The Bible Truth about Hell

5 Atheism and evolutionism are related systems of belief that have gained prevalence around the world. But did you know that both of these ideologies were at least partially inspired by commonly believed distortions on the doctrine of hell? One of “the four horsemen” of modern atheism, Richard Dawkins controversially compared a belief in an eternal hell to child abuse, saying, “If your whole upbringing, and everything you have ever been told by parents, teachers and priests, has led you to believe, really believe, utterly and completely, that sinners burn in hell, it is entirely plausible that words could have a more long-lasting and damaging effect than deeds.” Charles Darwin, known as the father of evolution and author of On the Origin of Species , said, “I can indeed hardly see how anyone ought to wish Christianity to be true; for if so the plain language of the text seems to show that the men who do not believe, and this would include my Father, Brother and almost all my best friends, will be everlastingly punished. And this is a damnable doctrine.” What does this tell you about the significance of knowing the truth about hell? Famous Christians and Hellfire Edwards wasn’t alone when he presented his picture of hell as a place born of God’s fiery vengeance awaiting all sinners at the moment of death. Here are just a few more famous Christians talking about hell … Hell and Atheism Their bodies are now…“all salted with fire;” all so tempered and prepared, as to burn the more fiercely, and yet never to consume. —JohnWhitaker, “Sermon XI” in A Course of Sermons upon Death, Judgment, Heaven, and Hell But he that goes to hell shall suffer ten thousand times worse torments than these, and yet shall never be quite dead under them. There they shall be ever whining, pining, weeping, mourning, ever tormented without ease, and yet never dissolved into nothing. —John Bunyan, A Few Sighs from Hell In order that the happiness of the saints may be more delightful to them and that they may render more copious thanks to God for it, they are allowed to see perfectly the sufferings of the damned. …“The elect will go out by … seeing manifestly, so that they may be urged the more to praise God.”…The saints in heaven know distinctly all that happens … to the damned. —Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologica Body and soul shall be together, ... thyself, put in a vessel of hot oil, pained, yet coming out undestroyed; ... every nerve a string on which the devil shall ever play his diabolical tune of Hell’s Unutterable Lament. —Charles Spurgeon, “The Resurrection of the Dead”