Questions about the existence of hell have been meandering through my brain over the last few weeks. Not just questions, but implications. Let’s say hell doesn’t exist. Do we all lose our reasons for behaving well? Or are there other reasons to do the right thing? Look at atheists. They don’t believe in Hell, yet most of them are not lawless, malevolent creatures. In fact, most atheists I know are conscientious, benevolent beings.

Most Christians believe they’ll avoid Hell if they ask for forgiveness, so it’s all about timing. If they happen to do something that earns them a trip to the fiery depths, and then right before they die they ask forgiveness, all is well. On the other hand, if they die suddenly and don’t have that chance, or they simply forget to ask for forgiveness because they were too busy saying goodbye to loved ones, too bad.

Can one be a Christian and not believe in Hell? Doesn’t Jesus talk about Hell? Weeping and gnashing of teeth? Furnace of fire? It’s all there, plainly spoken…no question about it.

Rather than argue what is meant there or whether it means folks will go to Hell if they do not behave, I’m instead entranced by a rather profound statement Jesus makes right before his death on the cross. He says, “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.” Who is the “them” that Jesus is referring to? And is Jesus saying that we’re all clueless sinners? Can Jesus forgive us even before we’ve asked for forgiveness?

We can choose to be miserable on earth and not forgive ourselves and others for transgressions, or we can accept the fact that Jesus has already forgiven us…in advance. Hence, we love our neighbors as ourselves not because we’re afraid of flames, but because we love God. I don’t believe anyone ought to follow Jesus because they’re afraid of flames in the afterlife. And, frankly, if a kid comes up to me and says, “Jeshua, do you believe in Hell?” I’ll say, “You know what, I guess I don’t believe in Hell, but you’ll have to come to your own conclusions and reasons for why you believe what you believe.”

No one knows for sure whether Hell exists or not, but it does make for rather interesting discussion. And these kinds of questions, I think, should be a part of every follower’s faith journey.