The average person not only seldom discusses what happens to people who die in spectacular tragedies on the news—he quite probably seldom even thinks about what happens to them … and to all the other people who die every day. In fact, one of the few times he may think deeply at all about the subject of what happens after death, more than just in passing, is when he personally attends a funeral. And even then, unless the minister preaching the funeral waxes eloquent about Heaven and Hell, he may let the thought briefly flit across his conscious mind, and then quickly push it away.
But if you forced this average person to explain just what he understands about "life after death," what might he say?
Surveys indicate that a large proportion of the American population—and not just those who profess affiliation with any particular church group—actually believe that the physical world that we live in isn't "all there is" to reality. Although they may disagree on details, most claim to believe in a "Supreme Being"; huge numbers believe in angels; many believe in Jesus; large numbers believe in some sort of place of reward for good people after death which they call Heaven; a significant, though relatively smaller, number believe in a place of punishment for evil people which they call Hell; large numbers believe in the Devil, and believe that he has helpers called demons.
But surveys also indicate that only a very tiny percentage of the American population has actually ever read much—or any—of the Bible. So where did they get the details of what they think about the supernatural world and the "Afterlife"?
How Do You Know What You Know?
BIOLOGY - "The science that deals with the origin, history, physical characteristics, life processes, habits, etc. of plants and animals..." (Webster's New World Dictionary)
Because most people took a course in biology at some time during their high school years, you might think that most of your personal knowledge about biological concepts came from that course. But a little consideration should quickly dispel that notion. How much do you really remember about the insides of that frog you dissected? Could you really still label all the parts of a flowering plant with their technical names?
No, much of what we think we know about most topics in the field of biology is a hodgepodge of personal experiences, old wives' tales, half-remembered Reader's Digest articles, garbled diagrams we saw a few years ago in the Sunday newspaper supplement, snippets of a Discovery Channel special—mixed in with a smidgen of the facts from that biology class of so long ago. The average American has a very rudimentary knowledge about most real biological facts.
THEOLOGY - "The study of God and the relations between God and the universe; study of religious doctrines and matters of divinity." (Webster's New World Dictionary)
Most people who label themselves as Christians have a whole system of theology built up in their mind, even if they have never really attended any church regularly. It is not "systematic theology" such as would be taught in a seminary, but it covers a lot of territory. Each such person has a belief about how you "get right" with God, what happens if you do, and what happens if you don't. These are not just "simple" beliefs, but may include elaborate details.
In particular, most such people have their own notion about what Heaven is like and what Hell is like. Where did they get these notions? If they claim to believe in the validity of the Bible, you may assume that they got their beliefs about the nature of, and details about, Heaven and Hell from their study of what the Bible says about these topics. However, if you have ever looked into what percentage of people who call themselves Christian have ever read the Bible cover?to?cover, you would have to conclude that can't be where most people got their beliefs! A small percentage of Christians read the Bible regularly at all, let alone research for themselves specific theological topics.
It's possible that some people have developed their primary perceptions about Heaven and Hell from early memories of listening to a preacher describe them in sermons in the church in which they grew up. There are indeed some churches in which these subjects are a topic of frequent sermons. But those churches have been in a minority in American society in the past fifty years. A large percentage of church pastors in most major denominations base most of their sermons on uplifting topics designed to inspire rather than to terrify. And they may seldom, if ever, even talk about Hell, let alone describe it in detail.
Thus it is not unreasonable to speculate that the personal theology regarding the "afterlife" that most people, including those with no particular religious affiliation, have comes from the same kind of sources as their knowledge of biology. Our society is full of images related to religious topics totally outside the setting of the churches. You began absorbing those images long before you ever had theological questions.
Surprisingly, many of those images even show up in children's cartoons, and they have a much more powerful influence than most people realize.
"Pop" Theology
Where did you first get your idea of what "demons" (or "devils") and "angels" are like? Whether you grew up in the 1930s-1950s and spent Saturday afternoons watching cartoons at the movie theater, or have grown up much more recently in the world of video rental stores—where you can rent whole collections of classic cartoon videos from that by-gone era—you may well have been introduced to demons and angels by Walt Disney!
