The Narrow Path Ministries

Iam new to the site. I have read the forum for many years and finally decided to join in. My question is if Christians are really committed to the doctrine of hell why would they ever take the chance of having children?

If Christians are really committed to the doctrine of hell, then we really suck or I do. Because that's pretty serious stuff. One would think they would spend every waking moment about hell and how to stay out of it. Even if one had just an ounce of compassion.

If Christians are really committed to the doctrine of hell, then we really suck or I do. Because that's pretty serious stuff. One would think they would spend every waking moment about hell and how to stay out of it. Even if one had just an ounce of compassion.










I think the key word is "if" which really demonstrates that people really are not capable of conceptualizing anything eternal or more likely don't really believe in eternal damnation.

It's like my pastor would preach if you don't know Jesus your going to hell forever and ever and ever and the they all go out to lunch. We don't really believe it either that I have mine you get yours. Personally I don't believe in hell. It just does not make since. Why no tell Adam and Eve or inn the blessings and curses God says not one word to Isreal.

Sorry my typing skills are terrible.

It's like my pastor would preach if you don't know Jesus your going to hell forever and ever and ever and the they all go out to lunch. We don't really believe it either that I have mine you get yours. Personally I don't believe in hell. It just does not make since. Why no tell Adam and Eve or inn the blessings and curses God says not one word to Isreal.










Well in the OT there was not much about any afterlife, good or bad. But there is a lake of fire but it could be eternal hell or annihilation or reconciliation with God or a combination. Many different opinions.

I understand the different views but those who hold that hell is a place of eternal torture don't seem so overly concerned . Unless your a Christian who decides you don't believe in that then they get real concerned. I've even been told I can't even be Christian. I not allowed to even talk about it at church.

Hi Chip,

If you've read this site for a while, you know that I was raised a JW and no longer attend. Having said that, your question/comment reminded me of a quote I read once, which I will share below.

Whatever one may think of CT Russell, founder of the Watchtower Society, I always found his beliefs on hell and scare religion in general to be refreshing. Excuse the 1800s style of writing, but that's when it was penned:

“That I thoroughly believed this doctrine[hell], you may know when I tell you that at 17 years of age it was my custom to go out at night to chalk up words of warning in conspicuous places, where working men passing to and fro might see them, that peradventure I might save some from this awful doom. And the while I wondered why God, who is of infinite power, did not blazon forth some words of warning upon the sky or cause angel trumpeters to announce positively and forcefully the doom to which the world in general was, I supposed, hastening. I was an admirer of the great Baptist preacher, Charles Spurgeon, and esteemed him very highly for his honesty and candor which made his sermons so dreadfully hot, believing that he was an exceptionally honest minister, and that others were grossly derelict in not preaching hell strenuously, in proclaiming eternal torment continually. -- Pastor Russell’s Sermons, p. 517

In discussing the lack of success in world conversion, using numbers available to him at the time, Russell drew a "chart" of the degree of unbelief in the world:

"In fact, to every thoughtful observer, one of two things must be apparent: either the church has made a great mistake in supposing that in the present age, and in her present condition, her office has been to convert the world, or else God’s plan has been a miserable failure. Which horn of the dilemma shall we accept? Many have accepted, and many more doubtless will accept, the latter, and swell the ranks of infidelity, either covertly or openly.

"But dark as this picture appears, it is not the darkest picture that fallen humanity presents. The above [chart] represents only the present living generations. When we consider the fact that century after century of the six thousand years past has swept away other vast multitudes, nearly all of whom were enveloped in the same ignorance and sin, how dark is the scene! Viewed from the popular standpoint, it is truly an awful picture. The various creeds of today teach that all of these billions of humanity, ignorant of the only name under heaven by which we must be saved, are on the straight road to everlasting torment; and not only so, but that all of those 116,000,000 Protestants, except the very few saints, are sure of the same fate. No wonder, then, that those who believe such awful things of Jehovah’s plans and purposes should be zealous in forwarding missionary enterprises—the wonder is that they are not frenzied by it. Really to believe thus, and to appreciate such conclusions, would rob life of every pleasure, and shroud in gloom every bright prospect of nature." CT Russell, The Divine Plan of the Ages.

I always had a similar feeling as yours when I attended JW Meetings. Even though JWs believe in Annihilationism--that all unrepentant will be destroyed eternally, rather than suffer conscious torment--still, they believe that this destruction is probably going to be the vast majority of mankind alive today. So, I too witnessed the same casual approach to such a horrendous idea. After the Meetings, or after the door-to-door work, they would go have lunch.... It's as if they really don't believe it, or, if they do, then they have become inured to what a dreadful concept this is!

My guess is this; your confreres in the church you attend, fall into the latter category that Russell referred to above, namely, "to believe thus, and to appreciate such conclusions, would rob life of every pleasure, and shroud in gloom every bright prospect of nature", so they just don't think about it.

Regards, Brenden.

Thank you for the post. I became a Christian late in life. I never could understand why be born into life if there a chance to go to hell. Once your in the door it seems like it's totally up to you to keep your Christianity. With hell over your head seems like a lot of pressure. I used to think the best way to get into heaven was say the so called sinners prayer and have somebody with a gun to shoot you in the head just as you finish. The thief on the cross. I know this is ridiculous but that's how I felt. They make salvation so fragile .

Hi Brenden,

When Charles T. Russell was on the go, the Bible Students Association seems to have been a fairly good organization. Did you know that universalist Adolph E. Knoch used to have some heavy discussions with Russell on the topic of the ultimate reconciliation of all to God? Russell, who believed in the annihilation of the lost, disagreed with Knoch, of course.

In my opinion it was Judge Rutherford who really put the organization off track.

There's an interesting letter by Olin Moyle (who was excommunicated) to Judge Rutherford, reproving him for his high-handed tactics with many people. You can read about it here (You may have to scroll up and down to find Moyle's letter):

Apostles of Denial