Universalism

[fr0d0]

Rob Bell believes that God is just and that people are judged. It's a typically pathetic sensationalist misrepresentation of what has been said.

[Welsh cake]

Why are Christians so opposed the idea that everyone gets to go to heaven?
...

What drives Christians to need the concept of hell?

Whether they are morally positive people or not, they are still part of an evil cult that condemns non-believers to Hell. What did you expect? They have to get their entertainment from someone else's misery somehow.

Besides, I'm glad most reject the concept, the Universalist God that loves-me-no-matter-what creeps me out far more than the rabid city-destroying tyrant classic Christian Orthodox God disgusts me.

[the6dead]

The sad thing is hell is never mention in the Jewish bible. There's a good chance that hell was added later on as a means to convert pagans or keep people in line.

[bozo]

I think they need the concept of hell to validate the idea of heaven.

[FadingW]

People who disbelieve in universalism fear that spreading this idea will cause other people to be destroyed by accepting the ineffectual.

It's like how you might feel about peddlers in homeopathy.

Not saying they are right, ironic as it is, this is how they think.

[Cinjin]

I love Rob Bell. He's the man. A few people are saying the same thing... I heard it first a few years ago... it's an accuracy of translation thing. Traditionalists are scared shitless by anything which challenges their thinking. That's all this is.

Rob Bell responded a couple of weeks ago - the critic hadn't even read the book. Bell isn't a Universalist..... he's straight down the line Christian.

Frodo, in this thread, http://=http://atheistforums.org/post-13...#pid134681, you make it clear that you believe that souls are indeed sent to hell. Rob Bell is preaching a whole different story. You can see why one might be confused. Do you agree with Mr. Bell about his views on Hell or don't you?

[fr0d0]

@ CC: The book has only just come out, and I haven't read it yet. He is a true literalist, where those who tell you that they are literalists actually pervert the text to fit their own purposes. If you look at my own posts on this board, you'll find that I'm saying much the same thing about Heaven and Hell. So... without even seeing it, I'd be pretty confident in aligning myself with what he says. I trust the guy from the books of his I've read and numerous videos I've seen of him talking. The guy's a legend in my eyes.