Summary: <br> The idea of hell has haunted millions of people all over the world, and continues to do so. <br> <br> But ... what if the fiery image of an eternal torture chamber, which many religious people have been taught, isn't true? <br> In this episode, I interview Sharon Baker.<br> She's an associate professor of theology and religion, and has written <br> numerous articles on hell and nonviolent atonement. Sharon is the author<br> of Razing Hell and Executing God. <br> IN THIS EPISODE, SHARON ANSWERS THE FOLLOWING:<br> • When was the first time you found out you were going to hell?<br> • Is the idea of hell found in the Bible?<br> • Did any formal doctrine of hell exist in the early church?<br> • Where does the imagery of hell (fire, torture, screaming) come from? Did it develop over time?<br> • What does "fire" symbolize in the Bible?<br> • Doesn't the Bible clearly teach ETERNAL punishment?<br> • Doesn't the word "eternal" mean forever?<br> • Didn't Jesus talk about hell more than heaven?<br> • Can there be a connection between a person's understanding of the cross with hell?<br> • Did Jesus die to save people from hell?<br> • Why do so many Christians want to believe in hell?<br> • What does a person's belief in eternal hell say about the kind of God they believe in?<br> • What about people like Hitler and Osama Bin Laden? Don't they “deserve” an eternal hell?<br> • Can you go through some of the problems ("troubles") surrounding the traditional view of hell?<br> • Does an eternal hell really solve the problem of evil?<br> • Respond to this: "God is love, but don't forget that he's also a God of wrath."<br> • Respond to this: "God can send anyone to hell because everything God does is just and loving."<br> • Respond to this: "It doesn't matter how small your "sin" is, it's who (God) you're sinning against."<br> • Respond to this: “God sends nobody to hell. People send themselves there.”<br> • What about the verse, "It's appointed for a person to die once and then face judgment"?<br> • Doesn't God allow people to suffer in hell so he won't violate their free will?<br> SUPPORT THIS PODCAST TO HELP KEEP IT RUNNING!<br> • <a href="https://www.patreon.com/JoshuaTongol">Please Support This Podcast by Making a Donation (any amount helps!)</a><br> LINKS AND RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE•<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Razing-Hell-Rethinking-Everything-Judgment/dp/0664236545/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1449024865&sr=8-1&keywords=sharon+baker">Razing Hell book</a><br> • <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Executing-God-Rethinking-Everything-Salvation/dp/0664238106/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1449024865&sr=8-2&keywords=sharon+baker">Executing God book</a><br> • <a href="https://www.facebook.com/RazingHell?fref=ts">Sharon on Facebook</a><br>
