Since there is only one way to heaven, there is only one way to Hell? Can you explain to me how you get that?

Many of those raised in the church (and many of those who were not) are taught that, while there is only one way to heaven (John 14:6) there are many pitfalls, traps, and sins of omission as well as commission that deliver us to “Hell.” Though this appears to be an effective way to scare people into the church (and counter-logically, into heaven), it makes absolutely no sense and defies all known rational thinking (not to mention, good theology).

“Logic will never fail you” is one of my favorite terms! In spite of the fact that, historically, the church has attempted to distance itself from the Laws of Logic, strictly speaking, the use of logic is what separates us from the animals. In this realm of logic is the category concerned with the Law of Opposites.

[Incidentally, please do not allow the abuse of this logic by the Marxists (who borrowed it from the school of philosophy and made a religion of it) to confound your use of it.] This law dictates that everything has a necessary logical opposite. For simple examples: In electricity, a positive charge must have a negative charge. Atomically, there are protons and electrons, which are contradictory.

Applying this law to theology within a strict application of logic, the opposite of life would not be death. Life is a progressive state. Death is an instantaneous moment in time and, therefore, not a logical opposite. Dying is within the state of living, thus not contradictory either. The opposite of life is not-life. Whatever the definition of “not-life,” that is the logical opposite. Again, theologically speaking, eternal ruin is the logical opposite of eternal life.

Likewise, if there is one way to heaven, then, there is only one way to “not-heaven.” [The scope of this essay is not to define, exactly, what is “not-heaven” (Hell, Hades, Eternal Lake of fire, Outer Darkness, Annihilation, Soul Sleep, etc.).] If Jesus is the only way to heaven, then, not-Jesus is the only way to not-heaven. What one does with Jesus determines to which existence that one goes. If “accepting” Jesus is the requirement for entering “heaven,” then, “not-accepting” Jesus is the requirement for entering “not-heaven.” Therefore, not going to heaven has nothing to do with anything else than rejecting Jesus if the only way to go to heaven is accepting Him.