Do you think that "Born Agains" will eventually abandon the "Hellfire" doctrine? (page 2)

Pterist

What was unknown to me when I became a JW was, that within "Christendom" and "born agains" there has always been those who were "conditionalists" Pastor Edward Fudge's book "The Fire that Consumes" was instrumental (among others) in my departure from the WBTS, as I could never worship or believe a loving God would torture people eternally.

Pastor Fudge currently has produced a movie called "Hell and Mr. Fudge" where he shows h ow he has fought against the "Hell Fire" doctrine and revealed truth from the scriptures. The movie is being played in cinemas and churches throughout USA, which has attracted my attention and support in this effort.

Here are some links (not clickable - iPad,) that give more information if interested.

Shalom

http://hellandmrfudge.org/

SCREENINGS HMF -- "Hell and Mr. Fudge" movie is scheduled for showings in California, Florida, Illinois, North Carolina, Ohio, and Texas throughout the remaining summer months.

July 28 - BRYAN, TEXAS
Held Over! Third Screening! (4-U,4E!) Aggieland Premiere Cinema, 950 N. Earl Rudder Frwy.
4:30 PM -- Information: (979) 492-6203

August 4 - JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA
Argyle Church of Christ - 7310 Collins Road
6:00 PM - Information: 904-778-4721

August 10 & 11 -- FOUR OAKS, NORTH CAROLINA
Advent Christian Church - 1232 Hickory Grove Church Road
August 10 -- 6:00 PM
August 11 -- 3:00 PM
Information: 919-934-7996

August 11 - AKRON, OHIO
Akron Library Auditorium - 60 South High Street
2:00 PM -- Information: 330-515-0430

August 11 - APOPKA, FLORIDA
Forest Lake Adventist Church - 515 Harley Lester Lane
5:00 PM, 7:30 PM -- Information: 801-824-4975

August 23-29 -- OROVILLE, CALIFORNIA
Feather River Cinema
2690 Feather River Blvd.
See theatre listings for times
Information: 530-534-1885

August 25 -- COLLINSVILLE, ILLINOIS
Center Pointe Church
2200 Vandalia Street
Call church office for time: 618-409-1300

Vanderhoven7

Thank you Pterist.

Fudge read my manuscript, "Eternal Torment: Image and Reality", responded favorably and gave me full permission to quote from his work "The Fire that Consumes". So I appreciate his spirit and work. Also enjoyed two other debate style books "Four Views on Hell" and Two Views on Hell, both in my library.

For a summary of ET:I&R

https://docs.google.com/document/d/14iZXJZQj0eEsizepUJL-AHaKQ63lp8mYyBWesI1RNwQ/

cofty

Belief in eternal torment is a symptom of a deranged mind.

Nobody can love a god who would torment somebody, whether that is physical, mental or by any other means.

Those sort of Christians and Muslims confuse love with something akin to the Stockholm Syndrome. It reminds me of the way a wife may proclaim her adoration of an abusive husband.

Laika

By 'born again' JWs generally mean fundamentalist or evangelical Christian.

As barry pointed out this is a pretty broad term and encompasses a lot of different beliefs.

Quendi

I took some relatives to the Garden of the Gods in Colorado Springs last week. While there we encountered a fundamentalist preaching to tourists. He talked a lot about the forgiveness of sins and faith in Jesus, but he also railed on about everlasting torment in hellfire for non-believers. So the hellfire doctrine is still very real to some.

Quendi

LisaRose

Yes, Colorado Sprngs is full of the fundies, it's where Focus on the Family is based. The only good thing about it was Garden of The Gods, it's magnificent, I used to work near there. I couldn't stand the rest of the city though.

Cold Steel

The hellfire doctrine is completely unjustifiable for a God who is loving and merciful. That said, I do believe that hell is a real place, but that, like all of God's creations, has a purpose and is remedial in nature. It helps people who have passed to see the pain they've afflicted and, in some cases, the atrocities. People who have experienced it have said it's very difficult to go through. Imagine if you're someone like Hitler, Stalin, Mao, or Lincoln--and you have to live through the experiences and pain of every person you've tortured, murdered or wronged in your life; to intimately know them and see how they suffered because of you. People who are muderers, adulterers, rapists, warmongers and such will not come forth until the final resurrection, and when they come forth, they will come forth in the lower glories (see I Cor. 15) There are many accounts of hell in "life after death" experiences. The important thing is that hell has a purpose, and it's ultimately for our own good.

Evangelicals believe hell is justice, and people who merit it rejected the mercy that the Atonement wrought. Thus, they will suffer forever, having their souls seared, but their flesh remains immortal and impervious to harm. It's a horrible doctrine and it's one reason I bailed from the evangelical church I used to go to.

Will they ever change? I doubt it.

MrFreeze

Eternal punishment for something that really isn't our fault. It's like if you were outside and some bully pushed you in a mud puddle and your mom grounded you for getting your clothes dirty.

tenyearsafter

I think most Christians believe Hell is an eternal seperation from God...not that different than JW's who believe in eternal death for all but true believers. This evangelical viewpoint/belief is that being seperated from God is torment. There are all different beliefs within Evangelical Christianity, but only the more extreme, ie: Ray Comfort and crew, cling to the eternal torment in a burning Hell as a core teaching.

jwfacts

A number of religions no longer teach hellfire. It is totally illogical that a few years of wrongdoing on earth would relegate you to eternal torment, particularly when we are born sinners to start with. As education improves around the world, and the internet allows dissection of belief, hellfire will disappear from most religions.

Do you think that "Born Agains" will eventually abandon the "Hellfire" doctrine?

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