HOW DO YOU DESCRIBE HELL? My childhood impressions about hell revolve around fire, pain, ugly and deformed creatures, and of course evil spirits and the Devil himself. Hell is not a desirable place. It is a place of punishment for sins. I remember the revival meetings held in our church. I have forgotten most of what the preachers spoke about; but the picture of hell they described is as clear today as it was more than six decades ago.

Although I have preached about many themes, I must confess that I have been delinquent in preaching about hell. I am not alone. I have yet to hear a hell-raising sermon about hell these days. Why? What happened to hell? Have we so modified our ideas about hell that it does not scare us any more?

None of the old time preachers reported about hell from personal experience. I, too, have never been in hell, nor do I expect to be there someday. But I am tempted to get some inner satisfaction knowing that some of my enemies will be there. I felt this emotion as a child when a bully beat me before my friends. He was an invader from another non-Evangelical quarter. I could not curse because Protestants were not supposed to use bad language, or even get angry, much less fight. After the beating, I confronted my tormentor with a grin, saying: "You are not a believer; you are going to hell."

The preachers of hell I have listened to do not have such a grudge against unbelievers. In fact, they preach because they want to spare them from hell fire. The message (gospel?) about hell is clear: if you do not believe in Christ as your personal Lord and Savior, you are going to hell. There are no ifs, ands or buts. Your stay in hell is not temporary‹it is perpetual and unending. This is capital punishment with a capital C. There is no review board, no parole, no nothing. Even if you may have led a good life, you will still go to hell unless you accept Christ. Once you do, you are safe. If you sin after your second birth, Christ will forgive you. Some say there is also a half-way house after you die as a believer, so that you may be prepared for heaven.

If this does not scare you to be good, what else can. The gospel about hell is that it is avoidable if you belong to the right church‹of course our church is right‹and hold the right doctrines. Good works are not much of a help. You cannot fool God by giving money to the poor.

Well! Now I am a retired pastor. I am getting closer to the fork on the road. I want to be sure I am not going to hell. If undesirables go, that is not really my concern‹they are undesirable anyway. I ask myself "What is hell?" Here are a few thoughts I share with you about hell. You do not have to agree with me. I offer them as gifts. You may reject them. But before returning them, at least open the package and see what the gift is. Then you may throw it away.

It is amazing that neither in Genesis nor in Revelation does God create hell. In the beginning, we are told, God created the heavens and the earth. In the end, God promises to create a new heaven and a new earth. Why is there no mention of hell? Simply put, it is because hell is not a creation of God, but my own childish creation to punish my bullies.

It is also amazing that neither in the Apostles¹ or Nicene Creeds is there any mention of hell. "I believe in God," goes the creed. There is silence about belief in hell except for the controversial clause, "he descended into hell!" The Bible tells us that Jesus went there to preach to the souls who were in prison (I Peter 3:19) Did he preach "good news" to them?. I wonder!

There is a very interesting prophecy in Revelation 20:14. "Death and Hades (hell) were thrown into the lake of fire." Is this because hell, unlike heaven, has no origin in God¹s creation, and therefore no destiny in his new creation? Is there a hint here that God does not like hell, and wants to put an end to it regardless who has created it! Is this because God does not want to scare us to faith, but rather loves us to death! Don¹t we do the same to our children, imperfect as we are; namely, we would have our children love us than be scared of us? Does God want fearful believers or joyful and loving children?

Christ¹s victory is over death and hell! Let us celebrate Easter with joy and peace and preached to the souls imprisoned. He is risen from death and hell. Hallelujah!

Note: Rev. Doghramji, a retired minister having served with the UCC and the AEUNA, as well as a UCC Conference Minister, is presently serving as an Interim Minister at the Armenian Evangelical Church of New York, NY.