Post by Daniel on Jul 29, 2015 7:22:34 GMT -5
What He Said About Hell and the Bible Rocked the Christian World. Here’s What Ex-Pastor Rob Bell Is Up to Four Years Later.
Billy Hallowell
Jul. 28, 2015
Few evangelical figures in recent memory have sparked as much theological debate as has Rob Bell, the author, speaker and former pastor of Mars Hill Bible Church in Grand Rapids, Michigan, who ignited furor when his 2011 book “Love Wins” questioned traditional theological constructs surrounding heaven, hell and the Christian gospel.
Bell, who resigned from Mars Hill following intense controversy and is currently traveling around America on his “Everything Is Spiritual” speaking tour, recently shared his views on The Church Boys podcast, discussing everything from his support of same-sex marriage to his claim that anyone who speaks about the afterlife is merely spouting uncorroborated theories.
“We are speculating,” he said of definitive discussions surrounding heaven and hell. “No one knows.”
Bell did say that the idea that God would burn people in a fiery hell for all of eternity for rejecting him during their life on Earth seems at odds with the Almighty’s absolute love for mankind — and he had a message for those who spend a lot of time focusing on hell.
“The people who talk the most about hell when you die seem to talk the least about the very hells on Earth right now — and we have hells on Earth,” Bell said. “We have urban schools that are falling apart, we have people starving, we have rampant abuse of the environment, we have literally millions of people struggling with suicidal thoughts.”
When asked if it’s possible to reach heaven without a faith in Jesus Christ — a common claim in evangelical and Christian circles, more broadly, Bell dove deep into his explanation.
“Well, what’s interesting is what the New Testament writers kept saying is, like, one of them just writes, ‘He holds all things together.’ So, they spoke of a universal Christ — a Christ consciousness that holds all people together, that all people are already present in,” he said. “So, are there people who have never heard of Jesus? Of course there are.”
But Bell rejected the notion that individuals who haven’t heard about Christ would be punished for not believing in him.
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www.theblaze.com/stories/2015/07/28/ex-pastor-who-ignited-evangelical-furor-when-he-questioned-ideas-about-the-afterlife-explains-why-he-doesnt-believe-god-would-burn-people-in-hell-for-eternity/?utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_term=Firewire_Morning_Test&utm_campaign=Firewire%20Morning%20Edition%20Recurring%20v2%202015-07-29
Billy Hallowell
Jul. 28, 2015
Few evangelical figures in recent memory have sparked as much theological debate as has Rob Bell, the author, speaker and former pastor of Mars Hill Bible Church in Grand Rapids, Michigan, who ignited furor when his 2011 book “Love Wins” questioned traditional theological constructs surrounding heaven, hell and the Christian gospel.
Bell, who resigned from Mars Hill following intense controversy and is currently traveling around America on his “Everything Is Spiritual” speaking tour, recently shared his views on The Church Boys podcast, discussing everything from his support of same-sex marriage to his claim that anyone who speaks about the afterlife is merely spouting uncorroborated theories.
“We are speculating,” he said of definitive discussions surrounding heaven and hell. “No one knows.”
Bell did say that the idea that God would burn people in a fiery hell for all of eternity for rejecting him during their life on Earth seems at odds with the Almighty’s absolute love for mankind — and he had a message for those who spend a lot of time focusing on hell.
“The people who talk the most about hell when you die seem to talk the least about the very hells on Earth right now — and we have hells on Earth,” Bell said. “We have urban schools that are falling apart, we have people starving, we have rampant abuse of the environment, we have literally millions of people struggling with suicidal thoughts.”
When asked if it’s possible to reach heaven without a faith in Jesus Christ — a common claim in evangelical and Christian circles, more broadly, Bell dove deep into his explanation.
“Well, what’s interesting is what the New Testament writers kept saying is, like, one of them just writes, ‘He holds all things together.’ So, they spoke of a universal Christ — a Christ consciousness that holds all people together, that all people are already present in,” he said. “So, are there people who have never heard of Jesus? Of course there are.”
But Bell rejected the notion that individuals who haven’t heard about Christ would be punished for not believing in him.
continue reading
www.theblaze.com/stories/2015/07/28/ex-pastor-who-ignited-evangelical-furor-when-he-questioned-ideas-about-the-afterlife-explains-why-he-doesnt-believe-god-would-burn-people-in-hell-for-eternity/?utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_term=Firewire_Morning_Test&utm_campaign=Firewire%20Morning%20Edition%20Recurring%20v2%202015-07-29