Are Christians Using Scare Tactics When They Talk About Hell?

Home » Questions

Are Christians Using Scare Tactics When They Talk About Hell?

6 August 2009 No Comment

Hello there! If you are new here, you might want to subscribe to the RSS feed for updates on this topic.

Powered by WP Greet Box

The television show, Scare Tactics is a hidden camera show that sets up terrifying situations and recreated scenes to scare an unsuspecting victim. This is all caught on tape and family and friends are usually behind the prank. At the end, the fact that the entire scene is fake is revealed and the victim usually laughs it off because it wasn’t real.

But in every day life, if someone forced you to make a decision about something by scaring you into it, would you be upset? Before you answer that question, let’s define what a scare tactic is. A scare tactic is used to convince someone of something using an appeal to force or a threat instead of winning someone over with facts or a logical argument. The result may not be a change of opinion but a change of action. Some may feel that the mention of hell is a scare tactic; yet, others would say that hell is a real threat that should be taken seriously.

I remember when I was a child in elementary school and local firemen came to my school and spoke at an assembly. They taught us how to be safe around fires and how to detect if your home was on fire. They accounted stories of people who never knew their home was on fire in the middle of the night….until it was too late. I remember one fireman explaining that you should check to see if smoke was coming in the room from under the door. He also suggested checking the doorknob to see if it was hot. If it was hot, then there could be a fire on the other side of the door.

This school assembly left a very strong impression on me as a child. I became terrified of fires and had difficulty sleeping at night, for fear that my house would catch on fire. I remember periodically checking the doorknob to see if it was hot. Thinking back, the firemen didn’t use any scare tactics or emotional pleas. They simply warned us of danger and gave us tips on how to survive. The thought of what could happen made me afraid, Does that mean that the firemen shouldn’t give survival tips because those tips may result in fear? No. Listening to those important tips could save a life.

My thoughts on Christians talking about hell

1) If the bible doesn’t hide the reality of hell, Christians should not hide this reality either.

If hell is a reality, then warning someone of that reality is not only important but necessary. This doesn’t mean that someone should force this concept down someone’s throat or share this information in a way that could be seen as disrespectful or unkind.

Jesus didn’t keep quiet about hell. In Matthew 25 He made statements about being thrown into outer darkness where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth, as well as eternal punishment. Hebrews 10:26,27, 31 says, “For if we go on sinning willfully after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a certain terrifying expectation of judgment, and the fury of a fire which will consume the adversaries. It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God.”

2) Christians are actually accountable for what they share, or don’t share. Paul didn’t leave out anything that was necessary in sharing the gospel. He said in Acts 20:26,27 “Therefore I testify to you this day that I am innocent of the blood of all men. For I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole purpose of God.” To refuse to warn someone about a real threat is a bit like watching someone drown and looking the other way.

3) Christians are accountable for sharing the gospel with gentleness and respect. 1 Peter 3:15,16 says, “But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect”. This means that no one should use the understanding of hell as a tool to hurt or exercise control over someone.

What do you think….is the mention of hell a scare tactic?

Check out articles on the gospel.