Hell: Theology, Doctrine and Liberal Values

[boatsnguitars]

Let's talk about Hell.
In 1944, a National Opinion Research Center (NORC) at the University of Chicagopoll found that 71% of respondents believed in a Hell where people who lead bad lives and die without being sorry are eternally punished.

Fast forward to more recent times: According to a study by the Public Religion Research Institute (PRRI) conducted in 2020, only 43% of Americans now believe in a literal hell where people suffer eternal damnation, compared to 58% in 2011. This decline is even more significant among young adults: only 23% of Americans between the ages of 18 and 29 believe in a literal hell, compared to 47% in 2011. Another Pew survey in 2020 found that only 32% of American Christians believe in a literal Hell where people are punished eternally.

So what are the reasons behind this trend? There are several possible factors that may contribute to the decline in belief in hell:

1. Some religious scholars have suggested that the concept of Hell has become less relevant in modern times, as people have shifted their focus to more immediate concerns such as social justice and environmental issues. They argue that the emphasis on the afterlife has diminished, and people are more interested in making a positive impact in the world during their lifetime.

2. Changes in religious affiliation: One possible explanation is that more Americans are identifying as religiously unaffiliated, or "nones," which may be associated with a lower likelihood of belief in traditional religious teachings about hell. According to the PRRI study, only 17% of religiously unaffiliated Americans believe in a literal hell, compared to 61% of white evangelical Protestants. Specifically to Christianity, many Christians feel free to "Church Shop" and find the Church that best expresses their beliefs - which, polling shows, includes an increasingly growing population that doesn't believe in Hell, forcing more churches to reduce their teaching on the existence of Hell to meet this new market.

3. Changing theological interpretations: Some Christians may be reinterpreting traditional teachings about hell in a more metaphorical or symbolic sense, rather than as a literal place of eternal punishment. This trend may reflect broader shifts in theology and religious practice, as well as changing cultural and social values.

4. Influence of secular culture/liberal values: The increasing influence of secular culture and values may be leading some people to question or reject traditional religious beliefs, including belief in hell. As society becomes more diverse and pluralistic, some Christians may feel less confident in their beliefs and more open to alternative perspectives; may be less likely to believe in a place of eternal punishment for those who don't share their religious beliefs or follow certain moral codes. Liberal values have placed a greater emphasis on tolerance and acceptance of diverse beliefs and lifestyles.

5. Social and psychological factors: Finally, there may be a variety of social and psychological factors that influence belief in hell, such as education, exposure to different viewpoints, and personal experiences of suffering and injustice.

It's worth noting that the decline in belief in hell is not necessarily a new trend. According to a study by the Barna Group conducted in 2016, only 50% of American Christians believed in a literal hell, compared to 71% in 1993. This suggests that the decline in belief may have been happening for several decades, and is not solely a result of recent cultural and social changes.

What is intriguing to me is how diverse Christian beliefs are. Yet, each Christian seems convinced in their interpretation - and they all claim to be Brothers and Sisters in Christ. I've heard passionate defenses of the Bible that there is no literal Hell - and they use the very reasoning that Atheists have used to say that Hell doesn't make sense with a God. I've heard passionate defenses for gay marriage based on the Bible - again, they use secular, liberal arguments to support it and find the appropriate texts in the Bible to claim it's a Christian idea. They claim it always was a Christian idea!

When a Conservative Christian reacts, they seem to be reading the Bible as it was written, and seem to be interpreting it as it was interpreted for thousands of years, but even modern Christians will marginalize them and claim they are zealots, extremists, etc.

Debate questions:
1. In what ways has the belief in Hell been influenced by the cultural and societal norms of the times in which it was taught and interpreted throughout history?
2. What does this mean to the effectiveness of the Bible and all it's interpretations if they are so easily warped by society over time?
3. Are your interpretations affected by how you grew up, your social surroundings, liberal values - how do you know one way or another?
4. All religions adapt or die. How can we reconcile this adaptation that allows Chrisitanity to thrive with the idea that we would have believed very different things depending on when and where we were born?
5. How maluable is Christianity? At what point could it break if society pushes the interpretation of some passages? (For example, what if Hell was no longer believed - does that undermine the Bible as an authortative source?)
6. How might our current understanding of justice and human rights shape our interpretation of biblical teachings on Hell and eternal punishment?
7. How can an awareness of social and cultural factors help us better understand the evolution of Christian beliefs about Hell and other key doctrines?
8. How can we use critical thinking and cultural sensitivity to better understand and interpret biblical teachings about Hell, and what implications might this have for the future of Christianity and its impact on the world?