This is simply a blog to house all the clips and discussions I come across about Rob Bell. I really am not for or against any of his teachings...yet. I would love to hear your feedback and see your links and such. I don't know enough to form a strong opinion just yet...thanks for helping me out!
What do you think??
Here is a link that was sent to me:
http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DMiqu5fwtEdc&h=70d13
what do you think?
And, this one:
http://www.facebook.com/?ref=home#!/video/video.php?v=10150104061084774&oid=10553794179&comments
Thoughts?
I normally don't even comment on controversial topics like this, but here is my opinion anyway. I will read the book and then judge it. I'm probably a bit more liberal than a lot of people who are dead set in their ways and will not even consider a different point of view. Ever. I like hearing other people's interpretations of the Bible. After all, much of the Bible is up for interpretation, in my opinion, as to what is literal and what is not. It's not always clear, at least not to me. That is what allows people to put their own spin on it, and this is one of the things that turns non-believers off about Christianity. I am a Christian and I believe the Bible. However, I have always questioned this very aspect of my Faith, simply becauset is hard for me to understand why a loving and just God would punish those who have lived good and honorable lives by sending them to burn in Hell for eternity, because they do not know Jesus. I am very curious what Rob Bell's book says, and I think it may be different than what everyone is expecting. Let's read it and THEN make up our minds. Maybe he is a wolf in sheep's clothing...but we don't know that yet. I will always take what the Bible says seriously, and obviously refer to it FIRST. But I'm not going to judge the ideas in Rob's book until I read it...and I'm not ready to label him a wolf in sheep's clothing just yet.
ReplyDeleteMy experience of Rob Bell is limited to having attended a couple Sunday-night services at Mars Hill and having listened to the audio-books, "Velvet Elvis" and "Sex God".
ReplyDeleteAmy, all I can say about the first video that you posted is that the person completely missed the point on every example given, drawing inaccurate conclusions, and even going as far as to put words into Mr. Bell's mouth that simply weren't used by him in the book.
The truth is that we need to examine what we believe, realize the historical facts of how our Bible came to be, and believe it based on that instead of on the words of some TBN sensationalist looking for their next "deep" out-of-context cliche in order to build up his/her "ministry".
Thanks so much for these comments! By the way, I should have noted these were my links of "mine" so to say, they were links others attached with their comments. Thanks again!
ReplyDeleteI have had concerns with Bell's teaching long before news of this book. I used to be a regular attender/member at Mars Hill. I served there many Sundays in children's ministries. I listened to him teach... I watched ALL of his NOOMA videos... I read his books. I admired and respected him, and was shocked the first time I heard him called a heretic. It crushed me. Literally broke my heart. Not Rob Bell... Not my teacher... No way!!! I spent many hours defending him. Well, we did end up leaving Mars Hill eventually. We began attending another church, and as I studied the Word and as my faith grew over the course of a couple of years, my heart changed. I began to see Bell's teachings in a different way. I am in no way ready to label him a "wolf in sheeps clothes" or a heretic. I NEED TO READ THE BOOK. I just wanted to make clear that my concerns came long before this. I am not here to bash the man... I really believe he needs prayer. So many people forget to pray for their pastors. They are just as easily led astray as we are. I also have family that still goes to Mars Hill, so yes, this is very personal for me too.
ReplyDeleteOn a side note... If this promotional video is just a tool to create controversy and get people to "think", or a lure to buy and read the book... then I have a problem with that. Universalism as a lure is a problem. There are many people who will not read the book... they will only see this video.
This introductory video is a way, a medium, to get one to start questioning his reformed christian upbringing of the scriptures. Rob Bell questions one's belief in the truth of the scriptures to take away the basis of the authority of God's Word. Once the authority of the Word is questioned in one's mind, Rob Bell is free to teach his own doctrine which is a twisted doctrine of the Scriptures.
ReplyDeleteAnonymous said...
ReplyDeleteThere is a literal heaven and literal hell
Matt. 25:31-46; Luke 16:19-26; Rev.21:1-8
False teachers will deny the existence of either heaven or hell or both. Most often their claim is that "a loving God could never send anyone to hell". The Bible teaches that there is a real hell and a real heaven. God doesnt send people to hell but because of their own choice to reject Jesus Christ as Lord, they send themselves to hell. There is a final judgment-one for unbelievers and one for believers-John 12:47,48; 2 Cor. 5:10; Rev.20:12-15. Learn these foundational truths through studying the God's Word. Studying these subjects using the Bible(not just taking man's opinion)you will become familiar with the truth, and you be able to recognize things which are false. The mind set that all we need to do is love and be good to one another and everyone will go to heaven is pure deception. Ask your self the question... Are emotions and people influencing your belief more than God? You must go by the facts. Facts do not change. God's Word contains the unchanging facts. Faith is our trust in God and His Word.
I really don't think Mr. Bell's strategy is to tear down God's authority in order to assert his own. I think his intent in causing people to question what they believe is to motivate them to seek God and seek the truth for themselves. The church as a whole seems to be full of people content to sit in the pews and blindly accept what is coming from the pulpit, which is fine if the person in the pulpit has done their research or heard from God and isn't just parotting some other preacher because what they said struck a chord or gave them tingles.
ReplyDeleteThe problem that I see with today's church is that no one really thinks about what is being said or whether or not it is actually true to the context of the scriptures or not and I think that Mr. Bell does a great job or reminding us of that. It's not about tearing down God's authority, but encouraging people to seek the truth and find out first-hand why we believe what we believe. And if that requires us to throw out some bad doctrine, no matter how popular it has become, then so be it.