Hell is back in the headlines, and this time it is Kirk Cameron lighting the match.
The actor turned evangelist has set off a fierce debate after publicly rejecting the traditional doctrine of eternal conscious torment and announcing that he now leans toward annihilationism, the view that the wicked are ultimately destroyed rather than tormented forever. His comments, clipped from a recent episode of “The Kirk Cameron Show” titled “Dangerous Conversations,” went viral after a Protestia article highlighted his shift.
Oh man, Kirk Cameron really stirred up the hornet’s nest with this one.
Kirk Cameron reveals he no longer believes in 'eternal conscious torment' for the wicked, which he suggests is "cruel and unusual punishment."
— Protestia (@Protestia) December 6, 2025
Instead, he leans heavily towards annihilationism, saying: "It fits the character of God." pic.twitter.com/klsrj8GrPT
Across Reformed circles and beyond, pastors, theologians and lay Christians have lined up to rebuke or defend him. Some praise his willingness to wrestle with a difficult doctrine. Others accuse him of abandoning the historic Christian teaching on hell.
At the center of it all is a question many believers would rather avoid: Is hell everlasting conscious torment, or do the wicked ultimately cease to exist?
From eternal barbecue to annihilationism
In the episode, Cameron and his son James walk through Bible passages on judgment and the “final fate of the wicked.” For most of his life, Cameron says, he held the standard evangelical view that hell is eternal conscious torment.
That view, summarized by many theologians, teaches that hell is a place of eternal, conscious suffering for everyone who dies outside of Christ. This position has been the majority view of the Christian church for roughly 2,000 years.
Cameron now questions that understanding. He describes the classic picture of endless misery. He asks his audience to feel the weight of it: unending agony, weeping and torment with no relief even after a billion years. Then he raises the question that drives the episode: Is that truly just, and does Scripture actually teach that?
By the end of the conversation, Cameron states that he no longer holds eternal conscious torment and instead leans toward conditional immortality or annihilationism, influenced by theologian Edward Fudge. He argues this view “fits the character of God” better because it combines justice with mercy and aligns with Old Testament language about the wicked dying, perishing and being destroyed rather than living forever in what he jokingly calls an “eternal barbecue.”
That line ensured the discussion would not stay quiet.
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Viral backlash and a very old debate
Once Protestia and other accounts circulated clips from the episode, the reaction was swift.
Reformed pastors and teachers posted threads insisting that hell is eternal conscious torment, pointing to Jesus’ words about unquenchable fire and undying worms. Others warned that softening the doctrine of hell risks softening the urgency of evangelism and undermining confidence in Scripture.
At the same time, Christians from a variety of denominational backgrounds, including some evangelicals, applauded Cameron for raising concerns many believers feel but rarely verbalize.
The controversy has reopened an old theological divide. While annihilationism has been argued by voices such as John Stott and Edward Fudge, it remains a minority view. The traditional doctrine has long held that hell is everlasting, conscious punishment, and annihilationism departs from the mainstream Christian understanding.
Whatever one thinks of Cameron’s shift, he has dragged a doctrine most Christians keep in the shadows back into the spotlight.
How annihilationists read the Bible
Cameron and his son draw from a well-established annihilationist framework emphasizing certain themes and passages.
3 key annihilationist claims
Annihilationists typically argue along these lines:
- Scripture describes the wicked’s fate as death, perishing and destruction.
Verses cited include Romans 6:23; Ezekiel 18:4; Psalm 37:20; Matthew 10:28; Malachi 4:1–3. They say these describe an end to life, not eternal suffering. - Only the righteous receive immortality.
They appeal to passages such as 1 Timothy 6:16, John 3:16, John 6:51 and Romans 2:7 to argue that eternal life is a gift for believers, not the natural state of every soul. - “Eternal punishment” refers to the permanence of the sentence, not ongoing torment.
They point to Matthew 25:46; 2 Thessalonians 1:9 and Matthew 3:12 to argue that the punishment’s effect is eternal, not necessarily its conscious experience.
Cameron highlights the Old Testament’s pattern of wicked nations and individuals being wiped out rather than tormented endlessly, and suggests that the “second death” in Revelation’s lake of fire is best understood as final destruction.
How defenders of eternal torment answer
Those pushing back against Cameron appeal to passages they say clearly teach everlasting, conscious punishment and reflect the traditional Christian view.
Texts often cited for eternal conscious torment
Jesus’ teaching on unquenchable fire and undying worms
Mark 9:43–48 and Isaiah 66:24 speak of fire that is not quenched and worms that do not die, which traditional interpreters say points to ongoing torment and burning.
The rich man and Lazarus (Luke 16:19–31)
The rich man is portrayed as consciously suffering in Hades, fully aware of his misery.
Eternal punishment parallel to eternal life (Matt. 25:46)
If eternal life is never-ending, defenders say eternal punishment must likewise continue without end.
Language of endless torment in Revelation
Revelation 14:9–11 and 20:10 describe torment “day and night forever and ever,” language many call explicit support for the historic doctrine.
Ongoing exclusion from God’s presence
Second Thessalonians 1:9 speaks of the wicked suffering “eternal destruction” away from God’s presence, which many interpret as continuous existence under judgment.
From this perspective, annihilationism contradicts centuries of Christian teaching and risks redefining hell into something more palatable than what Scripture actually presents.
A doctrine no Christian can ignore
Cameron insists that if Scripture clearly taught eternal conscious torment, he would accept it. His critics insist that it does teach exactly that. Supporters argue that Scripture makes room for final destruction. Opponents counter that such a move departs from historic orthodoxy.
While Christians may disagree sharply on the details, no one can ignore the weight of Scripture’s teaching on judgment. Hell is a terrifying reality. The current controversy is a reminder that doctrines of judgment and wrath are not abstractions. They confront every believer with the seriousness of sin and the urgency of the gospel.
Hell has once again forced its way into the center of public conversation. And as long as Scripture speaks about it, the church will have to wrestle with what it teaches — carefully, humbly and without trimming its edges.
Prepared by Charisma Media Staff.
