How could a loving God send people to Hell?

How could a loving God send people to Hell?

The Question
Many non-Christians hear two consistent messages from vocal believers. First, they hear that God is love. Second, they hear that if one doesn’t become a Christian, this loving God will send them to a place called Hell where they will be tortured in fire forever. For many, these 2 messages seem to be contradictory. How could a loving God send human beings to an eternity of flames?

The Answer
Thoughtful Christians have responded to this important question in two very distinct ways. Some attempt to defend the two doctrines (God’s love & eternal torment) as non-contradictory. Others, however, have suggested an alternative fate for the wicked. In what follows, we offer a defense of the doctrine of eternal torment along with two alternative views held by some Christians.

“When did you stop beating your wife?” If you ask this question to a husband who has never beaten his wife, his only possible answer is to deny the legitimacy of the question. Similarly, if you ask “How could a loving God send people to hell?” a Christian has the right to deny the legitimacy of the question since, it may be argued, the wording doesn’t match with reality. Most Christians who believe the doctrine of eternal torment do not believe God sends anyone there. People choose Hell by rejecting God.
Defenders of the doctrine of eternal torment might also suggest that those with this objection are giving too much weight to God’s love in comparison to God’s justice. If there was no punishment, the question could be turned on its head to ask, “How could a just God let the wicked go free?”

Finally, those compelled to defend the doctrine of eternal torment might suggest that the fiery imagery associated with hell is symbolic rather than literal. It is, they suggest, symbolic for the fact that unbelievers will spend eternity separated from God.

While these 3 defenses of eternal torment may satisfy the objections of some, others (Christian and non-Christian alike) insist that problems remain. Many people (again, Christians and non-Christians alike) are unaware that there are alternative Christian thoughts about the fate of the wicked.

One alternative to eternal torment may be called conditional immortality. This view insists that eternal life is a gift given to believers and not natural to humankind. Upon death, an unbeliever could be punished in accordance with their sins (for a time, not an eternity) and then simply cease to exist.

Another alternative may be described as universal reconciliation. In this view, the wicked are punished after their deaths, but God’s purpose in the punishment is to bring them to repentance. When that happens, they are forgiven by Jesus and welcomed into eternity with God.
It is important to note that those holding these alternative views do not necessarily do so simply to avoid the question at hand. Both these alternatives had supporters in the early church and attempt to support their views with the Bible and reason. But if true, these alternatives do resolve the main objection raised by this question.

In sum, the Bible leaves room for a variety of interpretations as to what happens to unbelievers when they die. In the end, if there really is a God who is loving and just, we can trust that this God will deal lovingly and justly with all people even if we do not know exactly what form that will take.