Not too long ago, after a lifetime of dreading that evil place called hell, I began to realize that I no longer believe in it, and I don't think many Christians actually believe it either.
I remember one particular church service where a young woman stood up and mentioned how a next door neighbor had died the day before. And now with a gleam in her eye she said "Mr. ____ is in hell today!" she was saying it with a smile on her face, not fear, or concern of a lost soul, or even a feeling of sadness for a fellow human being. But as if justice had been done.
Even then as crazy as I was I found this extremely weird. And now as I think back over the years I realized how pentes and other churches always preach hell, but are unwilling, most of the time to actually put one of their loved ones there. When is the last time you went to a funeral and the minister or father said "he's in hell' or "shes in torment now". my experience is that they always manage to find a way of getting the old sinner on their death bed to say a few words and boom! instant heaven. while youre alive they use hell as a weapon of fear, when youre dead, you got into heaven somehow. {as if to say none of MY loved ones are in hell I cant accept that! } so they create an "out" for the ones who were kind of "iffy". but if youre part of the clique they will find a way to get you into heaven , even after you die. but if you are one of those heathens, you will end up as antagonist in one of their pente-fables.
Pentecostals do find a kind of joy in talking about hell, as long as it doesn't involve them or their loved ones!
