For Conscience' Sake

"Trust unto Jehovah with all thy heart, And unto thine own understanding lean not." - Proverbs 3:5 (YLT)

"hypocrites! the face of the earth and of the heaven ye have known to make proof of, but this time -- how do ye not make proof of it? 'And why, also, of yourselves, judge ye not what is righteous?" - Luke 12:56-57 (YLT)

"Come, I pray you, and we reason, saith Jehovah, If your sins are as scarlet, as snow they shall be white, If they are red as crimson, as wool they shall be!" - Isaiah 1:18 (YLT)

"and Peter and John answering unto them said, `Whether it is righteous before God to hearken to you rather than to God, judge ye;" - Acts 4:19 (YLT)

Everyone who has discussed the Christian idea of heaven and hell with someone who is not a Christian will likely have gone through the following argument.

Mike: God is loving and merciful. In fact, God is Love. However, he is also just, so you must accept his gift or face eternal punishment.

George: So... umm... your god is loving and merciful, but he's willing to throw me into an eternal, torturous prison if I do not believe in him? I'm not perfect, but I really don't think I've done anything deserving endless torture.

Mike: Well, you see, God loves us all but he cannot tolerate any wickedness. He sent his only Son to die so that you could avoid the eternal torture by believing in Him. Besides, it's not God that sends people to hell, people choose hell. So you see, He really does love you.

George: I have to say, if I was given the choice between a fiery pit and a city in the clouds, I really don't see myself choosing the former.

I'm sure it comes in many forms accompanied by many verses. I'm also sure that I have exaggerated to prove a point. But this is what I and many others were raised to believe. To argue the existance of hell or the destination of those who do not believe in Christ is to deny the scriptures and water down your faith. So we deny our reason and give way to doctrine resting firmly on the word of the scripture and the fact that we should not "lean on our own understanding". But doesn't the scripture (and nature) encourage us to use our rationality? Did Peter and John not ask the priests to judge for themselves (Acts 4:19)? Does the Lord not evoke us to reason with Him (Isaiah 1:18)? So where is the line drawn between using reason and leaning not on our own understanding?
This is not intended as an attack on church doctrine pertaining to hell (it still is, but that is not the intention). As proof, I put forth no doctrine here except the belief that eternal torture does not agree with my conscience. All I want to say is simply this: If something you have been taught troubles you, investigate. If you find contradictions in the scripture that bother you, search for the solution. Be troubled. Be fearful. Do not ignore your conscience. Do not give in to doctrine because it is easier. Trust Christ when He says those who search will find.