Rob Bell, in his controversial book Love Wins...
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Object:
Rob Bell, in his controversial book Love Wins, comments:
"...whenever people claim that one group is in, saved, accepted by God, forgiven, enlightened, redeemed -- and everybody else isn't -- why is it that those who make this claim are almost always part of the group that's 'in'?
"Have you ever heard people make claims about a select few being the chosen and then claim that they're not part of that group?
"Several years ago I heard a woman tell about the funeral of her daughter's friend, a high-school student who was killed in a car accident. Her daughter was asked by a Christian if the young man who died was a Christian. She said that he told people he was an atheist. This person then said to her, 'So there's no hope then.'
"No hope? Is that the Christian message? 'No hope'? Is that what Jesus offers the world? Is this the sacred calling of Christians -- to announce that there's no hope?"
In the Second Letter of Peter the writer speaks of God's patience:
"The Lord is not slow about his promise, as some think of slowness, but is patient with you, not wanting any to perish, but all to come to repentance" (2 Peter 3:9).
"...whenever people claim that one group is in, saved, accepted by God, forgiven, enlightened, redeemed -- and everybody else isn't -- why is it that those who make this claim are almost always part of the group that's 'in'?
"Have you ever heard people make claims about a select few being the chosen and then claim that they're not part of that group?
"Several years ago I heard a woman tell about the funeral of her daughter's friend, a high-school student who was killed in a car accident. Her daughter was asked by a Christian if the young man who died was a Christian. She said that he told people he was an atheist. This person then said to her, 'So there's no hope then.'
"No hope? Is that the Christian message? 'No hope'? Is that what Jesus offers the world? Is this the sacred calling of Christians -- to announce that there's no hope?"
In the Second Letter of Peter the writer speaks of God's patience:
"The Lord is not slow about his promise, as some think of slowness, but is patient with you, not wanting any to perish, but all to come to repentance" (2 Peter 3:9).
