Universalism/Annihilationism

"Though there be no fears of annihilation in heaven, yet there be many wishes for it in hell, but to no purpose; there never will be an end put, either to their being, or their torments."
- John Flavel

Conditional Immortality (CI) teaches that "eternal punishment" or being "destroyed in both body and soul" means ceasing to exist, but this view undermines the concept of divine justice. Ceasing to exist offers no real accountability, particularly for those who reject God or commit severe wrongs; it becomes more of an escape than a punishment. This view aligns more closely with atheistic hopes of avoiding afterlife consequences, making annihilation feel like relief rather than punishment. Biblically, punishment is depicted as active and ongoing, such as the "weeping and gnashing of teeth" described by Jesus (Matthew 13:42), which implies conscious awareness and suffering, not non-existence. Thus, annihilation as punishment fails to convey the biblical severity of divine judgment.

“You’re creating a Christian message that’s warm, kind, and popular for contemporary culture. . . . What you’ve done is you’re amending the gospel, the Christian message, so that it’s palatable to contemporary people who find, for example, the idea of hell and heaven very difficult to stomach. So here comes Rob Bell, he’s made a Christian gospel for you, and it’s perfectly palatable, it’s much easier to swallow. That’s what you’ve done, haven’t you?” - from Martin Bashir’s Interview with Rob Bell