Kirk Cameron sets Christian Internet Ablaze
It was a few weeks before Christmas, and the internet was ablaze – at least the “Christian” internet. Ablaze with discussions of the afterlife, specifically the concept of eternal conscious torment, the belief that nonbelievers will burn forever in a literal fire and will remain in this state of torment with no way of escape – for eternity. This belief is what is taught in most evangelical circles, and while many people question how this could be compatible with a loving God, few are bold enough to openly voice their questions or doubts. In a podcast discussion with his son, the well-known actor – turned podcaster Kirk Cameron openly questioned the concept of eternal conscious torment and shared that he was leaning towards annihilation for nonbelievers, meaning that they simply cease to exist rather than burn forever. To say this caused a stir in conservative Christian circles would be an understatement.
In a response video, Cameron stated that he didn’t expect this type of response from his fellow believers. Frankly speaking, I’m surprised that he was surprised. People don’t like their beliefs to be questioned. When something that is a core part of a person’s belief system is questioned, it can be unsettling. Rather than engaging in dialogue to understand opposing views, people often end up attacking those who disagree with them. Some people may be afraid that if they let go of one specific belief regarding their understanding of the Bible, it means they are essentially questioning all of the Bible. There is something comforting about certainty and questioning one’s core beliefs can be scary – and unsettling.
The questions I didn’t ask
As a child, I remember reading footnotes in my Bible that indicated that the word “hell” could simply mean “grave” or “place of the dead.” For some reason, even though I noted this, I never really questioned it. During my university years, a friend who had grown up in a Baptist home and had become a Seventh Day Adventist stated very confidently that there was a “hell,” but no eternal fire. I wondered how anyone who claimed to believe the Bible could come to such a conclusion. I even told my roommate at the time, and she agreed with me and said something to the effect that such beliefs would lead to people not taking the need to evangelize seriously. For some reason, I didn’t bother to ask why Seventh Day Adventists didn’t believe in eternal fire.
Top evangelists seem to have differing views
As a young adult, I heard Billy Graham, one of the most famous American evangelical preachers, make a statement during an interview on CNN that indicated that some people believe that hell might be for a portion of eternity, and not indefinite. On yet another occasion, I heard Charles Stanley, another well-known evangelical preacher say that hell was not a physical fire. The reason he gave was ironically based on a passage that is frequently used to support the doctrine of eternal conscious torment, the story of Lazarus and the rich man in Luke 16:19-31.
Lazarus and the Rich Man – A Different Take
Many people believe that this was a parable told by Jesus. Others insist that it actually happened. Either way, there are varying interpretations of the story.
In summary, Lazarus was a beggar who desired to be fed with crumbs from the rich man’s table. When he died, the angels carried him to “Abraham’s bosom.” The rich man also died and went to Hades, from where he looked up and saw Lazarus in Abraham’s bosom. He asked Abraham if Lazarus could dip the tip of his finger in water and use it to cool his tongue, since he was being tormented by flames. In response, Abraham tells the rich man that he received good things while he was on earth, while Lazarus suffered, and now the tables were turned.
There is so much to unpack in this story, but Dr. Stanley had an interesting take – one I had never heard prior to that (or since, for that matter). He said the story wasn’t about a physical fire because in a real fire, a drop of water wouldn’t have any impact, so it really didn’t make sense that the rich man would be asking for a drop of water if he was in a literal fire. It seemed like a logical statement, but I didn’t pursue the topic any further at the time.
Several years later, a Jewish colleague told me that Jews didn’t believe in hell. At the time, I didn’t bother asking why not. Years after that, I eventually asked a Christian friend – “if Jews don’t believe in hell, where did we get the concept from?”
What did the early church fathers believe?
I won’t blame you if you are wondering why I didn’t “do my own research” after the experiences described above. I could easily blame it on being too busy pursuing a medical career – and a whole lot of other things, but to be honest, deep down I think I was really scared of what I might find. I was experiencing enough cognitive dissonance about the concept of hell and didn’t know what I would find if I tried to learn more. One possibility was that I would find even more “scary” information – more than I could handle. At a point in time, I decided that for my own mental health, I had to stop worrying about the possibility of people burning in hell right now – or in the future.
At some point – a few years ago – I finally took the risk – and started reading about and listening to various perspectives on hell, and what I found surprised me. The view of eternal conscious torment – while being the dominant view in what is considered “orthodox” Christianity, was not the only view of the early church fathers. Broadly speaking, there were three views on the afterlife: eternal conscious torment, annihilation and universalism. Annihilation refers to final destruction, meaning that nonbelievers will eventually simply cease to exist, possibly after a period of punishment. (This view is also known as conditional immortality). Universalism refers to the belief that everyone will eventually be saved. This is an oversimplification, but I hope you get the idea.
Kirk Cameron’s view is not heretical
I plan to discuss these topics further in future essays, but Kirk Cameron’s view is nothing new and is certainly not heretical. The negative reactions he has received reveal a deeper problem within many evangelical circles, where critical thinking is often discouraged and any challenge to specific beliefs is seen as an attack on the faith. Unfortunately, many people don’t seem to understand that the beliefs that they claim are based on the Bible are really based on their interpretation of the Bible, and that is why people often come to different conclusions about the exact same passages.
Kirk Cameron said the quiet part out loud, unlike many others who are afraid to challenge the status quo. He asked hard questions openly, something which so many others, including myself until now, were not bold enough to do.
Raising the sail and catching the wind
Dr. Randal Rauser, who runs a YouTube channel called the Tentative Apologist, says that one of the problems with Christian apologists is that cognitive biases often undermine their disposition to seek the truth, leading to credibility concerns.
Dr. Rauser uses the metaphor of a sailing ship, which needs a ballast for steadying and sails that catch the wind. Using this analogy, he says healthy belief communities are served well by having both a ballast and a sail, the ballast referring to people with deep convictions and the sail being represented by those who are willing to express doubt. Rauser believes that communities are healthy when they have both. The lack of freedom to ask questions or express doubt leads to stagnation. Raising the sail can be scary, because you don’t know which way the wind will carry you. In one video, he shares an excerpt from his book where he admits that for years, he wouldn’t explore a question unless he could get all the satisfactory answers, much like a trial lawyer. He finally realized that sometimes being honest is the first step towards a solution. He ends the discussion by saying that he would rather accept that there are some questions he may never answer rather than return to the time he thought his answers were beyond question.
I plan to explore this topic further in future essays. Stay tuned!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_RflbA8Vt_Y
Read the Medium article here.
Read the Premiere Christianity article here.
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