12 Reasons To Believe Hell Is A Myth!

By Mike Edwards

No one knows definitively what awaits us after death. Not all scholars agree the English word “Hell” translated from Greek in the Bible suggested a fiery, torturous afterlife. It is wisest to assume a fiery, tortuous afterlife doesn’t await many. It can only traumatize young people. It leads many to atheism. Who wants to follow a God that tortures unbelievers? It is important we speak out against this theology of Hell when so much uncertainty exist. A Pew Poll suggests 58% believe in Hell as a place of everlasting torture. Many more evangelical Christians believe and they are encouraged to evangelize their friends.

Hell was never mentioned as a consequence during warnings of Global punishments 

Set aside whether you believe Genesis should be read literally as opposed to metaphorically to convey a spiritual truth. Adam and Eve were warned of death if ate from the Tree of knowledge of good and evil. This decision supposedly set up billions after them to fall into the same sin. No warning of Hell! Noah warned of a global destructive flood for evil behaviors. No warning of Hell! Old Testaments prophets warned their people to stop destructive actions but never mentioned Hell. It seems cruel by God not warning if such serious consequences really existed.

Hell is never mentioned in all of the Old Testament

Hell is never mentioned once in the OT as a place for infidels. The Hebrew word “Sheol” is only mentioned as an abode for all the dead, believers or unbelievers, and was not mentioned as a place of judgment. There is not one mention about punishment being eternal in the OT.

The word for Hell in the New Testament doesn’t suggest eternal punishment

A literal Hell in the afterlife is nowhere to be found in the Bible. The English word “Hell” is a translation of the Greek word Gehenna. Jesus spoke of a place called Valley of Hinnom (Gehenna) outside of Jerusalem. Corpse were burned not kept alive. This is how you know interpretations have gone to hell. A metaphor, illustrating the destructiveness of sin, is used to push fear to obey or you are lit on fire and kept alive.

Jesus told the woman who had committed adultery: “go now, and leave your life of sin” (John 8). Where was Jesus’ evangelical spiel if he didn’t see this woman again? Jesus was asked by a religious expert how to have eternal life. Jesus spoke of how to start living here on earth not what awaited in the afterlife. He simply said to love God and your neighbor (Lk.10:25-37). Jesus spoke of loving God not to get into heaven but to receive help in loving others as you love yourself. You don’t have to drop to your knees and say a prayer to get “in” with God. You only have to want God’s help. Jesus’ salvation was about living a meaningful life here on earth with God’s help. 

Writers Paul and John never mentioned Hell

The Apostles Paul and John recorded much of the New Testament. They didn’t even mention Hell once, much less punishment being eternal. James used a word other than Gehenna once; otherwise only Jesus referred to Hell (Gehenna).

The Lake of Fire in Revelation doesn’t even suggest a fiery, torturous punishment

Fire in the Bible is used more metaphorically than a literal fire where people are tortured forever after death. If dragons with seven heads are considered figuratively in Revelation, why wouldn’t the Lake of Fire be a metaphor? Revelation only suggests believers and unbelievers will face some kind of judgment after death. Fire is used in the New Testament for judgment and discipline but not to destroy or burn forever in flames (I Cor 3:14-15; 12:7-11). 

The threat of Hell is relationally ludicrous 

God’s continual encouragement and mercy, not the fear of Hell or gloomy uncertainty of God’s favor, is our necessary nourishment for lasting changes of the heart. How real is faith if only to avoid Hell? Genuine changes result when knowing you are deeply loved by a parent or God empowering you to reflect such love to others. The Cross reveals our ugly nature not God’s anger for appeasement. Who kills a man simply for claiming to be God? Go ahead and live like Hell while on earth! Careful the regrets you, your family, and friends will feel at the end of your life.

Heaven can’t be a place of happiness if loved ones are living a torturous existence

Unless God denies us freedom, how can we truly be happy when millions, including loved ones, are being burned forever. If God has such power/control over happiness, why not use the same power over rebelliousness.

Hell is neither just or necessary 

Hitler is condemned for torturing millions of Jews for a time; God is said to condemn billions and torture forever. This makes God immoral. Torture doesn’t bring back a victim’s robbed memories of the future due to the murder of a loved one. Real justice is understanding your victim’s pain and accepting the harmfulness of your actions. After death God may bring to memory every unrepented action of betrayal and how it felt to their victims. The cleansing and educative effect may take longer for some than others. We can have less concerns about justice in the future by accepting God’s influence in our life here on earth.

