Podcast host Joyce Pring‘s comments about non-believers going “to hell” in her October 5 podcast episode with Wil Dasovich spawned different discussions on the local online community.
Joyce, who hosts a Spotify podcast called “Adulting with Joyce Pring,” guested Wil in the second part of her episode “Unpacking Christianity.”
She is a devout Christian who considers herself a “sinner saved by Christ.”
According to Joyce, the particular podcast episode tackles “in-depth questions about God, Christianity as [her] belief system, and if [she] should recommend Wil to date [her] Christian friends.”
“Brace yourselves as Wil and I have an in-depth conversation about Christianity and more!” its episode description reads.
A snippet of the episode when Wil asked Joyce if she believes that a “non-believer can go to heaven” went viral.
“A non-believer, as in, someone who doesn’t believe in Jesus?” she responded.
“Yeah,” Wil said.
“No,” Joyce answered.
Wil asked what will happen to these non-believers and Joyce replied: “They’re gonna face judgment and go to hell.”
When Wil exclaimed that Joyce’s answer was “so brutal,” the podcast host said that she is just giving the vlogger “honest answers” to his “honest questions.”
“And then, what do they do in hell?” Wil asked.
“Suffer in eternity?” Joyce answered.
When Wil asked if the suffering is “forever,” the podcast host confirmed her response by repeating the word “forever.”
Joyce also elaborated her answer with an example.
“I really wish there was a different answer to this, like, ‘Oh, anybody can go to heaven!’ But I think what makes Christianity beautiful is that you don’t have to work for heaven. Jesus already did that for you. And so the only thing that you have to realize is to accept that gift. What is the gift?” she said.
“The gift is, we’re sinners and God is a Holy God. Let’s say, for example, we are in a courtroom and God is the judge, you’re the criminal. Would God be a good judge if he just said, ‘Okay, sige, ‘wag na. Like, you’re free. You killed someone’ and you’re like, ‘Okay, you’re free to go,'” Joyce added.
“But what Christianity says happens is, Jesus comes in and says, ‘Okay, Wil deserves to be in jail. But instead of Wil going to jail, I’ll be in jail. For his sake.’ That’s what Christ did on the cross,” she further said.
Joyce also said that a murderer can go to heaven “if he honestly repents for his sin.”
She likewise said that a saint, if they are not a Christian but has been good throughout their life, will not go to heaven “if they don’t believe in Jesus.”
Meanwhile, Joyce’s comments about non-believers going “to hell” earned buzz among social media users who shared their insights and opinions on the matter.
Others agreed with her and commented that it is “difficult” to discuss salvation with non-believers.
“But definitely, yes, the Gospel is Jesus who took the penalties of our sins so we can be reunited with God who is holy,” a Facebook user said.
“People saying ‘this is unfair’, ‘this is brutal’, when in reality, God Himself went down to SUFFER for our sins and all we need is to put our faith in Him. We literally did nothing to earn such favor from Him to do such,” another online user commented.
“Mrs. Joyce’s point there is, you’ll go to heaven not because of your religion. Again, it’s NOT about religion. It’s about your CONNECTION with the Lord,” said a different Pinoy.
On the other hand, some Filipinos disagreed with Joyce’s remarks about non-believers going “to hell.”
“I sent this video sa religious kong sister para kunin ‘yung comments and thoughts [niya] about sa sinabi ni Joyce then ang sabi [niya], ‘Sino [siya] para humusga. Walang sinuman sa atin ang may alam kung ano ang kahahantungan natin sa pag huhukom. Tanging Diyos lang ang may alam ng lahat,'” a Twitter user said.
“Sorry na lang daw sa mahigit 4 bilyon na hindi Christians… Pero the Jesus Christ that I know would not mind giving eternal life to someone who genuinely [loves] his/her neighbors,” another Pinoy tweeted.
“Love and forgiveness ang palaging tinuturo ng Catholic Church na i-emulate natin as Christians. To condemn people and to say na pupunta sila straight to hell is opposing the teachings of the church,” shared a different Twitter user who accompanied the tweet with a video of Pope Francis.
The Philippines is the only predominantly Catholic country in Southeast Asia.
Last April, a Vatican envoy said that it remains on top in terms of countries with the most Catholic baptism in 2020.
