What Christians get wrong about hell

A flawed, literalistic interpretation of hell only serves to keep modern skeptics at a distance

Hellfire
(Image credit: (Bettmann/CORBIS))

In a recent column, I explored some obstacles to the embrace of religious faith among young people today, paying special attention to the gulf between the often simplistic way that traditional churches talk about God and the pluralistic complexity of modern life.

Here's another obstacle: The overly literalistic character of so much of American piety.

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Damon Linker

Damon Linker is a senior correspondent at TheWeek.com. He is also a former contributing editor at The New Republic and the author of The Theocons and The Religious Test.