Millions of Americans, from pre-teens to senior citizens, likely remember what happened when Donald Duck was tempted to do something he knew wasn't right. They can still picture the red-suited, horned, cynical "devil" duck whispering in his ear, "Go ahead!" And whispering in the opposite ear was the white-robed, haloed, sweet-voiced "angel" duck saying, "Be good!" This scenario has been a continuing "vision" of how demons and angels look and work for many generations.
In fact, the image of those vying spiritual beings is now so pervasive that you can find them described in various ways on many thousands of web sites. A computer game player on one Internet site describes a feature of one of his favorite games: "You quickly learned to listen to the angel on your shoulder rather than the ugly little red devil because he had your best interests as a gamer at heart." One young woman on a Web Blog shared a description of a character she had invented as a creative writing exercise: "The angel on her shoulder told her to carry on, true to herself, and leave the anger behind. The devil on her shoulder told her that everything she faced proved being a good person didn't matter, that she should do just what she felt like in the moment. Some days the devil got the best of her and she became easily irritable, snapping at anyone that dared cross her. She felt betrayed by life and society and she wanted to make them pay. But in the end, the angel always won and no one ever paid."
If you do an Internet Search on Google for pictures on the topic, the search results will include both photos of that Donald Duck scenario from the 1930s, and many examples of contemporary cartoon artwork of the 21st century, with little devils and angels sitting on opposite shoulders of all sorts of characters and whispering in their ears. You can even order your own devil to sit on your shoulder as one ad states:
"Red latex devil sits on your shoulder with it's tail down your back and appears to be whispering in your ear."
Do most adults who are familiar with this "devil/angel on the shoulder" scenario accept these as accurate descriptions of the actions of angels and demons? Of course not. But at the same time, the imagery is so deep in the subconscious of many that it is very likely that it is at least subliminally incorporated into any attempt they make at coming to their own "informal theology."
You also likely have been presented through cartoon images with the idea that good people (or good cartoon ducks!) who die instantly become angels, sprout wings, and fly off to Heaven to get their white robe, halo, and harp, and spend the rest of eternity floating around on clouds.
Many generations of children have been brought up on the story of the Littlest Angel, a 1946 classic children's book still in print in many editions, which describes a 4 year old boy who dies and goes to heaven and becomes an angel.
Being a former rough and tumble little human boy, he has a hard time adapting to the responsibilities of being dignified as angels are supposed to be. As the story develops, he is allowed a request for something to make him feel more at home in heaven. Evidently, an angel is dispatched to his old home on Earth to retrieve a box of little treasures he enjoyed in his human childhood. He ends up offering his beloved box to the Christ Child in Bethlehem, and his humble, self-sacrificing gift is so appreciated that God transforms it into the Star of Bethlehem. While it makes a charming and touching little story, it is quite likely that many people never grew beyond this false impression of the actual origin of angels and the truth about what happens to humans when they die.
At the same time, you may well have also been indoctrinated by cartoons with the idea that bad people (or bad cartoon ducks) who die are marched off to Hell. This Hell is pictured as a playground for demons, where they revel in finding unlimited ways to torment the humans given over to them for punishment. And in the midst of it all is the Devil himself, with his red face and body, horns, and tail, holding a pitchfork-like trident, and sitting on his regal throne in Hell, presiding over and relishing the ghastly scenes before him.
Did the cartoonists portraying these sorts of images get their inspiration directly from the Bible? If you have studied your Bible even a little bit, you know that none of that kind of detail about the appearance of the Devil or what Hell is like is there. It also is a product of what might be appropriately designated as popular theology--"Pop Theology."
As children, most modern Americans were affected by these fictional images. But what about now, when they are older and more intellectually mature? Now they can go to Art Museums or look at coffee table art books, where they can see famous paintings from the Middle Ages that are much more graphic in depictions of Hell! The images are more sophisticated, and much more horrific. But where did they originate? Again, there are no such descriptions in the Bible.
How about you? What do you believe now about what happens after death? What do you believe about Heaven, Hell, angels, the Devil, and demons? Where did you get what you believe? Did you get it from carefully studying the Bible, from listening to preachers in churches, from Pop Theology, or perhaps from a combination of all three?
