# Heaven/Hell Statistics? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 20, 2011, 10:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/heaven-hell-statistics/589697 "2011-07-20T10:09:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Steken](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e274bd/32.png) [@Steken](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steken)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2011, 10:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/heaven-hell-statistics/589697/1 "2011-07-20T10:09:26Z")
So I guess it’s safe to say that plenty of religions – most Christian denominations, most Muslim denominations, and so on – believe in some version of the view that “some people will go to heaven, and some people will go to hell.” Leaving aside questions about how and why one ends up in one place instead of the other (divine grace, good deeds, _sola fide_ and yakitiyakitiyak), I’d like to get right down to stats: Are there denominations out there that have a clear answer to the question “how **MANY** of us that will end up in one place as opposed to the other?” I’m guessing (and correct me if I’m wrong) that a majority of denominations, including all the major ones (?), would consider the very question futile and/or blasphemous (“well, that’s in God’s hands,” “that’s not for mere mortals to know,” etc.) – and if so, those denominations are exempted from the discussion. But for those denominations that _do_ have a clear answer… Well, what have we got? Are there theological schools out there that insist that what we’ll see is a strict 50/50 deal right down the middle? Are there churches or mosques which preach that the exact number of Heaven-bound folk is one out of five, one out of seven, one percent or less than that? Do others claim that it’s the other way around – that only a small minority of humanity will end up in hell, maybe just ten or twelve guys in all of world history? Lemme know, folks. ---
**Author:** ![Simplicio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c37758/32.png) [@Simplicio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simplicio)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2011, 10:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/heaven-hell-statistics/589697/2 "2011-07-20T10:17:03Z")
Jehovah’s Witnesses belive exactly 144,000 people will go to heaven, based on a reading of Revelations. Which isn’t exactly encouraging if your hoping to make the cut. I seem to recall one of the groups of Puritins in the early Colonial period had an even more parsimonoious selection, with only something like 300 people getting in. Can’t remember where I read that though, so take it with a grain of salt. ---
**Author:** ![Lobelia\_Overhill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/54ee81/32.png) [@Lobelia\_Overhill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobelia_Overhill)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2011, 10:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/heaven-hell-statistics/589697/3 "2011-07-20T10:22:20Z")
Well according to one Nun at school “ye’re _all_ going to Hell!!” okay then. ---
**Author:** ![mac\_bolan00](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b3f665/32.png) [@mac\_bolan00](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mac_bolan00)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2011, 10:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/heaven-hell-statistics/589697/4 "2011-07-20T10:22:28Z")
a certain christian sect in the philippines numbers around 4.0 million and they claim they are the true church of christ. ergo, a percentage of 4.0 million. have an estimate of all abortions and still births? they all go to limbo. ---
**Author:** ![kanicbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2011, 10:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/heaven-hell-statistics/589697/5 "2011-07-20T10:26:54Z")
From Rev 12:4 33% of the angels are involved in the rebellion, from Mat 25:41 that Hell was prepared for the devil and his angels. ---
**Author:** ![mac\_bolan00](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b3f665/32.png) [@mac\_bolan00](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mac_bolan00)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2011, 10:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/heaven-hell-statistics/589697/6 "2011-07-20T10:29:22Z")
why not the average number of persons on earth at any given time guilty of henious crimes, either in jail or walking around free? ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2011, 11:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/heaven-hell-statistics/589697/7 "2011-07-20T11:01:53Z")
> [@Simplicio](#): > > Jehovah’s Witnesses belive exactly 144,000 people will go to heaven, based on a reading of Revelations. Which isn’t exactly encouraging if your hoping to make the cut. Yeah, but good people who don’t measure up get to go to a new-and-improved Earth. ---
**Author:** ![Steken](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e274bd/32.png) [@Steken](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steken)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2011, 11:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/heaven-hell-statistics/589697/8 "2011-07-20T11:25:18Z")
> [@](#): > > Jehovah’s Witnesses belive exactly 144,000 people will go to heaven, based on a reading of Revelations. Which isn’t exactly encouraging if your hoping to make the cut. Yeah, I remember the 144.000 number, but I seem to recall it as being some kind of end-time vanguard rather than the total number of people going to heaven. An eschatological SWAT team, if you will. Or the VIP’s of the apocalypse, or something like that. > [@](#): > > why not the average number of persons on earth at any given time guilty of henious crimes, either in jail or walking around free? Well, plenty of denominations do not believe it’s quite as simple as “criminals go to hell, innocent folk go to heaven.” I’m sure there are some that do, though. ---
**Author:** ![Blake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a9a28c/32.png) [@Blake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blake)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2011, 11:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/heaven-hell-statistics/589697/9 "2011-07-20T11:29:11Z")
> [@Ferret\_Herder](#): > > Yeah, but good people who don’t measure up get to go to a new-and-improved Earth. First off, it’s not a case of not “measuring up”. Heaven isn’t considered to be a superior reward to resurrection on Earth. It’s just different. Secondly, it’s not just “good people who don’t measure up” who come back on Earth 2.0. Almost everybody comes back, with the exception of a handful of exceptionally evil people. \>99% of everybody who has ever been born will be coming back. Finally, the JWs believe that everybody who dies is going to hell. No exceptions. Even the people who are going to heaven are going to hell. So from the perspective of that sect, 100% of humanity are going to hell, and \<1% of 1% of 1% are going to heaven. Is that the answer the OP wanted? 😃 [QUOTE=mac\_bolan00] why not the average number of persons on earth at any given time guilty of henious crimes, either in jail or walking around free? [/quote] Well, because, JWs aside, no Christian denomination believes that all people who commit heinous crimes are going to hell, and none believe that only people who commit heinous crimes are going to hell. ---
