The Christian Heretic
Just because it's "orthodox" doesn't mean it's true

Eternal Torment Believers Are Nuts

Written on August 13, 2011 by in hell, inconsistency, religion, salvation, universalism

And old friend of mine, Martin Zender, recently spoke at the Sacramento Concordant Conference and says exactly what I’ve been thinking recently.

Just a warning for those who aren’t familiar with Martin’s trademark odd-ball humour, the little introduction he gives at the beginning will seem a little over the top, but his brief presentation is worth it.

 

 

If you’re interested, you can subscribe to Martin’s weekly reports (he alternates between a video and a newsletter every other week) at www.martinzender.com.

6 Comments - Leave a comment!
  • http://www.on-the-other-hand.com Lydia Schoch

    Martin Zender is awesome.

  • http://www.DrewCosten.com Drew Costen

    That he is. :)

  • http://scientificuniversalist.blogspot.com/ Sammy

    When I look back on the beliefs I used to have about God eternally tormenting people for minor “sins” or accidents of birth, I often think “I must have been nuts to truly believe that”. However, I think the reason so many people still retain these beliefs has more to do with fear than it does with being nuts or not being ably to think rationally.

    I vividly remember the intense fear, both of God and of the church. I was taught from a young age that disobeying God meant going to hell. Of course, it was the church who spoke for God, so disobeying the church was, in fact, disobeying God. But you didn’t just have to worry about hell. You also had to worry about earthly punishment as well. Questioning the teachings of the pastor led to nasty glares being shot at you all around town, false and hurtful rumors started about you, or even getting ostracized from the community. That alone can create enough fear to make people swallow the church’s teachings without questioning. Add in fear of divine punishment on top of that and people will begin to think it’s nuts not to believe in eternal damnation.

  • http://www.DrewCosten.com Drew Costen

    You speak the truth Sammy.

  • Joshua deCarlo

    Hello Drew. I’d like to add my two sense. I agree with Sammy in that most of it may be fear. Not fear of God, or the church exactly, but fear of being wrong. If you were told that your house has a bomb and that it was going to explode any second (thank you Ray Comfort), you have to make a decision whether or not to believe them. Fear that “maybe this guy is right, better safe than sorry”.

    On the other hand, I see more and more the Love of God not only poured out into us, but the ‘love generator’ that he gave each and every one of us. Like Martin said, everyone has been given the ability to love and to know love. “If left along the brain understands love”. Martin, however, leaves out that people not only believe that “the eternal torment by God is perfectly consistent with his love” but that they have this idea, “where does this leave God’s justice????” Where, as we all know, is set squarely on the shoulders of the loving Christ Jesus.

  • Joshua deCarlo

    I know this is an old post, but i forgot to mention something. There is something that Martin Zender has left out, although he probably knows it himself…
    Scripture does not say that people will be going to Hell for all the sins that they have committed, big or small, intentional or otherwise. It says that we will endure God’s wrath ‘because sin remains on those who do not believe. What His wrath actually is and the length of it is debatable is of course debatable.
    Martin seems to think that the church pushes our sins. We go to Hell because of all our sins, blah blah. But priests and pastors more so push the idea that they will go to Hell because of what they believe or don’t believe.

    does that make sense?