In December 2013, the movie Hell and Mr. Fudge was presented for public viewing in Helena, Mont. The movie is about evangelical pastor Edward Fudge and his quest to understand the biblical teaching about hell as opposed to Satan’s delusion that people burn in eternal torment. It does an excellent job of addressing the issues without getting the viewer lost in the details.
Church members studied hell and the various teachings about the afterlife for six months. Advertising was posted, and members invited people they knew or met throughout the community to see the film. About 40 nonmembers attended the showings.
Knowing God will not burn people forever is critical to understanding God as a God of love. There were wonderful responses to the message presented. One man said, “I never had hope until I saw the movie, but now I know there is something more. My friends think it is weird I study the Bible now, but I don’t care. I told my family that I had attended that movie and it has changed my life.”
Members privately loaned out the movie, now on DVD, in preparation for a February follow-up series on death, hell and Christ’s Second Coming.
