Who Goes to Hell?

In part three of this interview, I ask God about what happens after you die, which is presumably what this message is all about.

Me: To set the record straight, I’ve heard from others that everything you’ve said thus far applies only to those who believe it. If someone lives their entire life and dies without believing it, they will spend the rest of eternity in a state of constant conscious torment. Is this right?

God: That is not entirely correct, and it is not how it works. To begin with, saying to someone, “Unless you do such-and-such that I approve of, I will arrange for you to be tortured for eternity,” would amount to emotional blackmail in the mind of any rational thinker, which is both evil and disproportionally unjust. Secondly, it makes no difference whether or not someone believes something; it is still true. I accept responsibility for everything everyone does, whether or not they believe in me.

Me: So, when someone dies, regardless of how they live or what they believe, they are automatically and instantly transferred to the realm where you live, where everything is perfect and everyone is happy?

God: That’s not entirely correct either. But I have a question for you: why should my attitude towards someone change just because they die? The real issue is that when people see what I am like in comparison to how they have lived their lives, they are filled with shame and flee. People will only face themselves in front of me if they realise I have already accepted responsibility for what they have done. This is the only available method of reconciliation. When confronted with the truth of how things truly are, all other attempts to justify or atone for themselves fade away. You may know that between the time I was executed and the time I came back, I spent time with all those who had died, letting them know how to return to me, and a large number of them did. If I truly care about people, which I do, I will do everything I can for as long as it takes to show them that they are accepted and can return at any time – whether they are physically alive or not.

Me: So, if no one will be abandoned to an eternity of punishment, what is the point of believing and participating in all of this? Isn’t it enough just to try to live a good life, helping others and being happy? Why is religion required?

God: Religion isn’t fundamentally necessary. If someone chooses to live a life apart from me, I don’t think less of them. I do not bribe or blackmail anyone. I provide people with the opportunity to reconnect with me, become who they truly are, and influence the world with my help and in a way that has my support. However, many people come to me because they are in pain and ask me to help them. That’s fine too, even if they never get past the pain.

I could have stopped here, knowing that God isn’t expecting anything from me. I realise that I can carry on as I am without worrying about what will happen to me when I die. But, like so many others who begin by asking fundamental questions about the nature of reality, the more answers I receive, the more questions arise. So, I decided to dig a little deeper.