Depending on your personality, philosophical debates can be interesting. Ironically, in spite of being an apologist, they're not really my thing, but there is a very good reason to have them anyway. That reason is usually left unspoken, but perhaps it shouldn't be. The reason such debates are necessary is that one day, whether in our youth, or at a ripe old age, every single one of us is almost certainly going to die.
I say almost certainly because of the rapture, but let's not complicate things. For sake of argument, let us accept death as the inevitability it is. Let us even go so far as to acknowledge the possibility that you could die before you finish reading this article. The urgency of thinking about what happens next, therefore, is difficult to exaggerate.
If there is no Heaven, no Hell and nothing that can even be considered an afterlife, who cares what you believe? If you could convince me that there is no afterlife, and it turns out you're right, you would have saved me from exactly nothing. Neither, as it happens, would you lose anything if I managed to convince you. At least, not in the long run. Everyone's ultimate fate, whether they believe in an afterlife or not, is identical.
But let's suppose the opposite is true. Let's suppose there are two very real eternal realms, and it is inevitable that you will end up in one of them forever. Which would you prefer it be?
Let's bring it down to earth a little. Most of my readers will know what a school is. School, in theory, is designed to give young students as much chance in their future lives as possible. An education opens a number of doors. Further education opens even more doors. Leaving it too late, by contrast, tends to close them. We expect children to go to school in order to have a bright future.
If we apply this logic to adulthood, which is considerably limited and significantly malleable, should we not also apply it to the afterlife, which is eternal, and there is literally no possibility of changing your mind later?
If you've read this far, the chances are you're at least slightly interested in this topic. No one could endure my sloppy writing skills without some form of interest or investment in the subject. That being said, I advise you to consider the point that was made. Consider your eternal destiny, for you are extremely precious, and there is no one to whom you are more precious than yourself. You were not designed for Hell, nor was Hell designed for you. You were made in the image of God, and as much as you have tarnished that image, to the point where you are actually deserving of Hell, God still loves you enough to grant you the inheritance for which you were designed. He provided a way out of Hell in the form of His Son, Jesus, who came to earth to live a perfect life as a human being, only to die a sinner's death. After dying, He rose again, and just like Him, you too can rise, inheriting eternal life in His Kingdom. As long as you still breathe, that offer is on the table, just waiting for you to pick it up. But don't mistake God's patience for weakness. Do not put it off. Today is the day of salvation. You are not guaranteed tomorrow.