When Jesus cursed cities that had seen His miracles and not repented, He said that it would be worse for them than for Gentiles that had not known God. Most religions have some concept of hell and eternal punishment, but we can look directly to what Christ said. In the parable of the rich man and Lazarus, the rich man ended up in a place of separation and torment, whereas Lazarus was taken to heaven by angels. The right starting point for the Christian is not to ask how to avoid going to hell but to begin a right relationship with God, following and trusting Christ. Luke 16:19-31. VF-2175