How I Stopped Being Terrified of Hell

I remember finally deciding that Hell was a metaphor and not a literal place. I also remember lying in bed in the darkness of my room that night terrified that I’d made a terrible mistake.

A cold wave of fear swept over me.
What if I’m going to Hell because I don’t believe in it anymore?
What a mindf*ck that was.
But that’s a lot of what theology is.

It’s a tool used to control us, to make us behave, conform, fall in line, and stay in place.

Of course we’re going to feel fear when we transgress those boundaries because that’s exactly what we’re supposed to feel when we do.

That’s what they were designed for!

People often ask me how to get over this fear. I say give it time.  At first it will be a loud roar. Then an annoying inner voice. Then a quiet whisper. Then an echo. And finally it will go away. Trust me.