Hellfire, or Eternal Conscious Torment (ECT) in theological terms, is the doctrine held by most Catholics and Protestants (who adopted it from the Catholics) that teaches most people in the world will be tormented in hell forever. Ironically, this doctrine creates a severe moral contradiction because for most people, it’s better they were aborted as babies. Here is the logic:
#1 Babies Go to Heaven.
Most proponents of both Eternal Conscious Torment (ECT) and annihilationism believe that babies skip destruction/hell and go straight to heaven because they are either considered too young to be accountable for sin or are regarded as being in an innocent state. (The exception is some Calvinists who believe that if a baby was not “elect,” God sends them to hell as well.)
#2 Every Sinner Was Once an Innocent Baby.
Whether a person is a believer or not, are good or evil, everyone starts as an innocent baby in their mother’s womb.
#3 Most Adults Go to hell.
Unlike Universalism, ECT and annihilationism teach that the majority of adults in the world will end up either destroyed or in hell.
#4 Thus, Aborting Babies Means More People in Heaven.
If 100% of babies go to heaven while most adults end up in hell or destroyed, then it is logically better to be aborted as a baby and go to heaven than to grow up and face a very low chance of escaping hellfire. Thus, in light of the doctrine of ECT, aborting babies would be considered a morally preferable choice.
Wait a Minute, But Isn’t Killing Wrong?
Killing, in itself, isn’t always wrong. If someone were about to detonate a bomb on a bus, would you not kill them to save innocent lives? There are moral grounds for taking a life when it preserves life in a greater way.
Thus, the argument that “You shall not kill” is an absolute moral prohibition isn’t as strong as it seems. And even if it were, it wouldn’t actually address the deeper moral issue raised in this article.
Conclusion
This argument exposes a moral contradiction in the doctrine of ECT hellfire (& annihilationism) by showing that it logically prioritizes dying as babies and thus justifies abortion as an act of mercy. If eternal hell is worse than death, and babies are guaranteed heaven, then abortion would be the most effective “evangelistic” strategy.
