By Howard Cooper –
Actor and evangelist Kirk Cameron, best known for his role as Mike Seaver on the 1980s sitcom Growing Pains and his faith-based films like Fireproof, has publicly shared a significant shift in his understanding of hell.
In a recent episode of his podcast, The Kirk Cameron Show, the 55-year-old discussed the topic with his son James, revealing he no longer holds to the traditional view of eternal conscious torment for the unsaved.
Instead, Cameron has embraced annihilationism—or conditional immortality—the belief that the wicked will ultimately be destroyed rather than suffer endlessly.
“Eternal judgment or eternal punishment doesn’t necessarily mean that we are being tormented and punished forever and every moment for eternity,” Cameron explained on the December 3 episode, as reported by The Christian Post. “It means that the punishment we deserve is irreversible. It’s permanent. It’s eternal. You’re dead. You’ve been destroyed. You have perished.”
Cameron described this perspective as a “great relief,” noting it better aligns with God’s character of justice and mercy. He argued that endless torment for sins committed in a finite lifetime seemed like “cruel and unusual punishment,” and pointed to Old Testament descriptions of the fate of the wicked as destruction rather than perpetual suffering.
Drawing from biblical terms like Sheol, Hades, and Gehenna, as well as passages emphasizing “perish” and “destroy,” Cameron referenced theologian Edward Fudge’s book The Fire That Consumes, which supports annihilationism. He emphasized that immortality is a gift given only to believers through Christ.
The announcement has sparked debate in evangelical circles. Longtime ministry partner Ray Comfort, founder of Living Waters and co-host with Cameron on The Way of the Master, responded thoughtfully. “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.
Other voices, including commentators Samuel Sey and theologian Owen Strachan, expressed concern, viewing the shift as departing from historic Christian teaching. Yet some, like those in Premier Christianity, see growing interest in annihilationism as a biblically grounded alternative that reconciles God’s love with His judgment.
Cameron stressed his openness to Scripture above all: “If the Scriptures taught it [eternal conscious torment], I would believe it, because this is the Word of God.”
For Cameron, the conversation about hell is not merely academic. He has underscored that one’s understanding of judgment directly affects how Christians share their faith, how they view God’s heart for the lost, and how urgently they live out the Great Commission.
Whether his evolving perspective will ultimately reshape his public teaching remains to be seen. For now, Cameron appears committed to an approach he says should mark every believer’s walk: continual submission to Scripture, even when it leads to difficult or uncomfortable questions.