Hell doesn’t solve evil

It is claimed God will eventually conquer evil. If evildoers live a torturous existence forever, how exactly did God solve evil?

Hell is an impossible free choice

For a minute forget about the Hitler example and think of family and friends who don’t believe in God or follow Jesus the way you do. They may score higher on the morality scale than you. It is possible that God gives one ultimately freedom to choose their destiny after life here on earth. See here. It isn’t rationally possible in the afterlife to choose hell/torture in one’s right mind over Heaven. No one puts their hand in a fire and leaves it there. We would call them insane, not truly free. If Hell was true, a loving God would be obligated to make sure one understood this reality. 

God can’t be all-knowing and there be a Hell 

Many who argue for the reality of Hell, because of the Bible, suggest that same Bible reveals God is all-knowing including knowing the future. I have claimed that God’s can’t know the future if freedom is genuine. See here.  If God somehow knew the future, that means God created knowing millions would burn in Hell forever. It may be suggested that is one’s choice, but I argued above no one would freely choose Hell. You can’t convince me that God would ever create a human being if Hell was a reality. I wouldn’t have children if I knew their destination was Hell.

God giving up isn’t conceivable

Can God really stop being forgiving? Human parents can’t despite their imperfections. There are consequences in this life and there may be painful reckonings in the life to come, but God can’t stop showing grace. Why would God have a complete character lobotomy after we take our last breath here on earth? Is a thief going to enter Paradise but not others with lesser sins because they weren’t next to Jesus hanging on Cross right before their last breath? God’s grace doesn’t depend on whether one has more opportunities to respond to God than others.

God creating a literal Hell where people are tortured for billions of years for beliefs held a short time here on earth isn’t biblical much less morally possible!

12 Reasons To Believe Hell Is A Myth!

Mike Edwards has been writing for Done with Religion for some time and has been a great addition to the site. He couldn’t find enough people to discuss God openly so he started blogging years ago. Mike also has his own site where he writes that can be found at What God May Really Be Like  He can be contacted by email at: medwar2@gmail.com

Why Hell Can’t Be True!

By Mike Edwards

The Gospel or God’s main message has been hijacked! We have been told forever it seems that Jesus’ death on the Cross was to spare us from going to Hell to appease God’s angry about our sins. What kind of spiritual or human relationship is built on fear and avoiding fiery torture. A literal Hell can’t be morally or biblically possible.

Hell is morally impossible

Most who believe God exist agree God has given us moral intuitions to discern evil from good. We don’t need a Book to tell us that sexual abuse or murder is wrong. God creating a literal Hell where people are tortured for billions of years for beliefs held a short time here on earth isn’t morally possible. We humans wouldn’t even create such a place or destination for our enemies. If God’s goodness isn’t the same as human goodness, God then sometimes isn’t good. God or humans can’t possibly be happy in heaven if loved ones are being tormented after death day after day. If God supposedly has such control over happiness, why not use the same power over rebelliousness?

Hell is an impossible free choice 

For a minute forget about the Hitler example and think of family and friends who don’t believe in God or follow Jesus the way you do. They may score higher on the morality scale than you. One may suggest that God gives one the freedom to choose their destiny after life here on earth. How is it rationally possible for anyone to choose hell/torture in their right mind over Heaven. No one puts their hand in a fire and leaves it there. We would call them insane, not truly free. One is not truly free if they choose Hell. If Hell was true, a loving God would be obligated to make sure one understood this reality. Doing so would make the choice of Hell impossible. 

God can’t possibly believe in Hell

Many who argue for the reality of Hell because of the Bible suggest that same Bible reveals God is all-knowing including knowing the future. I have claimed as others that God’s can’t know the future if freedom is genuine. See here.  If God somehow knew the future, that means God created knowing millions would burn in Hell forever. It may be suggested that is one’s choice, but I argued above no one would freely choose Hell. You can’t convince me that God would ever create a human being if Hell was a reality. I wouldn’t have children if I knew their destination may be forever torture. Why would God?

