A Question Of Hell, One Minister Questions Its Existence

[Shammu]

A Question Of Hell, One Minister Questions Its Existence

July 8, 2007 —

Recent years have provided plenty of church scandals, but an unlikely one has occurred in the Bible belt. A prominent Tulsa, Okla., minister was scandalized not by sex or embezzlement, but by his belief in hell.

When Carlton Pearson began wondering if modern believers still need a medieval pit of fire, it cost him his congregation.

Watch "Hell: Our Fear and Fascination" Friday on a special "20/20" at 10 p.m. EDT

He shared pulpits with Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson. He counseled presidents at the White House. And after the Oklahoma City bombing, he was called to lead the grieving in prayer.

Throughout his rise, Pearson preached the fundamentals: Everyone is born a sinner. Everyone is going to hell, unless they accept Jesus Christ as Lord.

"Thank God I don't have to go to hell even though I deserve hell," Pearson preached. "But Jesus vicariously substituted for me -- took on death, hell and the grave -- and I have victory today."

But through the years, as he as he studied the ancient Greek and Hebrew scriptures, Pearson developed a crisis of faith.

"I couldn't reconcile a God whose mercy endures forever and this torture chamber that's customized for unbelievers," he said. "You can't be happy. And how can you really love a god who's torturing your grandmother?"

The more he studied, the more he saw the Bible not as the literal word of God, but a book by men about God, with primitive men prone to mistranslations, political agendas and human emotions.

And one night, as he watched ABC News' Peter Jennings report on the parade of suffering in Rwanda, he had a revelation. He questioned how a God who calls himself loving could let people suffer so badly and then suck them into Hell.

"That's when I thought I heard an inner voice say, 'Is that what you think we're doing?'" he said.

Pearson believed God was telling him there was Hell on earth.

"The bitter torment of the idea of an angry, visceral, distant, stoic, harsh, unrelenting, unforgiving, intolerant God is Hell," he said. "It's pagan. It's superstitious. And if you trace its history, it goes way back to where men feared the gods because something happened in life that caused frustration."

Pearson said people who believe in Hell create it for themselves and others.

"People who believe in devils and demons become that in consciousness and they act it out," he added.

A Question Of Hell, One Minister Questions Its Existence

[Soldier4Christ]

Definitely a falling away from the truth.

[Shammu]

Definitely a falling away from the truth.

And only the Truth can set them free.  The good news is, that they can still be saved.  But only if they accept the truth.

[Maryjane]

God is Soverign..He will do as He will and He will do exactly as His word says...He is the creator of all things...there is nothing that is made that is not made by His hands...When Adam walked with God, he had it all, until he fell and because of his fall, we all were born of sin..God through His mercy gave us a way back to Him and that being through Jesus Christ..God  gave all men a free will to chose and the gospel is open to all men rich and poor...There are many pastors who are falling away by raising their own thoughts opposed to that of God... Pastors who love fame and to be noticed by men to sit in the high places..Satan roams even to turn the very elect from sound doctrine and that being the very Word of God...Debates are many who try to prove the Word wrong..One day, the bible will be called outdated and will be written by men who seek to discredit the word....To become a book of moral character that pleases the lust of men..We have to hold on to the truth and proclaim it for one day we will not be allowed to have the true word of God so it must be imprinted on our hearts...For many like this man who is deceived by Satan himself will cause many to stumble away from the truth...but thanks be to God for His spirit will give us in these days coming the opportunity to bring many back to God who have fallen away. We have a great responsibility and that is to know the word and to not change any of it for in these days, it is not us that is going to set people free from deception, but the word that is powerful that does not return void even to the vilest offender for God's holy Spirit moves His word and man cannot but can only give temporary bandaids to people who do not know they have been lead to hell...

[ibTina]

And only the Truth can set them free.  The good news is, that they can still be saved.  But only if they accept the truth.

Precisely!

He questioned how a God who calls himself loving could let people suffer so badly and then suck them into Hell.

This kills me everytime I hear or read someone put the blame on God. Mr Pearson was a prominent Tulsa, Okla., minister... where was HE?  Did he go to the Mission fields and help these people or raise funds to send Missionaries? Or just collect the fat paycheck to indulge his lifestyle ( Tv and the such )  As true Believers in Christ,  We here on Earth..  are HIS BODY. As part of "THE MISSION" it is WE who others should be seeing the LOVE of GOD in our actions.

[Soldier4Christ]

Another Amen!

It is common to read or hear the statements "if modern believers still need ..." and "I couldn't reconcile a ..." by those that continually attempt to change the word of God to fit their purpose. This is the reason that we have so many cults today that are straying from the truth. The desire to make things the way that they want it to be.

[Faithin1]

They continue to ignore the fact that God never changes.  They have been deceived by the devil, who has blinded them to the truth.  In their delusional minds, they have convinced themselves that the definition of sin according to God's Word has changed with the times.  The more they reject the truth, the deeper they delve into the world of darkness. 

Heb 13:8
Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.