A couple emails about hell. The context was that the world is becoming worse as people lose their fear of hell.

The emphasized sections in brackets are a summary of my correspondent's statements.

I've kept quiet in this thread up until now. And honestly, I really am hesitant to say anything. But I will say a short word.

Fear of hell doesn't inspire love for God. Fear of hell inspires a self-oriented desire to protect one's self. Christ was far more than a fire insurance salesman. Yes, Christ talks about gnashing of teeth. Yes, he says that he shall say, "Depart from me for I never knew you." I'm not trying to squeeze past an uncomfortable truth. At each point Christ spoke the word of healing that his hearer needed. Often it was a word of forgiveness and compassion. But it was also frequently a challenging word, a word to crush the idols of our minds.

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