Not Preaching Hell

"There's a big change that's taken place as far as evangelicals not wanting to be as exclusive. … When you're trying to market Jesus, sometimes there's a tendency to mute traditional Christian symbols. Difficult doctrines are left by the wayside. Hell is a morally repugnant doctrine. People wonder why God would send people to eternal punishment. … [But] if you don't mention God's judgment, you are missing a big part of the Christian gospel. Without wrath, there's no grace." —Kurt Selles, director of the Global Center at Samford University's Beeson Divinity School in Birmingham, Ala., on the increased tendency among pastors to avoid preaching or teaching on the topic of hell [Religion News Service, 8/2/09]