Where is the love in condemning people to hell?

Welton Gaddy

Pastor for preaching and worship at Northminster (Baptist) Church in Monroe, LA, Gaddy has written more than 20 books and hosts the weekly radio show, State of Belief.  ALL POSTS

Personally, I am not as intrigued by the question of why what we think about the afterlife matters as I am by why Pastor Bell’s theology about the afterlife has incited such strong negative reactions. Indeed, the question that I find most compelling in this situation is, “Why do people who claim to embody the love of God become so disturbed by the idea that God might be even better than they imagine in character and exhibit a depth and breadth of love that they cannot fathom?” I am baffled by people who find more satisfaction in assurance that there is a hell and that a lot of people are going there than they do joy in thinking about the possibility of everybody being accepted by God. What kind of compassion finds pleasure in a guarantee that some people are going to suffer?

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Is Anne Frank in hell?

David Wolpe

Named the No.1 Pulpit Rabbi in America by Newsweek magazine, Wolpe is the Rabbi of Sinai Temple in Los Angeles and currently teaches at UCLA.  ALL POSTS

 

 ... It means Anne Frank goes to hell. It means Elie Wiesel will go to hell. It means Maimonides and Rabbi Akiba and my father are all in hell. With as much respect as I can muster, I reject this as a perverse doctrine, one that is an affront to what I understand to be moral and true.

 

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The apparent cruelty of such a doctrine notwithstanding, the implications for treatment of others matters even more. Judaism reiterates that “the righteous of all nations have a place in the world to come.” As a result, one need not be Jewish to be saved, whatever salvation may mean...

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I treasure - no exaggeration or irony - the goodness and sweetness of many of my Christian brothers and sisters. I don’t think they mean the meanness of this view. But for me Reverend Bell is pointing a way to a Christianity that is marked by moral sanity. Wherever Anne Frank is, that is where I would want to end up. Hers is the company to keep. I cannot imagine a faith that would not wish, somewhere deep in its soul, to proclaim the same.

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Rob Bell punches back against claims of heresy

By Eric Marrapodi, CNN Belief Blog Co-Editor

New York (CNN) – For two weeks while controversy swirled around him, Pastor Rob Bell stayed silent. His critics said he was playing fast and loose with heaven and hell, salvation and damnation. The eternity of souls was on the line, they said.

All this was over Bell’s new book, “Love Wins: A Book About Heaven, Hell, and the Fate of Every Person Who Ever Lived.” Critics tore into it before the book even hit store shelves on Tuesday, some going so far as to label Bell a heretic. The controversy pushed the book into the third spot on Amazon’s sales ranking, virtually assuring the book a place on The New York Times Best Sellers list.

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“What’s interesting to me is what’s true. And what’s interesting to me is what’s inspiring. And what’s interesting to me is where’s the life? Where’s the inspiration? That’s what I’m interested in. If that happens to stir things up, that was never my intent, but I’ll accept that.”

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Bell insists there is room for mystery in salvation and that Christianity is open to discussion.

“The historical orthodox Christian faith is extremely wide and diverse,” Bell said. “No one has the last word other than God. I am taking part in a discussion that’s been going on for thousands of years. Everyone can play a part in that discussion.”

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One Woman’s Love Without Agenda

Lisa O'Brien-Wentzel
Love Without Agenda

She is up at 5 am every morning. First, to take care of a few pets, her paying job. Then, to take care of her family. Finally, to take care of people around her in need of a little help.

She wants no pay, no prize, no pictures, no converts, no business connections.

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Using her husbands pick up truck, off we go to Trader Joes. Outside, 20 heavy garbage bags await. They are filled with unsaleable food, still healthy but not fully fresh. Huge bags of over ripe bananas, too much weight for the bag to carry, almost too much weight for our arms to pick up. Sometimes, we knock over the grocery cart to get the bag out and help each other lift the bag. Sometimes there are eggs in the bag, we keep an eye as so to remove them. Large bags of bread, apples, veggies and sometimes cheese with a tad of mold. Pies and cakes and treats will be enjoyed. We empty the grocery carts into the pickup truck, grateful for everything. Grateful to for our bicep workout. Grateful to make it easy for stores to donate. No complaining ever from us, everyone pitching in to help is what this is about. Working in the cold is better for the food than the heat of the summer.

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I loved time working with this “secret angel” and social innovator. In every section of society there are the most needy, the seniors in homes, the struggling single moms and their kids, those out of work or unable, most of them in need of a little help and a little hope. Liz makes sure that they all get a bit of both.

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