God giving up isn’t conceivable 

Can God really stop being forgiving? Bible scholars don’t agree whether the Bible suggests second chances after death or not. There are consequences in this life and there may be painful reckonings in the life to come, but God can’t stop showing grace. Why would God have a complete character lobotomy after we take our last breath here on earth? Is a thief going to enter Paradise but not others with lesser sins because they weren’t next to Jesus hanging on Cross right before their last breath? God’s grace doesn’t depend on whether one has more opportunities to respond to God than others. Even imperfect human parents wouldn’t cut off a child who eventually accepts responsibilities for their actions.

The only reason one may believe in Hell because of the Bible 

No one really believes in their belief that Hell is real. If they did, they would never stop convincing their loved ones and friends they will burn forever if they don’t repent. The only reason one might believe in Hell is because they believe the Bible obligates them to do so. The English word “Hell” is a translation of the Greek word Gehenna. Jesus spoke of a place called Valley of Hinnom (Gehenna) outside of Jerusalem. Corpse were burned not kept alive. This is how you know interpretations have gone array. They have used a metaphor to push fear to obey and that you are kept alive in the fire to continue burning. Hell isn’t biblical. See here.

Why it matters knowing Hell isn’t real

Hell doesn’t lead to a relationship with God or even changed lives. What kind of relationship comes forth when threatened with endless torture if you don’t obey. Are you close to your parents because of fear, or because they are the kind of people you want to grow up to be like? God isn’t saving you from Hell, but hoping to help you become more the person you desire to be while here on life. Go ahead and live like Hell while here on earth! Careful the regrets you, your family, and friends will feel at the end of your life. Fear may work temporarily in the religion or political arena, but it can’t last. Jesus came to encourage living a life worth living – not to get you out of Hell.

Credit: That All Shall Be Saved: Heaven, Hell, and Universal Salvation: Hart, David Bentley:

Why Hell Can’t Be True!

Mike Edwards has been writing for Done with Religion for some time and has been a great addition to the site. Mike also has his own site where he writes that can be found at What God May Really Be Like  He can be contacted by email at: medwar2@gmail.com

God, What Are You Saving Us From Since Hell Doesn’t Exist?

by Mike Edwards

The traditional understanding of Hell isn’t in the Bible. God isn’t a sadistic torturer who has to be appeased by killing their child? Humans wouldn’t even create such a place to torture their enemies after death. Hell was invented over the centuries to scare people into obedience. Such fear only causes confusion, pisses you off, or leads to hiding stuff. What really is God’s good news?

The Bible says nothing about the traditional understanding of the word Hell. See here.

Gehenna, the Greek word translated as Hell in the New Testament, was the name of a real valley near Jerusalem with a history of terrible slaughter. Gehenna is best translated Gehenna just as Mount Everest is best translated Mount Everest. There is no word in Hebrew or Greek for “hell.” Jesus used Gehenna to illustrate that spiritual death is as tragic as physical death. The Apostle Paul who wrote most of the NT never refers to Hell. Noah, or any prophet in the OT, never warned of Hell as a consequence for behaviors here on earth.

Is God saving us from earth to get into Heaven?

The word “heaven” appears the most in the Gospel of Matthew. The Kingdom of Heaven isn’t a place to go after life on earth. Jesus sought to bring heavenly love to earth – “on earth as in heaven.” Jesus said nothing about dropping to your knees to avoid Hell to go to Heaven after death. But, didn’t the Apostle Paul say “the wages of sin is death” (Rm. 6:23)? Paul is speaking of spiritual death because Paul is still alive though sin has put him to death (Rm. 7:11). Paul mentions Heaven twice in Romans, yet says nothing about Jesus dying so we can go to Heaven (Rm. 1:18, 10:6).

What does the Bible say God is saving us from?

When Jesus was asked by a religious expert how to have eternal life, He simply said to love God and your neighbor (Lk.10:25-37). Jesus’ focus wasn’t on quantity of life after death but about a life worth living here on earth. Jeremy Myers says it best: “When Scripture teaches about being saved from sin, it is not referring to escaping hell and going to heaven when we die, but to the deliverance from the devastating and destructive consequences of sin in this life.” https://redeeminggod.com/confess-jesus-romans-10-9-10/

God wants to save us not from God but from ourselves.

God hurts because we are hurting ourselves and those around us. God seeks to encourage us to pursue heavenly than worldly ways. God seeks to empower us to be the unselfish people we deep down desire to be. This was the message Jesus was willing to die, rather than save Himself, to inspire us seeking God’s help in radically loving others. As God loves us, Jesus encouraged mercy, forgiveness, and going the extra mile in our relationships. Jesus sought changes of the heart for the good of the world. Loving God can empower loving others to the fullest.

