The Evangelical Universalist Forum

50% of Evangelicals do not believe in Hell

Evangelical Universalism
#1

My son is attending a Disciple Leadership institute at a large Charismatic church in CO. Last Sunday the Pastor spoke on the reality of Hell, basing his message on the story of the rich man and Lazarus. In the introductory remarks he said that according to some statistics he’s seen 50% of Evangelicals no longer believe in Hell, ECT. If anyone knows of where this stat comes from please let me know.

I am wondering who these people were. It’s likely that they are NOT in any leadership position, but the laity; for if they were in leadership positions, we’d likely have heard much more of this. And I think this is evidence of their being a grass-roots movement of God challenging the doctrine of Hell. Hell just does not make sense, rationally based on the character of God and people’s experience of God.

#2

PS. I was very proud of my son. He picked up on several things that the Pastor said that my son knew were not correct. It’s sad, the pastor affirmed that the story of the rich man and Lazarus was a parable, but then appealed to it as evidence for Hell. He noted that it actually says “Hades” which does not mean Hell, but then appealed to it as meaning Hell because of the word torment. He jumped over to talking about Gehenna, saying it was a trash dump with an everlasting fire and maggots and even noted it’s historical infamy, but then makes the unsubstantiated jump to claiming that it speaks of endless punishment in the afterlife. I was tickled that my son picked up on several of those things. He didn’t quite know how to feel, recognizing that on this subject he apparently knew more than that pastor, or could see the illogical jumps and conclusions that the pastor was making.

#3

i guess i worry about WHY they don’t believe in hell…
is it for good reasons of conscience and Scripture, or is it so they don’t have to change their lifestyles or reach out to their neighbours?
heck, this is a question i have to ask myself!!!

#4

Actually, according to traditional evangelical doctrine, Hell has nothing to do with lifesyle, but only with whether or not one “chooses” to put one’s faith in Christ. And apparently the doctrine of Hell doesn’t actually help many people share the “gospel” because, well, telling people that they are going to Hell is really Bad News, not Good News; and no one likes to be the bearer of Bad News.

I think that the reason these people do not believe in Hell is because it just doesn’t make sense that the God whom we know and have experienced is love would torture or allow anyone to be tortured forever. But I’d like to actually see the stats and look at them more closely.

#5

I feel like there ought to be a Mark Twain joke in here somewhere… :wink:

(“X”, “Y”, “Statistics”)

#6

Lol, I’m familiar with that quote. One of his best.

That, and; “The Lord didn’t make any creature in vain, but the fly comes near”…