**Author:** ![Blake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a9a28c/32.png) [@Blake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blake)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2011, 11:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/heaven-hell-statistics/589697/10 "2011-07-20T11:41:07Z")
> [@Steken](#): > > Yeah, I remember the 144.000 number, but I seem to recall it as being some kind of end-time vanguard rather than the total number of people going to heaven. An eschatological SWAT team, if you will. Or the VIP’s of the apocalypse, or something like that. Nope. It’s literally the total number that’s ever going to heaven. ---
**Author:** ![Diceman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Diceman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diceman)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2011, 11:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/heaven-hell-statistics/589697/11 "2011-07-20T11:50:35Z")
> [@kanicbird](#): > > From Rev 12:4 33% of the angels are involved in the rebellion, from Mat 25:41 that Hell was prepared for the devil and his angels. I’ve always interpreted that passage to mean that about 1/3 of people will go to hell. ---
**Author:** ![Steken](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e274bd/32.png) [@Steken](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steken)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2011, 11:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/heaven-hell-statistics/589697/12 "2011-07-20T11:51:12Z")
> [@Blake](#): > > Nope. It’s literally the total number that’s ever going to heaven. Wow. Oh. Now I’m depressed. ---
**Author:** ![Steken](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e274bd/32.png) [@Steken](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steken)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2011, 11:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/heaven-hell-statistics/589697/13 "2011-07-20T11:53:35Z")
> [@Blake](#): > > So from the perspective of that sect, 100% of humanity are going to hell, and \<1% of 1% of 1% are going to heaven. > > Is that the answer the OP wanted? 😃 Hard, cold numbers. Icy and steely. I love it.😉 ---
**Author:** ![Blake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a9a28c/32.png) [@Blake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blake)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2011, 12:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/heaven-hell-statistics/589697/14 "2011-07-20T12:02:50Z")
> [@Diceman](#): > > I’ve always interpreted that passage to mean that about 1/3 of people will go to hell. The problem with that interpretation is is that Revelation elsewhere describes the numbers going to hell as a “vast multitude” compared to a “small crowd” going to heaven. Jesus himself said that the people going to heaven were like a small number of sheep amongst goats, or the few surviving plants from seeds sown on poor ground. So regardless of what proportion of angels are going to hell, it seems clear that a majority of humans are doomed. Doomed I tells ya. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2011, 12:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/heaven-hell-statistics/589697/15 "2011-07-20T12:14:09Z")
> [@Blake](#): > > …Finally, the JWs believe that everybody who dies is going to hell. No exceptions. Even the people who are going to heaven are going to hell. > > So from the perspective of that sect, 100% of humanity are going to hell, and \<1% of 1% of 1% are going to heaven… Please could you elaborate on this? The JWs I’ve spoken to didn’t even accept the existence of anything that could reasonably be called ‘hell’. They said that folks experience a break in conscious existence between death and eventual resurrection. ---
**Author:** ![Blake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a9a28c/32.png) [@Blake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blake)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2011, 12:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/heaven-hell-statistics/589697/16 "2011-07-20T12:28:34Z")
> [@Mangetout](#): > > Please could you elaborate on this? The JWs I’ve spoken to didn’t even accept the existence of anything that could reasonably be called ‘hell’. They said that folks experience a break in conscious existence between death and eventual resurrection. And they call that “break in conscious” by a name. And that name is Hell. ---
**Author:** ![kanicbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2011, 12:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/heaven-hell-statistics/589697/17 "2011-07-20T12:46:07Z")
> [@Diceman](#): > > I’ve always interpreted that passage to mean that about 1/3 of people will go to hell. Sort of makes sense as earth is a image or reflection of the heavens. So there should be some parallels. ---
**Author:** ![mac\_bolan00](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b3f665/32.png) [@mac\_bolan00](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mac_bolan00)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2011, 12:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/heaven-hell-statistics/589697/18 "2011-07-20T12:46:42Z")
i think this calls for a deterministic analysis (using simple assumptions.) but doing so will fail the OP since he’s asking for either doctrinal bases or simply expert opinions from various religious groups. it’s a segmentation issue, just like in marketing the sinners (set A.) within this are those who are likely to go to hell (set B) within set B, define exclusive subsets. if they overlap, simply adjust to keep the total consistent: criminals (set C) net of expiates and redeemables heretics, blasphemers (set D) net of redeemables infidels, gentiles (Set E) not likely to be converted ---
**Author:** ![Blake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a9a28c/32.png) [@Blake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blake)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2011, 1:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/heaven-hell-statistics/589697/19 "2011-07-20T13:01:24Z")
> [@mac\_bolan00](#): > > the sinners (set A.) According to the Abrahamic faiths, that set contains all of humanity. > [@](#): > > within this are those who are likely to go to hell (set B) within set B, define exclusive subsets. if they overlap, simply adjust to keep the total consistent: And what wold that tell anyone? 😕 > [@](#): > > infidels, gentiles (Set E) not likely to be converted Again, according to the Abrahamic faiths, being an infidel is not, by itself, grounds for going to hell. Being a heretic, sure. But simply never belonging to the religion is at worst grounds for a brief stint in purgatory for some re-education according to most of them. Even Jack Chick’s cueball headed god only sends Heretics to hell if they at least spoke to a Christian, once, in 1963, for 20 minutes. ---
**Author:** ![mac\_bolan00](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b3f665/32.png) [@mac\_bolan00](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mac_bolan00)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2011, 1:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/heaven-hell-statistics/589697/20 "2011-07-20T13:14:23Z")
> [@](#): > > And what wold that tell anyone? nothing if you already know set B which is the mother question. we’re trying to know what goes into B. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/heaven-hell-statistics/589697.md?page=2)