And that brings us back to those 2,967 people who died in the 9/11 tragedy. What do you think happened to them after their deaths?
Avoiding the Unthinkable
The notion of the Afterlife is something that even many "practicing Christians" seldom if ever think about. Even in situations such as the 9/11 tragedy, they tend to focus on the enormity of the physical tragedy and avoid thinking about the spiritual ramifications of the situation. Perhaps this is because they subconsciously realize that focusing on the topic may lead them to some very uncomfortable, painful, and perhaps even terrifying thoughts.
For, you see, most churches teach that in the instant after death, the soul of every person must be immediately sent permanently to one of two destinations, Heaven or Hell. All true Christians go to Heaven. There they will have unlimited joy in the presence of God, and will be eternally happy. All other people go to Hell. There they will be totally cut off from God, as well as from all of their loved ones who ended up in Heaven. They will be consciously and constantly in pain and suffering and mental anguish permanently, with no relief throughout the eons of time.
So what would the average minister in such a church really believe happened to those people who died a horrible death in the fiery infernos of the plane crashes? He would be convinced that instantly some, the ones who were true Christians … probably a minority, according to many churches … went to Heaven to be with God. And the rest? They immediately found themselves in another fiery inferno, in torment in Hell—in the company of the very men who sent them there by their nefarious actions in the physical world!
So, according to this teaching, what makes someone a true Christian, and guarantees they will go to Heaven instead of Hell?
Measuring Up to Heaven
Each church teaches its own definition for what qualifies someone as a true Christian. Some churches have a very simple definition. If someone sincerely says he is sorry for his sins, and states publicly that he accepts Jesus as his personal Savior, then people in these churches are convinced he is a true Christian and will go immediately to Heaven when he dies.
Some churches add just one more step, and insist the person must also get baptized in water. If he does, he will get to go to Heaven.
But it is much more difficult in many churches to qualify for a place in Heaven. The person may be required to study the teachings of the particular church group in great detail, and come to agree with—and scrupulously live by—the group's interpretation of what the Bible has to say on a wide variety of topics. In some churches, this even extends to such minor details as what clothing styles one must wear, how long a man's or woman's hair should be, what entertainment is acceptable, what one may eat, whether one is totally obedient to the leadership of the church, and much more.
Such churches teach that the souls of all who have not met the qualifications taught by the church go immediately to Hell. And they will be tortured there forever. It is important to note that someone does not have to be a viciously evil person, such as a serial rapist or murderer, to be sent off to Hell according to this set of beliefs. And just because someone was a gentle, selfless humanitarian, that doesn't guarantee him a position in Heaven. From the point of view of many churches, everyone is subject to this instantaneous decision of destination based on their knowledge of a certain set of beliefs of one particular religious group, and how they reacted to that knowledge.
And here is something that surprises many people when they first discover it: According to the teachings of most churches, there is no "special dispensation" of any kind made for those who never even heard of the Bible or Jesus, let alone those who never heard of the group itself. If such a person dies, they are believed to go immediately to Hell.
Nor is there any such dispensation for the sincere person who wants to know about God, but is so confused in life, by all the conflicting claims made about religion, that he never seems to be able to sort through them all and make a decision what to believe. He sees so many different, competing televangelists on TV who assure him that by getting on board their own idiosyncratic system of belief he will be assured of God's favor. And so many competing religious zealots come to his door offering to teach him about their interpretation of the Bible. He realizes that they can't all be right, but finds he is totally unable to decide which one really is. Thus he too will be on his way straight to Hell when he dies.
What does this mean when applied to the situation on 9/11?
For those honest enough to face the teachings of their own denomination, in many cases it means that they are required to believe that perhaps a very large proportion of those 2,967 "innocent people" who died that day immediately went to the same place as the fanatics who caused their deaths! And those people will be suffering the same fate as those hijackers—physical and mental agony for all eternity.
Beyond Pop Theology
How widespread is this type of belief? Here are a few brief quotes from doctrinal statements of a variety of religious groups. This is no longer just Pop Theology, but the official, formal theology of institutionalized religion.
