“If the Christians are right, I’m in trouble.” - Seth MacFarlane, Creator of Family Guy

Hell isn’t something to casually chuckle about, but I find it sadly interesting how cavalier so many people seem to find it. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard the phrase “Go to hell” thrown at someone who has done or said something bad on TV. Since it’s used in that context as something to say to a horrible individual, there’s an understated comprehension that hell is a bad place for bad people. But the truth is that people honestly don’t have a clue what hell is actually like.

The 90s sitcom Seinfeld sums up the general public’s vision of hell quite nicely in an episode where Elaine finds out that her boyfriend, David Puddy, is a Christian. She learns that Puddy not only thinks she is going to hell but that he doesn’t seem to care too much about it. This upsets Elaine, even though she doesn’t even believe in hell’s existence. The conversation goes like this:

Elaine: David! I’m going to hell! The worst place in the world…with devils, and those caves, and the ragged clothing!
Puddy: It’s gonna be rough.
Elaine: You should be trying to save me!
Puddy: Don’t boss me! This is why you’re going to hell.
Elaine: I am not going to hell…and if you think I’m going to hell, you should care that I’m going to hell even though I am not!

Not only does Elaine get upset by the fact that Puddy thinks she is going to a horrible place she doesn’t believe in, she’s even more irate because Puddy isn’t proactive at trying to rescue her from that terrible (albeit fictional to her) place.

This episode hits the nail right on the head in a couple of ways. It humorously portrays the indifference of so many Christians accurately, and most importantly, it captures the reaction of a nonbeliever to a “believer” when they just don’t care enough to act. Elaine’s major problem with Puddy is that he won’t share with her the way to escape from the clutches of hell. If it’s something he truly believes in, he should speak up and be intentional about saving her. Because of Puddy’s apathy, Elaine feels unloved.

I know it might seem silly, but do you find yourself in the same unconcerned camp as David Puddy sometimes? Many, many people out there don’t believe that hell even exists. But if we aren’t doing anything about it, they have every right to be upset with us. Why? Because hell does exist. People who don’t know Christ will spend eternity there. You should care.

The cartoonish misconception of hell - that it is the color red with caves and little devils running around with pitchforks - has tricked society into believing that even if it does exist, it’s not all that bad. The bible describes hell as being a place of darkness, weeping, and the complete absence of God. That truth is something that should shatter the caricatured image and grip our hearts to move toward action.
The only hope people have is in Christ alone - and we need to tell them that. Hell is no laughing matter and the Evil One has attempted to defuse the horrific reality of hell through a humorous interpretation of it. Don’t fall for it the way so many others have. Sharing your faith is so much more important than you know because the reaction to our message has eternal consequences.

People don’t really know what they’re saying when they angrily shout, “Go to hell!” to another individual who has wronged them and the only way they’ll find out the truth is if we tell them.

Read Luke 16:19-31

1. How does Jesus depict hell in this parable?
2. What does the rich man’s request (to warn others about hell) communicate about eternity?
3. In the Seinfeld episode, how is Elaine’s view of Christians correct? How does her expression of anger make you want to respond?
4. Do you truly care that people will go to hell if they don’t know Christ? Why or why not?