Why Do Some People Think Dolly Parton is in Hell?
I am embarrassed to say that there are some Christians who are claiming (with confidence!) that the recently departed Dolly Parton is in hell.
There are a lot of snarky things I would like to say about this but I am going to try and address this more reasonably. Here is one of the more harsh statements, although it is not the only one I have seen.
First of all, even in my most conservative times in my faith, I never made comments about what I think happened to people after they died. Even if you believe everyone needs a “sinner’s prayer” experience, we do not know what goes on inside people.
But was Dolly Parton a Christian?
She was brought up in a Pentecostal church but was turned off by the hellfire preaching. And yet she continued to have a strong faith. Part of this goes to a time that she went off alone to an abandoned chapel. She describes her experience this way:
Away from the stares of boys and the preachers, I had met Him not as a chastising, bombastic bully but as a friend I could talk to on a one-to-one basis. He is our father, after all.
Whether or not you agree with the switch from bully to friend, that is a real faith in God. But then, someone will say that even the demons believe in God. Fair enough.
There should be some fruit in someone’s life. And there was fruit in Dolly’s life, just not the kind that many conservatives would like.
She did not seem to embrace the conservative side of the culture war. Worse yet, she had a great love for people in the gay community. And they loved her back.
The person on X who claimed she was in hell also said: “Her worst belief was that there was inherent good within humans.” If that is someone’s worst belief, then they are not bad.
He is obviously coming from a Reformed position with a strong emphasis on total depravity. My understanding of depravity is that does not have to reject that there is some good within humanity.
In fact, I would suggest that humanity created in the image of God means that there is inherent good within humans. I wish more people saw the inherent good in humans.
From all accounts, Dolly Parton was extremely generous with her money, more generous than many celebrity pastors, and that she was known for showing love unconditionally.
I believe that love and generosity are central to the teachings of Jesus. Embracing a particular side of the culture war and show hate to people different from you is not the message of Jesus.
Do I know for certain what Dolly Parton’s meeting with God was like? No. I don’t know what it is like for anyone to stand before God.
But from what I have heard, Dolly Parton lived more of a Christian life than many people who attended church regularly on Sundays and Wednesdays.
