For a time, many of the mainstream churches themselves soft - pedaled their official doctrine of a fiery hell in their efforts to adapt to modern thought patterns. The idea of punishment after death was especially unacceptable to people because the notion of sin itself had become cloudy in their minds.
लोगों को मृत्यु के पश्‍चात्‌ दण्ड दिए जाने का विचार ख़ास तौर से अस्वीकार्य था, इसलिए कि स्वयं पाप की धारणा उनके मन में धुँधली हो चुकी थी ।