On Hell and The Parable of The Rich Man and Lazarus,

 

I believe hell is the condition of rejecting the One who is Love, and Truth, and Goodness, thus it is is not a place but a condition. In that sense, I am not a lot different from those who believe the Star Trek gospel that human beings will cooperate in ushering in a better world (though of course I believe that cooperation will not only require human but also divine action.) I am no Calvinist!

I am not a good evangelical Protestant because I think God is essentially love, not wrath; so IMO even after death, if a person asks for God's mercy, God will not reject his plea. Note that in the parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus (Luke 16:19-31) the rich man addresses Abraham, not God. Abraham is not the One who is Love, and Truth and Goodness; he is merely a creature like the rich man.  Abraham is not the Savior. Moreover, the rich man persists in relating to Lazarus only in terms of an inferior, existing simply to carry out HIS will: "send Lazarus to give me a drink;" "send Lazarus to warn my brothers." The Rich Man has not yet been purged of his pride: “In his pride the wicked man does not seek him; in all his thoughts there is no room for God.” (Ps. 10:4, NIV)   Once the rich man admits his need for God, and opens himself to God’s transforming love, then he will be freed from the hell that he himself has created.

I must speak as a human being, existing in time and space, but I hold the hope that one day, every knee will bow, and every tongue will praise God (Rom 14:11, NASB)  so that will no longer be anyone experiencing hell.  

But again, before we get to that point, I think there will be hell on earth.