Protestants not believing in Hell

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punisherthunder

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Long.story.short.

I was chatting with a Protestant co-worker and when I said something about St. Michael, they waved me off and said they never heard of him. I told them he cast Lucifer from Heaven and they further waved me off saying there was no such thing as Lucifer. I was shocked when they further said there was no Hell that God doesn’t send anyone there because it doesn’t exist. When I asked where unrepenant sinners go, they told me that “everyone is saved”.

Fast forward to today.

I spoked to a cousin of my wife’s and they are Souther Baptist. In mentioning theological things, I mention Hell and they waved me off too. They told me that there is no such place as Hell and Lucifer is “just a ghost”. When I tell them Jesus spoke of Gehenna, they told me that it was an emotional Hell, not a literal one! :eek:

Anyone else encounter types like this lately?
 
Not lately, but I have met the types. They were often a bit iffy about Jesus’ divinity and resurrection too. I think they are practically atheists, but for some reason they can’t let go of the word ‘Protestant’. Perhaps they consider themselves cultural or atheist Protestants, much like cultural or atheist Jews. Honesty compels me to say that I have also met Catholics of this type.
 
When I was Protestant (main line), I believed in Hell, just as I do now. It probably depends on what flavor of Protestantism that they practice. Assemblies of God, SDA, Episcopal, Presbyterian, Church of Christ, etc.
 
I consider “once saved, always saved” just a skip and a jump from not believing in hell.
 
I am so glad to see this thread because I have always been very confused when it comes to the once saved always saved believers. Once they embrace that osas hogwash then not believing in hell–lucifer—St Michael is just one more step.
 
punisherthunder said:
Long.story.short.

I was chatting with a Protestant co-worker and when I said something about St. Michael, they waved me off and said they never heard of him. I told them he cast Lucifer from Heaven and they further waved me off saying there was no such thing as Lucifer. I was shocked when they further said there was no Hell that God doesn’t send anyone there because it doesn’t exist. When I asked where unrepenant sinners go, they told me that “everyone is saved”.

Fast forward to today.

I spoked to a cousin of my wife’s and they are Souther Baptist. In mentioning theological things, I mention Hell and they waved me off too. They told me that there is no such place as Hell and Lucifer is “just a ghost”. When I tell them Jesus spoke of Gehenna, they told me that it was an emotional Hell, not a literal one! :eek:

Anyone else encounter types like this lately?
Click to expand...
This is the heresy of universalism.
 
I was raised a Southern Baptist. I heard about hell all the time – in Technicolor. It was mainly used as an incentive to persuade the unsaved to get saved. That meant we should witness to our friends about the fires of hell that awaited them if they didn’t get hell. And as for the “once saved, always saved,” it’s not quite as simplistic as it sounds. Yes, you could never lose your eternal salvation, but that doesn’t mean you are free to sin like crazy. If you want to be a good Christian, you prayed for forgiveness all the time. And they have tons of rules, such as not dancing. I was constantly worried about sinning, because by Sunday school teachers warned us grieving the heart of Jesus.

If you want to live a life of sin, God will take his protection away from you. Which means you would be in for a world of suffering.

I appreciate my Baptist upbringing for my biblical education. And I was deeply moved by my full immersion Baptism. I did it when I was 10, when I had reached the "age of accountability. "So I remember it fully.

That’s my memory. And I have a lot of nostalgia about it.

God Bless you all,

Lisa
 
Only ones who don’t believe in hell are universalists and that’s not even a valid denomination.

Some believe in soul annihilation but cant think of the denomination.
 
Is there a list of things that Roman Catholics want non-Catholics to accept in order to be considered ‘non-heretical?’ I am curious about this. Trinitarian Baptism is of course top of the list. Remember you are talking about non-Romans here. There are many things you would not find agreement on. But is believe in hell up there with Baptism?

BTW, have you read Rob Bell’s book on the subject? Love Wins. I think he made the cover to TIME Magazine with that one.
 
ComplineSanFran said:
Is there a list of things that Roman Catholics want non-Catholics to accept in order to be considered ‘non-heretical?’ I am curious about this. Trinitarian Baptism is of course top of the list. Remember you are talking about non-Romans here. There are many things you would not find agreement on. But is believe in hell up there with Baptism?

BTW, have you read Rob Bell’s book on the subject? Love Wins. I think he made the cover to TIME Magazine with that one.
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Everything the Catholic Church proclaims to be true is what is needed to be considered non-heretical. Though, rejection of the Pope is not considered heretical but rather is schism. That is why Eastern Orthodox are not considered heretical but only schismatics.
 
ComplineSanFran said:
Is there a list of things that Roman Catholics want non-Catholics to accept in order to be considered ‘non-heretical?’ I am curious about this. Trinitarian Baptism is of course top of the list. Remember you are talking about non-Romans here. There are many things you would not find agreement on. But is believe in hell up there with Baptism?

BTW, have you read Rob Bell’s book on the subject? Love Wins. I think he made the cover to TIME Magazine with that one.
Click to expand...
A Roman Catholic is required to believe in the existence hell. So yes it is heresy not to believe this.

