Heaven and Hell? 6-29-08
More Americans believe in heaven than in hell. In a recent study conducted by the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life, it was determined that of all Americans, 74% believe in heaven while only 59% believe in hell. Among evangelical churches (which included the Churches of Christ), the numbers were 86% believe in heaven and 82% believe in hell. It is this second set of data that really concerns me.
If you look at popular culture (especially movies), we tend to like to believe in heaven in America. Movies such as Heaven can wait, Ghost, The Frighteners, and What dreams may come show a life after death with the good people going to heaven and (with the exception of Heaven can wait) the bad people going to hell. It is not really surprising to me that the more Americans believe in heaven than in hell. Heaven is a place of hope, rest, comfort, and reward; hell has only one purpose: punishment. And considering that while 88% of Americans believe in God, 70% of Americans believe that there are many religions that lead to God, then the picture becomes fairly clear that Americans as a whole want to believe in God and heaven, but not the narrow gate of Jesus nor the consequences of hell.
What really concerns me, though, is the data about the evangelical churches. The Churches of Christ were represented in this category, and the data throughout paralleled fairly closely between the whole category of evangelical churches and the Churches of Christ subset. So, with that in mind, think about what the numbers mean: 86% believe in heaven and 82% believe in hell. What in the world are we teaching in our churches?!? Fourteen out of every one hundred Church of Christ members do not believe in heaven? And Eighteen of them don’t believe in hell? How does that happen? Or how about this: 98% believe in God (88% absolutely certain, 10% fairly certain). What do the 2% believe in?
How can it be that only 86% believe in heaven, and only 82% believe in hell? It can only be that we are not teaching our flocks to listen to the Good Shepherd’s voice! Jesus was not exactly cryptic in his stance on the existence of heaven and hell!
“Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you. (Matthew 5:11-12 NIV)
“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’ (Matthew 7:21-23 NIV)
Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell. (Matthew 10:28 NIV)
And if your eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into the fire of hell. (Matthew 18:9 NIV)
There are many things that we can have doubts about, but the existence of heaven and hell are basic to the gospel; if there is no heaven, what was the point of the resurrection of Jesus? If there is no hell, what is so great about God sending Jesus to die on the cross? No, heaven and hell are fundamental Christian principles and cannot be removed from the gospel without turning the gospel into meaningless drivel.
Let us focus on teaching the body of Christ properly, so that our members will be well equipped spiritually to reach out to their neighbors, seeking and saving that which was lost, and teaching them the truth of Jesus. Because no matter what we say, think, and do down here, Jesus is 100% reliable.
-Charles Peterson