"It is impossible to describe the glory and splendor of heaven and the terror and torment of hell. Whether taken literally or figuratively, the meaning is the same: Hell is a place where one will experience total separation from God; heaven enjoys the total presence of God. Knowing that this is the horrible end awaiting the wicked, the Assemblies of God is strongly motivated to win the lost before it is too late." (Assemblies of God)
"To die in mortal sin without repenting and accepting God's merciful love means remaining separated from him for ever by our own free choice. This state of definitive self- exclusion from communion with God and the blessed is called 'hell.' " (Catechism of the Catholic Church)
"The statement of Christ in Matthew 25, and elsewhere, are taken at face value. It is believed that after death each man must come before God in judgment and that he will be judged according to the deeds done while he lived (Hebrews 9:27). After judgment is pronounced he will spend eternity either in heaven or hell." (Churches of Christ)
"We believe that glorious and everlasting life is assured to all who savingly believe in, and obediently follow, Jesus Christ our Lord; and that the finally impenitent shall suffer eternally in hell." (Church of the Nazarene)
"We believe in the bodily resurrection of the dead; of the believer to everlasting blessedness and joy with the Lord; of the unbeliever to judgment and everlasting conscious punishment." (Evangelical Free Church of America)
"The moral progress of the soul, either for better or for worse, ends at the very moment of the separation of the body and soul; at that very moment the definite destiny of the soul in the everlasting life is decided. ... The Orthodox Church believes that at this moment the soul of the dead person begins to enjoy ... the life in Paradise or to undergo the life in Hell. There is no way of repentance, no way of escape, no reincarnation and no help from the outside world." (Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America).
The Southern Baptist Convention may be more blunt in their public statements about this topic than most (http://www.religioustolerance.org/hell_eva2.htm):
"Those who continue in impenitence and unbelief are in his sight wicked and are under condemnation. This...will be made manifest at the judgment when final and everlasting awards are made to all men." (Southern Baptist Convention 1925 statement indirectly referring to Hell)
"...Jesus Christ will return...to the earth; ...Christ will judge all men in righteousness. The unrighteous will be consigned to Hell, the place of everlasting punishment." (Statement in 1963 referring to Hell directly)
The Southern Baptist Convention committee's year 2000 recommendations propose that the 1963 wording be retained. Hell will remain a place of eternal torture without any relief.
The Southern Baptist Convention Home Mission Board conducted a study in 1993 which estimated how many Americans have had a born-again experience. They concluded that 30% of adult Americans have been "saved" and thus are going to Heaven; the 70% remainder are destined for Hell. The percentage of Canadians who are going to Heaven are presumably much lower, because of the relatively small numbers of Fundamentalist and Evangelical Protestants in that country -- probably about 8%.
This final statement, when applied to the 9/11 situation, would indicate the possibility, according to Southern Baptist estimates, that 2,077 people who died in that tragedy were then thrown immediately into a much worse tragedy—a never ending one, in an ever-burning hell.
Bringing Hell Home
Does the average member of a congregation affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention group really believe this? Does the average member of the Assemblies of God, the Evangelical Free Church, the Roman Catholic Church, the Church of the Nazarene, and many other such groups really believe that many if not most of the people who died that day are actually now being tortured in Hell in the company of the hijackers who caused their deaths?
And of course this is only one example of recent news stories of the deaths of large numbers of "innocent people." What about the 275,000 or so who died in the wake of the gigantic Indian Ocean tsunami of 2004? Most of those deaths were in nations with huge numbers of people who have never heard any version of the Christian Gospel. Does the average member of those churches above, and others like them, really believe all those people suffered and died in the waters of the Tsunami, only to be instantly cast into a maelstrom far worse … endless waves of flames in Hell?
And to bring this question of Hell much "closer to home": Do all of these people really believe that every one of the 6.5+ billion people on Earth today who die without understanding how to become a Christian are going to an ever-burning Hell the moment they die?
If they do, then it may be relevant to ask:
Exactly how much of their time, energy, money, and efforts are they sacrificing to reach as many people as they can with a clear message of how they can avoid this terrifying fate?
In a modern American religious landscape dotted with megachurches that may sport a Starbucks Cafe' and a health spa down the hallway from their splendiferous sanctuary, this doesn't seem to be an unreasonable question.
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