The Case for Faith by Lee Strobel
Week 7: Objection 6 — A Loving God Would Never Torture People in Hell
Read Objection 6 (Chapter 6) of The Case for Faith. Interview with J.P. Moreland. Key passages: Matthew 25:41–46; Luke 16:19–31; Revelation 20:11–15.
Want the full guide for The Case for Faith?
Free Week 1 sample in 5 min · $24.99 for all 11 weeks · 7-day refund
Hell may be the doctrine modern people — including many Christians — most want to quietly set aside; this week J.P. Moreland helps Strobel examine what hell actually is, why a loving God might permit it, and whether there are credible alternatives.
Discussion Questions
7 questions1.Moreland argues that hell is not primarily a place of physical torture that God inflicts on people, but rather the end result of a person's own freely chosen trajectory away from God — a condition of utter God-forsakenness that is, in a sense, what people have been choosing all along. How does that reframing change the emotional and moral weight of the doctrine for you?
2.Strobel pushes Moreland on the 'eternal' aspect of hell — why would finite sins deserve infinite punishment? Moreland's response involves the nature of the self, the ongoing choices of the damned, and the infinitely weighty nature of rejecting an infinite God. Which part of his answer do you find most and least persuasive?
3.Moreland discusses annihilationism (the view that the unsaved are simply extinguished after judgment) as a possible alternative to traditional eternal conscious torment. What are the strongest biblical and theological arguments for and against annihilationism?
a.Does the annihilationist view feel more morally palatable to you? Should moral palatability affect how we interpret Scripture?
b.Moreland argues that annihilationism actually diminishes human dignity by treating persons as objects that can simply be destroyed. Do you find that argument compelling?
You're on Week 7 of 11
Don't lose momentum — get the rest of The Case for Faith
All 79 questions across 11 weeks, with closing prayers and a downloadable PDF for your group.
One-time purchase · 7-day refund · Covers your whole group