Over at Experimental Theology, Richard Beck has responded to Keith DeRose’s post, “Really Believing in Hell.”

Money Quote:

Going back to Keith’s post, my hunch is that hell is most terrifying
for children in the Concrete Operations stage. In this stage children
have the concrete, logical ability to work out the calculus of
salvation and damnation. Abstractions such as grace are beyond them,
cognitively speaking. A concrete punishment/reward calculus better
suits the cognitive stage they are in. And by doing the theological
math unattenuated by abstractions such as grace most Concrete
Operational children conclude they are doomed to hell.

Nota bene to children’s and youth pastors: read the post and read Piaget.