The Torment of Hell

Atheists lead the pack in asking questions like, “Who needs God?” and, “Who needs the Church?” (It was only after writing this that I found that Philip Yancey has just written a couple books on these topics). What atheists don't realise is that it is we humans who are being questioned by Jesus. What He asks us is, “Who do you say that I Am?” The answer we give will place us on one of two paths ending at two very separate destinations. One path will end in paradise in the presence of our Creator. The other path will end in eternal torment.

Many atheists have accused God of being mean-spirited for “sending people to hell.” This is an unfair and inaccurate claim. For one thing, while God has made provision to defeat evil, and in the process separate for all eternity evil and those on the side of evil, He does not force anyone into hell.

Hell is not something that is externally imposed or something that has no connection to moral, intellectual or spiritual choices made during one's life. In fact the torment of hell is intimately tied to living a life of unwavering opposition to one's Creator.

Hell will involve torment in the sense that after they die, atheists and those who live as though they were atheists will be saying to themselves, for eternity, “Look what I’ve done to myself. Look what I did to my children! They believed me when I mocked religion and religious people. They believed me when I convinced my kids that God isn’t real and that Jesus was just a man who may or may not have lived. I convinced them that the Bible is a book of lies even when it talks about hell. In fact, I convinced everyone who would listen that hell isn't real, and I can’t even go back and warn people that I was wrong.”

Think about that! Can there be a worse torment than finding yourself in hell and knowing that in large part because of you, your loved-ones are soon to follow?

The torment of which I speak is Frank Sinatra standing in hell for eternity singing, “I Did It My Way.” Actually, a guy I grew up with had that song played at his funeral. Sadly, the behaviours of this atheist alcoholic, blasphemer and womanizer were so common to his family that, not knowing he was already dead, his tween daughter simply put a blanket over him when she found him, once again “passed out,” but this time at the bottom of the basement stairs.

Another atheist who did it his way.