Usenet group: alt.fan.jesus-christ From a thread titled "Is the doctrine of HELL based on fear?":

Speaker 1: "The doctrine of Hell is not based on fear, it is based on truth -- depending what you mean by 'doctrine' of course. There are all sorts of false teachings going around about Hell . . . and chief of which is the idea that it doesn't really exist and nobody's going there anyway. Hell, in its most basic definitive form, is 'separation from God.' There are countless arguments flying around as to the physical, literal, and interpretational aspects of Hell, but they're not really relevant here . . . The fact is that such a place exists and that anyone who does not follow Jesus (as the ONLY way to God the Father) will be going there of their own free will."

Speaker 2: "There are a few isolated passages (e.g. the Lake of Fire) which, if taken out of context, can be made to mean just about anything. But a God of Love would not torture his children for 5 minutes, let alone eternity."

Speaker 3: "God does NOT send people to Hell. People who reject God go to Hell. People who reject God are, in a sense, sending themselves to Hell. Salvation is a gift, and you are completely free to choose NOT to accept this gift."

Speaker 4: "The doctrine of HELL is sadly unbiblical. That is not to say the grave and the pit are not real, just very different than the cartoon fantasy that has been portrayed over the years. There are quite a few ministries that prove, by the Word of God, just how un-Christian the doctrine of HELL really is. In my opinion, it is one of the most destructive heresies ever to enter into the church, and has caused more people to turn away from the Gospel than anything else. Please check out some of the Web sites I list here and judge for yourself."

Speaker 1: "I find your suggestion that the doctrine of Hell is 'sadly unbiblical' to be utterly ludicrous and would very much like to find out exactly what kind of 'ministries' you base these wild statements on . . . I'll certainly be investigating the Web sites you've listed."

Speaker 5: "The concept of Hell is unethical. Look around at the beauty and love of the creation and ask yourself if the God that created so much harmony and beauty is such an evil monster . . ."

Speaker 6: "Cruel people envision a cruel God. Hell is a metaphor. It is a good one to describe a life of sin and depravity. But it is a metaphor none the less."