How many people are in hell? | Bishop Robert Barron

This interview is an episode from The Well, our new publication about ideas that inspire a life well-lived, created with the John Templeton Foundation.

According to Christian theology, hell is a corollary of two fundamental teachings: One, that God is love, and two, that we are free.

Hell can be considered the permanent and eternal absolute “no” to God's love.

There is plenty of wickedness in the world to support the notion of a crowded hell. But God's love is a powerful argument for a crowded heaven.

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About Bishop Barron:

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Read more from The Well:
Are you a spectator to reality? Or are you its creator?
Can mathematics be spiritual? Ask Einstein
Why Einstein is a “peerless genius” and Hawking is an “ordinary genius”

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About The Well
Do we inhabit a multiverse? Do we have free will? What is love? Is evolution directional? There are no simple answers to life’s biggest questions, and that’s why they’re the questions occupying the world’s brightest minds.

So what do they think?

How is the power of science advancing understanding? How are philosophers and theologians tackling these fascinating questions?

Let’s dive into The Well.

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[mrlurp]

It’s scary that some folks need fear of myths, to act like decent human beings.

[jokerproduction]

Nobody goes to hell because it doesn't exist just like God.

[badatpseudoscience]

Something what has always stuck with me is a time that I was in a Catholic discussion group. We where discussing various theological ideas about hell when the priest brought up a theory that hell is empty. A sudden disapproving gasp swept across the group. I then brought up that this would be good news because people weren't suffering. This only to be treated as some sort of heretic by the crowd. Although the priest came to my defense, the group couldn't seam to accept the idea. As the conversation evolved it became clear to me that many people are viewing there Christianity as a way of distinguishing themselves as among superior "good" people as opposed to the inferior "evil" people. This rather than the importance of humility and loving all people.

*NOTE:* I edited this post later to make sure that I don't intend this as a statement against Catholicism. This is something that I have observed in protectant religions as well.

[labcat]

The only true thing I know is that absolutely no one… not this bishop nor any religious leader ever, nor you, or I… knows the truth of god or heaven or hell. All religion is just manmade speculation… stories and myths we tell ourselves.

[blakez]

Ted Bundy: Finds god on death row goes to heaven.
Childhood Cancer doc in India: Wrong god… hell. 👌

[TogetherLetUsPray]

Bishop Robert Barron on Salvation - "Jesus went to the end of the road so that as we run away from the Father we are running into the arms of the Son."

Jesus Christ in the Gospels on Salvation - "Not everyone who says to me `Lord, Lord' will enter the Kingdom, but only those who do the will of my Father."

Be careful who you listen to.

[jd-tgox]

Says hell exists w zero evidence, then hopes its empty

[zachg]

This bishop has adopted ancient thinking and he still gets a modern platform like Big Think. These are still primitive times.

[ChristopherOrth]

Overwhelmingly, almost all of the worlds greatest atrocities have been committed in the name of someone's god, yet people still try to wave a good book around as if it has moral authority over everyone else. As if millions of people aren't happy, decent, and loving without religion. Or more specifically, without someone's particular favorite religion. And they are just as convinced they are right as were the followers of Odin, Tlaltechutli, Cernunnos, Quetzlcoatl, Ishtar, and all the other invisible friends that have vanished over the years. Utter bullshit.

[max-zdyj]

This man cherry-picks the bible. Leaves out the parts that he doesn't want to think about.

[jhunt]

It's oxymoronic to me that this bishop mentions God's love whilst simultaneously talking about how he'll eternally torture us.... That's not loving in the slightest. Infinite punishment for finite crimes is insane by any decent persons standards.

[JillianstJohn--]

About 5-10 seconds after my mother died, she suddenly scream bloody murder. She spent most of her life in church, but she was a Foolish Virgin, bc every Liar is going to Hell. ~I know that everyone wants to go to Heaven, but we all must to Examine outself to see IF we are truly in The Faith; because God will Judge our every Thoughts, Motives & Actions. When I came across a verse the Bible that scared the Hell straight out of me.
~1st John 3:9-10 No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God's seed remains in them, they cannot go on sinning, because they have been born of God. This is how we KNOW who the children of God are and who the children of the Devil are!!
Being obedient to Christ is not Works, but Love! Obedience is Evidence if we have truly died to our old self. The very last verse in Matthew is in RED, Jesus said: teach them to Obey Everything I have Commanded you. Matt 28:20

[johncenile]

If God exists and is all powerful, and he created humans, why would he create the possibility those humans could not believe in Him and then punish those who don't? Checkmate, none of it exists.

[IOn_Vash]

I died for a bit about a year ago, met god, there isn't exactly a hell or a heaven. I was told not to really talk about what happens when we die because no one would believe it. But yeah just know everyone is saved in the end.

[danielmelake]

Convincing people that there is a place such as hell is the greatest psycological trick that has ever been performed. Even though I find myself agreeing with a lot of atheïsts I still find the concept of hell a very scary idea.

[sarthwahb]

*The concept of hell isn’t a place or a journey, it’s a state, psychologically and also spiritually (I ain’t talking bout spirits and such beliefs but a practical awareness) when you are lacking awareness, you are spiraled down in negative, self/people harming thinking and lower vibe you are in ‘hell’ whereas when you are in present moment, giving your all attention and aware of your own awareness that is pure love and as said “kingdom of heaven is within us”* ☺️😇

[gmlgml]

0:05

_"... we can respond to that love ... we can incorporate that love ..."_

Yeah.
That "incorporation" that "responding" would need that LOVE,
what they will "respond" to, bishop.
Nobody is so fool, that they FEEL that love,
and then they still say no to it.
But they don't feel it. They never got it, or they lost it.
And no, even the losing is not their fault.
People are made, bishop. People are created.
People are made exactly that way, how they are.

_"... or we can resist it ... and hell would be the permanent and eternal absolute NO ..."_

No.
How I said nobody says no to any love.
It's the pain what we say no to.
Shake your head.
See it with your own eyes, bishop.
We never were free to choose anything.
Our every decision is wired in us,
and we cannot even choose our
level of consciousness about
those decisions.
I say it again.
We are determined in our decision,
and we are determined even that
how deeply or consciously we
will see that decision or not.
I say it again, bishop.
People are made.
If people are wicked,
then people are made
to be wicked.
And that is not
a no to any love.
That is the lack of
love.
We all are just the
slaves of this
universe.

[torgeirmolaug]

Believe in hope, because the faith in hope is all we've got.

[leofuchs]

The people in hell are priests. How many. Lost count.

[kastenolsen]

Most people will be passed through to their next life. Some will live in a hell of their own making until they learn what they are to learn. Others will live in a hell of their own making forever, even though they have learned they are dead and in hell.