How Can A Loving God Send People To Hell?

This was the question a friend and I considered when I was nineteen years old.  After much discussion we agreed that the idea of hell was inconsistent with a loving God and therefore concluded that hell, if it did exist, was for the really bad people of the world and should not concern a couple of "better than most" types like the two of us.

About a year later I actually began to read the Bible! Boy, was I surprised by how much Jesus had to say about hell!  In fact, no one spoke more about hell in the Bible than did Jesus.

I have long since revived my beliefs about hell since that conversation with my friend so many years ago. Unfortunately, many still hold to their beliefs about the afterlife without regard to what the Bible plainly teaches.

Admittedly, hell is a tough topic to discuss.

Peter Kreeft, a Catholic theologian from Boston College, puts it this way:  "Of all the doctrines of Christianity, hell is the most difficult to defend, the most burdensome to bear, and the first to be abandoned."

Whether you are just exploring Christianity or are a long-time follower of Christ, we all struggle with the doctrine of hell.  We struggle with the notion of fellow human beings suffering for all eternity.  We struggle with believing that a God of love could create and sustain a place of eternal torment.  We struggle with whether it's fair that people go there who don't seem to deserve it—good people, religious people.

Check out the message at https://vimeo.com/99493655

Bo