What Is Hell? A Catholic Response to the Objection of Eternal Punishment

One of the most visceral objections to Christianity I’ve encountered is the charge that belief in eternal hellfire is unjust, even monstrous. People will say that they don't think it is fair that God would condemn someone to hell solely because they do not believe in him. As one of my friends put it: "If I give you the option of coming over my crib to chill or you'll be separated from me and my influence for eternity... I don't see the free will."

This critique deserves to be taken seriously. It is raw, emotional, and—to many—persuasive. But I believe the problem lies not in the alleged cruelty of God, but in a misunderstanding of what hell is, who goes there, and what God’s love really entails.

What is Hell?

Let’s start with what Jesus actually says. He doesn’t sugarcoat it:

"But the children of the kingdom will be thrown into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth."

— Matthew 8:12 (NRSV)

"They will throw them into the furnace of fire, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth."

— Matthew 13:42 (NRSV)

Hell is real. It is spoken of as a place of outer darkness, unquenchable fire, and eternal separation. But what is that really? The Catholic Church teaches:

We cannot be united with God unless we freely choose to love him. But we cannot love God if we sin gravely against him, against our neighbor or against ourselves: “He who does not love remains in death. Anyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.” Our Lord warns us that we shall be separated from him if we fail to meet the serious needs of the poor and the little ones who are his brethren. To die in mortal sin without repenting and accepting God’s merciful love means remaining separated from him forever by our own free choice. This state of definitive self-exclusion from communion with God and the blessed is called “hell.”

— Catechism of the Catholic Church, no. 1035

So, to be in hell is to be fully and eternally separated from God—the source of all goodness, beauty, joy, and love. When someone says, “Why would God force me to suffer forever just for not choosing Him?” I would gently push back: God doesn’t force you into hell. He honors your choice.

If you spend your life rejecting Him, desiring autonomy apart from Him, choosing yourself over surrendering to Him, then why would you want to spend eternity with Him? Heaven would be torment for someone who does not want to be there. C.S. Lewis once wrote, "the gates of hell are locked on the inside." I think that’s spot on.

Who Deserves Hell?

This is the part that stings. According to Scripture, the answer is... all of us. If you don’t like that, ask yourself, "Have I ever done anything wrong?" I know I have: I have done more wrong than I can even account for.

For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.

— Romans 3:23 (NIV)

So all have sinned. And what is the natural consequence of sin?

For the wages of sin is death.

— Romans 6:23a (NRSV)

That’s me. That’s you. That’s everyone. Hell is not God’s punishment for a minor slip-up. It is the natural consequence of a life turned away from God. And I get it—no one wants to hear that. But perhaps the reason it makes us so uncomfortable is because, deep down, we know it’s true. We’ve lied, hurt others, used people, ignored suffering, indulged pride. If we’re honest, we know the darkness in our own hearts, and we know we deserve hell for it. This is the exact issue Paul is grappling with when he says:

Wretched man that I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death?

— Romans 7:24 (NIV)

But that’s not where the story ends:

For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.

— Romans 3:23-24 (NIV)

For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

— Romans 6:23 (NIV)

What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death? Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!

— Romans 7:24-25a (NIV)

This is the very heart of the Gospel (the “good news”). God does not want you to go to hell. In fact, He went through hell—on the cross—so you wouldn’t have to. He gives you a way out. But you have to accept the gift. He won’t force it on you.

What About Those Who Never Heard of Christ?

This objection often comes from people who have heard of Christ, but reject Him, and then ask, “But what about the people who never got the chance?”

First, I would ask: why are you worrying about others’ opportunities to accept Christ while you, yourself, are rejecting the one that’s right in front of you?

Faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ. But I ask: Did they not hear? Of course they did:

      “Their voice has gone out into all the earth,
            their words to the ends of the world.”

— Romans 10:17-18 (NIV)

Second, indeed there is no salvation outside of Jesus Christ.

Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."

— John 14:6 (NIV)

The Catholic Church affirms that "Outside the Church there is no salvation." However, the Catholic Church also teaches:

This affirmation is not aimed at those who, through no fault of their own, do not know Christ and his Church: Those who, through no fault of their own, do not know the Gospel of Christ or his Church, but who nevertheless seek God with a sincere heart, and, moved by grace, try in their actions to do his will as they know it through the dictates of their conscience — those too may achieve eternal salvation.

— Catechism, no. 847

So, God, in his omnipotence, justice, and infinite love can redeem people who do not know Christ. However, we are not God, and it is still true that salvation is only found in Christ. Thus, the Catholic Church still holds that:

Although in ways known to himself God can lead those who, through no fault of their own, are ignorant of the Gospel, to that faith without which it is impossible to please him, the Church still has the obligation and also the sacred right to evangelize all men.

— Catechism, no. 848

God is not limited. He can reach hearts in ways we cannot fathom. But that does not excuse our refusal to respond to the light we’ve been given. If we truly believe that salvation is found in Christ, and that God desires all people to be saved, then we have a responsibility to share the good news with others. As Pope Francis has said:

Evangelization is the mission of the Church, not just of a few, but my, your, our mission.

— Pope Francis

Hell is Real—But So is Hope

At the end of the day, Hell is not a hammer God holds over your head to threaten you into obedience. It is the tragic consequence of a freedom God refuses to violate. Think about it: if I kidnapped a woman and forced her to be my wife, would I truly be able to call that love? In the same way, if He forced you into Heaven, it wouldn’t be love. It would be tyranny. Real love makes room for rejection.

Ultimately, hell is not about a vengeful God eager to punish, but about a loving God who respects our freedom to choose. Hell is the tragic consequence of a definitive self-exclusion from communion with God. It is a reality that underscores the seriousness of our moral choices and the profound dignity of our free will. But it also highlights the boundless mercy of God, who desires not the death of the sinner, but that he may turn from his way and live. Let us, therefore, choose life, embrace the gospel, and share its saving message with others.

Do I take any pleasure in the death of the wicked? declares the Sovereign LORD. Rather, am I not pleased when they turn from their ways and live?

— Ezekiel 18:23 (NIV)