'I believe in Hell': Kirk Cameron clarifies position on eternal damnation, announces plans for roundtable discussion
Actor and evangelist Kirk Cameron has responded to controversy surrounding a recent discussion on the doctrine of Hell, emphasizing that he fully believes in Hell, judgment and conscious suffering, but is openly questioning whether that suffering is eternal.
In a video posted to social media Wednesday, Cameron addressed the "swirling" controversy sparked by his Dec. 3 podcast episode with his son James, where he voiced support for the theological position of conditional immortality, also known as annihilationism.
Cameron, 55, began by posing a hypothetical question from a child:
Dad, mom, I know you believe in Hell. I know you believe that God is just. I know you believe that sin is serious. And I know that Jesus is the only way to Heaven. So when an unrepentant person who doesn't turn to Jesus dies, what does the Bible actually say happens to them? Are they preserved forever and kept alive by God in a place of endless conscious torment, suffering forever, weeping and wailing and gnashing their teeth with no end? Or is the judgment that Scripture describes something different? Is it still real, still just, still severe, but culminating in what the Bible calls death, destruction, or the second death, which is the lake of fire?
Cameron clarified that the discussion originated from questions posed by his own son and has led to mixed reactions, including thoughtful responses from groups like Answers in Genesis, evangelist Ray Comfort and apologist Wes Huff. However, he expressed disappointment over critical responses that he believes mischaracterized his views based on out-of-context clips.
He noted that reaction videos — many of which have come from Christian public figures — have garnered far more views than the full original episode, and attributed much of the misunderstanding over his comments to short attention spans and edited soundbites.
"What genuinely surprised me ... was to see that same pattern coming from within the Church itself, from my own brothers and sisters in Christ and even some very influential prominent leaders," Cameron said.
The former "Growing Pains" star stressed that he approached the topic carefully, seeking counsel from his pastor, wife, historians and apologists.
"So, let me be very clear. I believe in Hell. I believe in judgment. I have not denied the authority of Scripture," he declared, describing the debate as an "honest theological question" debated by Christians for centuries regarding the final fate of the unrepentant.
Cameron explained what he believes are some common misconceptions about conditionalism. "Many assume it teaches that when a sinner dies they just, poof, disappear …” he said. “That is not what it teaches, and that's not what my son James and I said."
Instead, he said, conditionalism affirms human mortality, that eternal life is a gift for the redeemed, real judgment, and conscious suffering, but questions whether that torment is endless or culminates in final destruction or the "second death."
"The only difference is, does that conscious torment last forever and ever and ever, or does it eventually come to an end and the person is annihilated?" Cameron stated.
He expressed deep respect for traditionalists he admires, including St. Augustine, Charles Spurgeon, George Whitefield, John Wesley, R.C. Sproul, and his mentor John MacArthur, while noting historical figures like Justin Martyr, Irenaeus, Athanasius, Martin Luther, John Stott, F.F. Bruce, and Edward Fudge who held or leaned toward conditionalist views.
Acknowledging that he has not made "final pronouncements" but is inviting "careful prayerful study," Cameron announced plans to host a roundtable discussion with respected scholars to model charitable disagreement.
He also called the nature of Hell a "secondary issue," not mentioned in core creeds like the Apostles' Creed or Nicene Creed, and recited the Apostles' Creed in full to underscore essential Christian unity.
Closing the video, Cameron encouraged viewers: "Never stop asking questions. ... Let God's Word, not the words of fallible men, be your final authority."
The response comes after Cameron's initial podcast drew criticism for appearing to reject eternal conscious torment, with some accusing him of shifting away from orthodox teachings he once promoted through ministries like Way of the Master, in which he partnered with Comfort.
In response to Cameron’s thoughts on annihilationism, Comfort said that while Kirk is no longer affiliated with his ministry, Living Waters, which doesn’t hold to Kirk's position, he believes his former ministry partner is “sincere” in his belief.
“While we believe Kirk is sincere, we believe that conditional mortality and annihilationism are erroneous views, and that the Bible's clear teaching on Hell is known as 'eternal, conscious torment,” Comfort told The Christian Post last Tuesday. “We firmly believe this is the only correct biblical view.”
