A lifelong Christian, Kevin Miller views the concept of hell as a detriment and scare tactic.
“If we think that God ultimately deals with his enemies by violently excluding them, torturing them, or annihilating them, we are going to naturally gravitate towards that type of behaviour ourselves,” he said.
This path presents serious implications, since these ideologies are leading believers to violence in the name of enforcing justice.
“I think what’s percolated me and my Christian faith for many years is this feeling of fear, and that the primary motivation for even becoming a Christian then was to avoid going to hell after I died,” Miller said.
Miller is the filmmaker behind the documentary Hellbound?, a feature-length film full of mind-opening perspectives that challenges the status quo of Christian faith. The most vulnerable are the younger generations and skeptics who yearn to seek what they have never been told about their faith.
Hailing from Saskatchewan, Miller is the writer and director, with a team consisting of producer David Rempel and director of photography Ben Eisner, among others.
The team was able to show their effort Sept. 11 during a sneak preview and premiere in Nashville, Tennessee.
Soon to screen in Ottawa near the end of October, Hellbound? has become a safe haven for those burdened by fear, curiosity, or the need to find a higher meaning to faith rather than violence as a problem-solving mechanism, according to Miller.
As a father of four and Christian since the age of nine, Miller said what believers think about hell is a direct reflection of who believers see as God.
Hellbound? aims to destroy this sense of fearful hesitation, according to Rempel.
“There is nothing to fear, so why not question? Step back and look at it with a critical eye,” he said.
Believers can reject the idea of eternal torment without disqualification as a Christian who believes in forgiveness, Miller said.
He added that many are tormented by religion solely because of the lies they are continuously fed.
“I could never imagine anything that would make me want to do to my children what so many Christians say God will do to us if we don’t jump through the right hoops,” Miller said.
Eisner believes the most challenging aspect of working on this film was not a cinematographic challenge, but a challenge in explanation and public understanding.
“It’s a . . . touchy subject. A lot of people say, ‘what is there to talk about?’” he said.
He added that many believers think the case is closed and that there is no need for further questioning.
Rempel finds comfort in knowing there’s more flexibility in that believers can allow themselves to
interpret scripture of their own accord.
This flexibility ensures that Hellbound? is not a source for potentially animalistic debate, but rather an invitation to acknowledge perspectives, Eisner said.
“I’m really proud of the conversation that has taken place in it, and I think if people are willing to approach it with an open mind, it may help people to start asking questions they’ve been afraid to ask.”
Released in the U.S. Sept. 26, the film’s Ottawa and Toronto release is set for Oct. 26.
