgotten concern in 21st century culture. Christian theologians will argue about its design, with most insisting on the importance of everlasting torment, but exposure for the average person is limited to the comics. The typical hell...

The Quality of the Offended

The Quality of the Offended Some years ago I first heard the argument that the reason why unrepentant sinners must experience everlasting torment is due to the offense being against God, whose goodness is infinite. I considered the argument an outlier, not to be taken...

Cross Torture

Cross Torture In the first century killing could be done quickly and easily. One swipe of a sword could separate a man’s body from his head. Crucifixion was something quite different, even if in the end the same conclusion was reached.  Crucifixion was...

Purpose for Eternal Torment

Scared Straight Is there a possible purpose served by everlasting torment? Some argue that the threat of everlasting torment drives people to Jesus, but there’s a logical flaw to this argument. It may be that some people who’ve experienced torture, or some people with...