Kirk Cameron Doubles Down on Annihilationism; John MacArthur Claims it is False Teaching!

In December 2025, actor and evangelist Kirk Cameron publicly shifted from the traditional view of eternal conscious torment in hell to embracing annihilationism (or conditional immortality), arguing on his podcast that it better aligns with Scripture and God's merciful character, while clarifying in follow-up statements that he still affirms hell, judgment, and conscious suffering—but questions its eternality.Prominent pastor John MacArthur, a longtime advocate for eternal conscious torment, has consistently rejected annihilationism as unbiblical and erroneous, viewing it as a compromise that undermines clear scriptural teachings on the eternal nature of punishment (though he has not directly addressed Cameron's recent comments).