Don’t you think it strange that none of the early church councils spoke or wrote about an “eternal punishment” for the first four centuries plus? And isn’t it a bit odd that most early church fathers were not in the eternal hell-fire and brimstone paradigm? But, then in 553CE the Catholic church (can you say needing control?) declares that the concept of “Ultimate Reconciliation” is pure bunk and heresy. Fearful of losing control and in need of a fear-factor that would keep people indebted to the church-mediated, sacramental grace paradigm, hell became the weekly topic. Repent you damn sinners you, or else God will burn your butt for ALL of ETERNITY- and that’s a very, very long time. And guess what!

Along comes Luther nailing stuff on wooden church doors, with reformation and change in mind: and some changes he did accomplish; however, the Protestant churches couldn’t give up their Control Card! So, HELL stays IN and here’s what has come along with it.

1-GOOD NEWS is replaced with Bad News!
2-The character of God is so malingned people are afraid to follow Him. Who wants to follow a blood thirsty God who won’t forgive as He tells us to do, and will send infants to hell?
3-The power and purpose of the Cross is greatly tarnished.
4-The message of the Kingdom by Jesus is offset by hellish worries. Living NOW is replaced by concerns about what will happen when we die.
5-Satan seems to be more victorious. How many of the 170 BILLION people who have lived and died (only 6 billion here now) are going to hell? Where is hell anyway? They better be adding additions to the place, that’s for sure, or does over-crowding not matter?

I could go on but I’m depressing myself with where the church has taken the people, who are really the church.

The “hellish damage” is a LIE! Hell is here on earth. That there will be “divine judgment” I have no doubt, any more than I have no doubt that God foresaw all of this (He is God right?) and He has a plan for ALL to be restored and redeemed.

Now, THAT is really GOOD NEWS!