Is Heaven or Hell just a simple binary option?

Why binary? You either go to Heaven if you’re a believer, or you go to hell if you’re not. I’ve always considered Heaven a place where all believers go and where there is equality. Whenever Scripture implies otherwise, I’ve just read passed it without pausing to give it any thought. More recently, prompted by my wife’s passing (not that I had any doubts about her eternal destination) I gave more thought to Heaven and hell as simple being binary alternatives. The thing that started to concern me was the question: Do ‘good’ people who, for whatever reason, just can’t bring themselves to accept the existence of God, share hell with the likes of murderers and paedophiles (as two randomly thought of examples)? To consider this, I first returned to the question of equality in Heaven. All believers will be raptured when Jesus comes to gather His church, but they will then be judged. So no equality then. Paul tells us in 2 Corinthians 5:10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive the things done through the body, according to that which he has done, whether good or bad. Good or bad is relative since there is no judgement of sin for believers; that was dealt with on the cross. This judgement is for our service as Christians. In 1 Corinthians 3:10-15, Paul likens our service to erecting a building: 10  According to the grace of God which is given to me, as a wise master builder, I have laid the foundation, and another builds on it. But let every man be careful how he builds on it.  11  For any other foundation can no one lay than the one being laid, who is Jesus Christ.  12  And if anyone builds on this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble,  13  each one's work shall be revealed. For the Day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try each one's work as to what kind it is.  14  If anyone's work which he built remains, he shall receive a reward.  15  If anyone's work shall be burned up, he shall suffer loss. But he shall be saved, yet so as by fire Verse 14 tells us there are rewards: I take verse 15 to mean there are no rewards given. The Bible speaks of rewards in the form of crowns, of which examples follow: Imperishable crown And everyone who strives for the mastery is temperate in all things. Then those truly that they may receive a corruptible crown, but we an incorruptible  [1 Cor 9:25-27]. Crown of rejoicing For what is our hope or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Are you not even to be in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at His coming? [1 Thess 2:19] Therefore, my brothers, ones loved and longed for, my joy and crown, stand fast in this way in the Lord, beloved ones. [Phil 4:1] Crown of righteousness Now there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, shall give me at that Day; and not to me only, but also to all those who love His appearing. [2 Tim 4:8] Crown of life Blessed is the man who endures temptation, because having been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him. [James 1:12] Do not at all fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the Devil will cast some of you into prison, so that you may be tried. And you will have tribulation ten days. Be faithful to death, and I will give you the crown of life. [Rev 2:10] Crown of glory 1 Peter 5:1-4 1 I exhort the elders who are among you, I being also an elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed.  2 Feed the flock of God among you, taking the oversight, not by compulsion, but willingly; nor for base gain, but readily;  3 nor as lording it over those allotted to you by God, but becoming examples to the flock.  4 And when the Chief Shepherd shall appear, you shall receive a never-fading crown of glory. Precisely what Christian service gains these awards, and how they are administered, I don’t know. I just accept that the apostles will be at one end of the spectrum and I’ll be down the other end, content to have crossed the threshold. But what of unbelievers and hell. The Bible is less specific when it comes to judgement of those who are destined for hell. This judgement is recorded in the Great White Throne Judgement, Revelation 20:11-15, 11  And I saw a great white throne, and Him sitting on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And a place was not found for them.  12  And I saw the dead, the small and the great, stand before God. And books were opened, and another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.  13  And the sea gave up the dead in it. And death and hell delivered up the dead in them. And each one of them was judged according to their works.  14  And death and hell were cast into the Lake of Fire. This is the second death.  15  And if anyone was not found having been written in the Book of Life, he was cast into the Lake of Fire Notably, verses 12 and 13 both have the phrase according to their works , implying degrees of punishment. Matt 11:20-24 is Jesus’ woe to unrepentant cities: 20  Then He began to upbraid the cities in which most of His mighty works were done, because they did not repent.  21  Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the powerful acts which were done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes!  22  But I say to you, It shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon in the day of judgment than for you.  23  And you, Capernaum, who are exalted to the heaven, shall be brought down to hell. For if the mighty works which have been done in you had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day.  24  But I say to you, it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment than for you.  In verses 22 and 24, the phrase it shall be more tolerable again implies degrees of punishment. One more example is Luke 12:47-48: 47 And that servant who knew his lord's will and did not prepare, nor did according to His will, shall be beaten with many stripes.  48 But he not knowing, and doing things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes. For to whomever much is given, of him much shall be required. And to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more Here, the ‘few’ and ‘many’ stripes imply degrees of punishment. Although lacking detail, these verses tell us there is definitely degrees of punishment in hell. We should not therefore be concerned that loved ones who we consider to be good people, but cannot accept the existence of God, will be sharing hell with the worst of society. However, at any level, hell is still not a good place to be.