Puritans belief on eternal life in heaven was heavily based upon whether or not you've committed a sin. Damned were believed to go to hell while elects lived out eternity in heaven. Although no one was ever sure who god would pick as an elect or a damned they usually assumed that non sinners went to heaven. While Hester and Arthur have committed a major sin, both have been forgiven by god for a multitude of reasons expressed mostly towards the end of the story through dialogue and points of view. A few days After dimmesdale confesses people start discussing what they saw on Dimmesdale's chest. While most claimed they had seen the A, there were a few who didn't see anything at all. This shows that after confessing God forgives dimmesdale
