Expert: Carl Fuglein - 9/13/2006

Question
Hi,
I was wondering; I know the Bible tells us all about Hell, where, who, how, why, and what, but I don't believe in it. Am I still Christian if I don't believe in Hell?
And I believe that we evolved from primates, and the first humans had dark skin and were from the Middle East. I have a firm belief in God and Jesus, but because I believe in that, am I a bad Christian?
-Victoria

Answer
Victoria-

Thanks for writing.  You pose a couple of interesting questions.

RE: Hell.  I believe that if you are a Christian and you honestly believe that you can go to heaven only because Jesus died for your sins, then by default, you believe in hell.  Why?  Because if you didn't, then what would be the point of Jesus dying for us.  Let me try to explain.  You say that you don't believe in hell.  If there is no hell, then what happens to all the people and their souls if they do not believe in Jesus?  They have to go somewhere, or nowhere, because they don't believe in Jesus, and Jesus tells us that the only way to get to heaven is by believing in him.  If you think that non-believers go to heaven, too, then what's the point of Jesus' dying?

Let me suggest this to you:  you say you don't believe in hell, then what do you call the place that non-believers go when they die?  If you believe they go nowhere, then that "nowhere" is hell.  It may not be the hell that the Bible described in Mark 9:43, but it is hell nonetheless.  Any separation from God in eternity is hell.

Mark 9:43  "If your hand causes you to stumble, cut it off; it is better for you to enter life crippled, than, having your two hands, to go into hell, into the unquenchable fire,
44  where THEIR WORM DOES NOT DIE, AND THE FIRE IS NOT QUENCHED.
45  "If your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off; it is better for you to enter life lame, than, having your two feet, to be cast into hell,
46  where THEIR WORM DOES NOT DIE, AND THE FIRE IS NOT QUENCHED.


So, Victoria, answer these questions:

Do you believe that Jesus died for your sin?

Do you believe that because He did, you will go to heaven with Him for eternity?

Do you believe that the only way ANYONE can get to heaven is because Jesus died for their sin?

Do you believe that those people who DON'T believe DON'T go to heaven?

If the answer to these 4 questions is yes, and I think it probably is, then you ARE a Christian, and you DO believe in hell - hell is, simply put, not heaven.

If you answered yes to the first 3, but not the 4th, then I ask you again, what's the point of Jesus dying, if everyone gets to go heaven?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Next question.  Althopugh some folks would disagree with both you and me about the evolution of mankind from primates, I don't think that believing in some form of evolution makes you a bad Christian.  My personal belief goes something like this:  "I believe that evolution, however it happened, was one of God's greatest creations.  It's not for me to decide.  And I believe that God created heaven and earth, and quite frankly, it doesn't matter to me whether He did it in one day as it says in the Bible, or that He did it in thousands of years as science says.  Either way, HE createed the earth."

Victoria, just because you ask difficult questions does not make you a bad Christian.  It's important for you to discuss these issues so that you can come closer to God, and I think  that questioning your faith can only make faith stronger.  Please write again if you have more questions, and also to let me know what you think about my answers.

blessings,
carl