Dealing with other Christians

[Joanna]

I know many Christians from different chuches.  Christians seem to fall into 3 groups.

1. Those who don't accept a hell - universal salvation.
2.  Those who only think really bad people like Hitler, terrorists and murderers go to hell.
3.  Those who condemn to hell all who are not perceived as saved which includes most of the world.  I tell this group that the doctrine of hell is vile and is wrong but they keep asserting that hell may not be pleasant but say I have to accept there is a hell even when I explain that hell terrifies some people - they are insensitive to people's feelings about hell. They say hell is hated but has to be believed. How do I deal with people who keep asserting the doctrine of hell to me?

[Lazarus Short]

The third group is comprised of people who have a zeal for justice.  Remind them that God's ways are not our ways  - that God's justice was to send His Own Son to die for our benefit.

Two things from the Bible always come to mind for me in relation to the existence or non-existence of Hell.

First, is Rev. 20:14 - if Death and Hell (properly, the Grave) are to be thrown into the Lake of Fire, how can anyone be dead and/or in Hell after that?

Second, we all know that God is to become All in all at the consumation of the ages.  But, how can that ever happen if anyone is still dead and/or in Hell?

Hope this helps...

[Tom]

I just posted this recently, and I think it provides a good explanation about how the false doctrine of "hell" came to be the popular orthodox doctrine that it is.

http://tentmaker.org/forum/hellbusters-hallow/hell-is-a-lie-13339/