One of the most common concerns among Christians is whether emphasizing God’s love, grace, and mercy somehow diminishes His justice. When someone suggests that we should focus more on God’s kindness, an almost reflexive reaction follows: “Don’t go too far!” as if we might accidentally make God too good. But …
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Don’t Worship Religion: The “Religion Leads to God” Oxymoron
by Dr. Eitan Bar 3 minutes readYou’ve heard the argument, “Do all religions lead to God?” But what if the real question is—what if no religion leads to Him at all? The idea that religion is the way to reach God is, in many ways, an oxymoron—a contradiction in terms. Religion, at its core, consists of …
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Eternal Conscious Torment (ECT) Serves No Purpose Other Than Cruelty for Cruelty’s Sake
by Dr. Eitan Bar 2 minutes readI know—talking about hell makes many Christians squirm in their chairs. Yet I believe hell is perhaps the most crucial yet misunderstood doctrine in Western Christian theology. This is partly because those who believe in Eternal Conscious Torment (ECT) rarely take the time to study the doctrine in its original …
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The Pharisees were a prominent religious group in Jesus’ time, known for their strict adherence to the law. However, some of them—though not all—were particularly harsh, judgmental, and lacked the heart of God’s compassion. Jesus often rebuked them for their hypocrisy, pride, and condemnation of sinners. He exposed their obsession …
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Why ‘Free Will’ is a Terrible Excuse to Send People to Hell
by Dr. Eitan Bar 5 minutes readFor centuries, the Augustinian-Calvinist interpretation of hell, known as Eternal Conscious Torment (a place where, allegedly, God sadistically tortures people forever), has been defended on the grounds of free will. The popular argument of many fundamentalist evangelists goes something like this: “God doesn’t send people to hell; they choose it …
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This is Why Calvinism is Often Associated with Pride, Sociopathism and Narcissism
by Dr. Eitan Bar 4 minutes readCalvinism, with its doctrine of election, has shaped much of Protestant thought for centuries. Its claim that God predestines certain individuals to salvation while consigning the rest of humanity to eternal damnation is often seen as a theologically rigorous interpretation of divine sovereignty. However, when closely examined, this doctrine risks …
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The Theological Reason Why Many Fundamentalists Suffer from Anxiety
by Dr. Eitan Bar 4 minutes readHaving spent over 20 years in a fundamentalist Messianic movement in Israel, one troubling observation was clear: a significant number of adherents struggle with anxiety and OCD, often resorting to antidepressants to cope. I was unaware at the time that Fundamentalism is scientifically linked to anxiety.1 The root of this …
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Why the Doctrine of Hellfire (ECT) May Contribute to Religious OCD
by Dr. Eitan Bar 3 minutes readThe doctrine of Eternal Conscious Torment (ECT) in Hellfire has long been a cornerstone of many fundamentalist Catholic and Protestant traditions. It posits that those who fail to meet specific religious or moral standards will face perpetual, conscious torment in hell. While this doctrine has been used as a motivator …
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How 1st-Century Jews Understood Jesus’ Teachings on “Hellfire”
by Dr. Eitan Bar 6 minutes readWhen you hear phrases like “financial meltdown,” do you picture Wall Street skyscrapers literally dissolving into puddles? Or consider a “political battlefield” — does it bring to mind politicians wearing armor and dueling with swords? How about the “corporate jungle”? Perhaps you visualize business managers hunting junior employees as if …
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1. “The Word of God” is not the Bible; it’s Jesus (John 1:1; Revelation 19:13) Spending 20 years with fundamentalists, I’ve probably heard the term “the Word of God” being used to refer to the Bible at least 9,340,589 times. However, the term “Word of God” in Scripture refers only …