In another survey, 74% of Americans said heaven is real; only 59% believe the same of hell. But the Bible is quite clear. According to evangelical pastor Tim Keller, “Jesus taught about (hell) more than all other biblical authors put together.” To cling to the idea of heaven and then ignore hell is curious. Even Buddhism accepts the notion of hell, though it’s a temporary place and not governed by a god.

It seems the omnipresent self-esteem movement has expanded its reach to the afterlife. I’m OK, you’re OK and I’ll see you in heaven. Books about euphoric visits to heaven rocket up the best-seller list, while those recounting bone-chilling sojourns to Hades languish. You might be surprised to learn they even exist.

There’s A Day in Hell, in which the author writes, “Darkness enveloped me as if thick, black ink had been poured over my eyes … Reaching to my left and my right, up and down proved the black endlessness of my confines.” He says, “Cold permeated … my bones — an icy, water-type cold, in that it surrounded all of me, inside and out.”