Why I Doubt Hell Is Real!

by Mike Edwards

I am convinced there are beliefs claimed about God that lead to many tuning out God. Our relationship with God cannot exceed our understanding of God. I have written HERE how we can decide what God is really like. One’s understanding of a Book may be the only reason to think human and godly perfection are different.  Why would a Creator not love us and others how we were seemingly created to love others? God surely isn’t a hellish, sadistic torturer!

The Old Testament says nothing about Hell.

The Hebrew word Sheol in the Old Testament is wrongly translated as Hell. Sheol was used to describe a place of darkness occupied by the dead regardless of beliefs, not a torture chamber for unbelievers. Job, an extremely righteous man in God’s eyes, desired to go there to escape his tremendous suffering (10:21-22). God only warned Adam and Eve about death, not Hell, if eating from the tree of knowledge of good and evil. Noah failed to warn evildoers about Hell before their death by Flood. The popular understanding of Hell is not in the OT. Recent translations simply translate Sheol as “Sheol.”

Jesus said nothing about Hell.

One reason many may not believe God eventually convinces all about Heaven is because Hell supposedly exist. Jesus used the Greek word Gehenna, that has been translated into the word Hell, maybe 3-4 unique occasions to disciples or religion leaders and never to a big crowd. Gehenna was the name of a real valley near Jerusalem that was filled with garbage and even dead bodies. Fires were set to get rid of the garbage and smell. We don’t normally translate names of valleys with a different name. Gehenna should be translated as Gehenna. Jesus used the word Gehenna symbolically to illustrate what kinds of lives here on earth lead to hellish living, not what happens to people in the afterlife. Hell’s non-existence allows hope for heaven for all.

The Apostle Paul, who wrote a lot of the New Testament, never once warned this dire fate! 

But, the Book of Revelation speaks of a Lake of Fire!

The Bible only suggest that believers and unbelievers will face some kind of judgment after death. Fire in the Bible is used more metaphorically than a literal fire where people are tortured forever after death. The Book of Revelation is the only place Lake of Fire is mentioned, but if dragons with seven heads are considered figuratively why wouldn’t the Lake of Fire be a metaphor? Why would a loving God torture anyone forever since such pain serves no lasting purpose? Hitler was condemned for torturing millions of Jews for a brief time; God is said to torture billions not briefly but forever. A moral God can’t be a hellish, sadistic, torturer!

Don’t people need the fear of God to change?

Fear only leads to trying to avoid getting caught. God’s continual encouragement and mercy, not the fear of Hell or gloomy uncertainty of God’s favor, is our necessary nourishment for lasting changes of the heart. One may argue if certain beliefs aren’t required for Heaven, people will do whatever the hell they want on earth. Fearing God in the OT was the same as respecting God’s ways to avoid personal heartbreak and the destruction of others. How real is faith if only to avoid Hell? Genuine changes result when knowing you are deeply loved by a parent or God empowering you to reflect such love to others.

Can there be justice there is no hell and all go to heaven?

Punishment doesn’t bring back a victim’s robbed memories of the future due to the murder of a loved one. Real justice is understanding your victim’s pain and accepting the harmfulness of your actions. After death God may bring to memory every action of betrayal and how it felt to their victims. The cleansing and educative effect may take longer for some than others. Humans like God may forgive their enemies if they truly regret their actions and seek forgiveness. Justice from a fair, merciful God is possible despite people being given a second chance after death.

There are many reasons to doubt Hell is real other than because not in the Bible!

• Hell opposes our created moral sense. Most don’t want to believe or act as if Hell is real. Wouldn’t we all be yelling like lunatics to family, friends and strangers to avoid Hell? Hell only exist because interpretations of a supposed infallible Book are alleged infallible.
• Hell encourages hidden agendas in relationships which we despise. If Hell is true, we must always have a hidden agenda to convince friends to accept our beliefs to avoid destruction.
• Hell can lead to a violent view of God. God’s justification of violence to be appeased has led to excusing our own violent solutions in the name of justice.
• Hell makes it seems as if we humans are better lovers than God. Most of us would not treat our enemies, much less our children, the way God supposedly treats unbelievers and their creations.

Why I Doubt God Is An Excluder Of Religions!

Why I Doubt Heaven Is Closed  To Anyone After Death!