Basically there are three places (or states) in the afterlife – heaven, purgatory and hell. Purgatory may be a bit in different status where sometimes you hear in defense of its existence, Catholics may say it is a state, not necessarily a place.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church devotes a page on belief in hell, from #1033-1037.

Example, #1033 says this:

*We cannot be united with God unless we freely choose to love him. But we cannot love God if we sin gravely against him, against our neighbor or against ourselves: "He who does not love remains in death. Anyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him."Our Lord warns us that we shall be separated from him if we fail to meet the serious needs of the poor and the little ones who are his brethren.To die in mortal sin without repenting and accepting God’s merciful love means remaining separated from him for ever by our own free choice. This state of definitive self-exclusion from communion with God and the blessed is called "hell."
 
thephilosopher6 said:
Everything the Catholic Church proclaims to be true is what is needed to be considered non-heretical. Though, rejection of the Pope is not considered heretical but rather is schism. That is why Eastern Orthodox are not considered heretical but only schismatics.
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In a way I would agree to this. Generally they do believe in the Pope but dispute his jurisdiction and so are not in communion with him.
 
Reuben_J said:
A Roman Catholic is required to believe in the existence hell. So yes it is heresy not to believe this.
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But non-Catholics already don’t believe in many things that Catholics believe in. For example, Purgatory. Why are you concerned about hell?
 
ComplineSanFran said:
But non-Catholics already don’t believe in many things that Catholics believe in. For example, Purgatory. Why are you concerned about hell?
Click to expand...
I forgot what the question was. :o

Heaven, hell and purgatory is basic Catholic belief and not believing in them is heresy. I suppose.

Are you asking about Catholic belief on this or why we do not agree with non-Catholics?:confused:

Either way, not to believe in the above is not Catholics and thus heresy as far as I can tell. Hope that helps.
 
punisherthunder said:
Long.story.short.

I was chatting with a Protestant co-worker and when I said something about St. Michael, they waved me off and said they never heard of him. I told them he cast Lucifer from Heaven and they further waved me off saying there was no such thing as Lucifer. I was shocked when they further said there was no Hell that God doesn’t send anyone there because it doesn’t exist. When I asked where unrepenant sinners go, they told me that “everyone is saved”.

Fast forward to today.

I spoked to a cousin of my wife’s and they are Souther Baptist. In mentioning theological things, I mention Hell and they waved me off too. They told me that there is no such place as Hell and Lucifer is “just a ghost”. When I tell them Jesus spoke of Gehenna, they told me that it was an emotional Hell, not a literal one! :eek:

Anyone else encounter types like this lately?
Click to expand...
pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2015/11/10/most-americans-believe-in-heaven-and-hell/
and here

thearda.com/quickstats/qs_72_p.asp

Protestants are more likely to believe in Hell than Catholics.

Voris/The Vortex has done multiple stories on Catholics rejection of the doctrine of Hell
 
esieffe said:
I consider “once saved, always saved” just a skip and a jump from not believing in hell.
Click to expand...
adamhovey1988 said:
I can see the logic to that.
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I’m not following that:
Can you explain how
believing that the Sovereign Creator of the Universe removes the heart of stone and gives a heart of flesh;
and believing that the old is old creation is gone and the new is here;
leads to denying the existence of Hell?

How does me believing Jesus
“And this is the will of him who sent me, that I shall lose none of all those he has given me, but raise them up at the last day.”
or
“I give eternal life to them, and they shall never perish; and no one shall snatch them out of My hand,”
mean I will stop believing in Hell?

I am sincerely not following the connection being made.
Can you please explain?
Thank you
 
punisherthunder said:
Long.story.short.

I was chatting with a Protestant co-worker and when I said something about St. Michael, they waved me off and said they never heard of him. I told them he cast Lucifer from Heaven and they further waved me off saying there was no such thing as Lucifer. I was shocked when they further said there was no Hell that God doesn’t send anyone there because it doesn’t exist. When I asked where unrepenant sinners go, they told me that “everyone is saved”.

Fast forward to today.

I spoked to a cousin of my wife’s and they are Souther Baptist. In mentioning theological things, I mention Hell and they waved me off too. They told me that there is no such place as Hell and Lucifer is “just a ghost”. When I tell them Jesus spoke of Gehenna, they told me that it was an emotional Hell, not a literal one! :eek:

Anyone else encounter types like this lately?
Click to expand...
There are those types across the board; Protestants, Catholics, Secularists, etc… In the truly protestant evangelical world Rob Bell would be the poster child for someone blatantly teaching universalism. The person you are talking to doesn’t actually sound Christian…
 
Kliska said:
There are those types across the board; Protestants, Catholics, Secularists, etc… In the truly protestant evangelical world Rob Bell would be the poster child for someone blatantly teaching universalism. The person you are talking to doesn’t actually sound Christian…
Click to expand...
“The person you are talking to doesn’t actually sound Christian…”
thank you!
 
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