I Think I Believe I am Jesus' little brain cell

31Jan/100

The likeliness of Hell

"A recent survey of nearly 9,000 members and clergy in the church of England found that only 46 per cent say that they believe in hell, 34 per cent were uncertain and 20 per cent said that they did not believe." (What Are We Waiting For?, Stephen Holmes and Russell Rook, eds., pp. 98-99)

Are clergy more likely not to believe than regular members?

If you conduct funerals on a regular basis and minister to the sick and dying, are you more or less likely to believe in Hell? If you counsel your flock and are with them in their time of suffering, are you more or less likely to believe in Hell?

If you know human psychology, its vulnerability to the crushing weight of Hell and its residents, on the one hand, and its propensity to wish upon enemies a residency, on the other, are you more or less likely to believe in Hell?

If you know the history and development of doctrine, are you more or less likely to believe in Hell? If you know the interplay between theology and culture, are you more or less likely to believe in Hell?

If you know Greek and Hebrew and how to properly interpret the Bible, are the more or less likely to believe in Hell? If you know the multiplicity of Biblical teaching on post-mortem existence and judgement, are you more or less likely to believe in Hell?

If you are aware and question the tacit meaning I'm conferring unto the word "Hell", as in what's sometimes called the "traditional" doctrine of Hell, and "believe", as in the literal acceptance of this concept, are you more or less likely to believe in it?

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