In Defense of a Loving God’s Hell – Part 1

The reason I ran across Abraham Piper was because of a Christian apologist who was lamenting Piper’s de-conversion. De-conversion from Evangelicalism in particular and Christianity more broadly. 

The last name “Piper” might not mean much to you, but believe you me, Abraham’s father, the pastor John Piper, was (and maybe still is) famous in Evangelical circles. So when Abraham Piper started making amusing TikTok videos deconstructing his father’s religion and pointing out the disturbing aspects of Evangelical culture and doctrine, it made waves… to the tune of 1.7million followers as of the writing of this post. 

Initially, I went to Abraham’s account to hate-watch his anti-Christian content. But I found myself constantly smirking in agreement: “Yeah, that nails homeschool culture… Oh my goodness, that’s totally how it was…” We ex-Evangelicals are a motley bunch. Abraham went left to a kind of atheism when he walked away from his father’s faith, and I went right to Catholicism. But the reasons we left and the sentiments we carry with us overlap more than I would probably like to admit. And depending on who you talk to, both of us are anathema. 

My warmth towards my fellow former Fundie goes a little deeper than just having a similar background, though. Abraham Piper’s videos represent a genre of ex-Evangelical/ex-Christian content that is cutting, but sincere. As the Proverb says, “Iron sharpens iron, and one person sharpens the wits of another” (Pro. 27:17, NRSVCE). Far from being something we ridicule or get hurt over, biting, sometimes angry, sometimes grieving accusations against the Christian faith need to be taken seriously. 

In that spirit, I want to respond to one of Abraham’s videos that hit me a little harder than his others did. In it, he addresses the idea that if God sends people to eternal torment, God has to be a horrible person. 

Take a watch here. 

Why does this video strike a cord? Because there is some truth in what he says. The idea of hell is disturbing. It is so difficult that even great theologians through the centuries have tried to find ways around the doctrine (cue Origen). 

But more than that, being a Catholic who tries to actually believe what the Catholic Church teaches, I am one of those people who thinks an all-loving God really did create a place of eternal torment. 

Is there a way to hold these two very dissonant ideas in our heads? Believing God loves us so much he died for us while at the same time believing he would (and in all likelihood will) send sinners to eternal – forever – torment? 

I think there is, and that is what the next few posts will be about – if only God does not smite me between now and the end of them. 

Come along – this is super fun, right? 

(Read the next part in this series here)

©2022 Jon Holowaty