Rob Bell – that popular heretic pastor from Grand Rapids, Michigan – is at it again! Or at least that’s the pronouncement of the 21st century religious Pharisees.
Alarms have sounded from the pulpits; blogs are ablazin’; and mass emails have circulated warning folks to resist the flawed teaching of this uber-radical teacher/preacher. The spark igniting all this hoopla? Rob Bell’s new book “Love Wins”.
In “Love Wins”, Bell has the audacity to suggest that judgmental orthodox Christian theology concerning hell and damnation might actually be emphasizing the wrong things and turning people off to the Christian faith. Imagine that…
Instead, Bell suggests that an accurate reading, interpretation, and understanding of scripture tells us that Jesus’ model for living is something altogether different. Bell’s previous best-known book “Velvet Elvis” was a big hit among college students and others searching for a realistic, credible, and personally meaningful version of Christianity.
So what is so sinister about Rob Bell and his teaching? Is he truly a subtle, but ominous threat to Christianity as his detractors suggest? If his critics are right and he is truly a “false-teacher”, the bigger question is this: Is Rob Bell going to Hell?
The truth is that I don’t know Rob Bell’s final fate. Honestly, neither do his so-called ‘Christian’ detractors. And I think that is precisely Rob Bell’s point: This “in or out”, “saved or lost”, “secular or sacred”, “good or evil” judgmental spirit authoritatively promulgated by perhaps well-meaning Christians is a substantial obstacle to the Christian faith. The truth is that this condemning character directed towards those who do not conform to the critic’s limited and narrow tribal definitions of the Christian faith is, in fact, profoundly at odds with both the words, teaching, and spirit of Jesus’ life and teaching.
History always seems to repeat itself. The truth is that the most ardent critics of Jesus over 2000 years ago were the same crowd that is attacking Rob Bell today. They are the self-righteous authoritative defenders of religious tradition and organizational authority and power – never open to new insight, inspiration, or interpretation of scripture. It is not surprising that Jesus reserved his harshest critique for these folks. The damage they do to the faith can be profound!
In one of their songs, the 1990’s contemporary Christian vocal group DC Talk spoke this message of Jesus with succinct clarity:
“The greatest single cause of atheism in the world today
Is Christians who acknowledge Jesus with their lips
Then walk out the door and deny him by their lifestyle.
That is what an unbelieving world simply finds unbelievable.”
Bell may be wrong about Hell – or he may be doing humanity a great service by renewing and enlightening our paths. Either way, what is the harm in considering legitimate questions that arise from different interpretations of scripture? Does any religion have everything all figured out? Who knows, perhaps God still speaks today to and through those with open hearts and minds. Or, alternatively, perhaps Bell’s religious critics are afraid that his teaching may undermine and threaten their religious authority paradigm along with the prestige, money, power, and control that typically accompanies the privileged position of Christian clergy in American culture. Mmmm… food for thought. What do you think?
One of the reasons I have written this piece is that the entire situation resonates with me: When I published “Random Designer”, many of the same types of “Christians” attacking Bell condemned me to hell as well. So I guess if they are right, Colling and Bell might share an eternal Hell cell. Fortunately, I don’t think they are right, and if more people come to understand that God is bigger and more amazing than puny self-serving religious traditions, well, I think that would be just swell!
Dr. Colling, I have a question that I think you would be the perfect person to answer. Since you are no longer at ONU, I’m not sure how to get in touch with you, except by this comment.
Please send me an email at the above email address.
The questions deals with how someone holding to some form of theistic evolution (perhaps a “random” form!) answers the questions raised by creation science folks about no fossil records of trans-species evolution, and there other “big objections” (with which I’m sure you are familiar).
I’m not a scientist. I am a pastor. I have not major issues with a theistic evolution approach. However, a couple of the issues raised by the creation science folks seem like good question from where I stand. I’m guessing there are sufficient answers to those questions, but I don’t know what they are.
I look forward to your email!
Your Brother in Christ,
Todd+
Hi Todd,
Thanks for the question. The truth is that I know very little about the “fossil record”. A Paleontologist or geologist might be a better person to ask.
I can address your question in a general way however. Creationists are very fond of postulating something as a “necessity” to demonstrate evolution, but this is a “straw man” falsehood. In addition, it is typically impossible to disprove a negative – and I think the creationists who hoist these types of arguments into the discussion know this very well. So it begs the question of whether they are really interested in discovering the truth, or simply grasping for anything they can to hold to their desire to keep evolution out of the picture of God’s creative actions.
The truth is that the claim of creationists that evolution is disproved by an absence of some hypothetical transitional (the term you use of trans-species) form is simply in error. Very uniform and detailed genetic connections between living forms from simple to complex have been identified using far more sophisticated and accurate measures than postulated so-called million-year old “missing link fossils”. This argument is tired and old and honestly no longer relevant to an intelligent and informed discussion of the interrelatedness of life on earth. In other words, the modern scientific technology renders these old objections obsolete. Perhaps as an example, up until the 1800s, people postulated all kinds of things to be responsible for human disease – “bad blood”, “noxious vapors”, “evil spirits”, “mental state”, and others. Since non of these things were well-defined none could be easily confirmed or denied. The result was mass confusion (and fear) among the general public. But then when Antoine von Leeuwenhoek in the late 1600s created magnifying lens adequate to make the invisible world of the living visible, and then Louis Pasteur and Robert Koch in the mid-1800s expanded on this observation to prove that Anthrax, cholera and other diseases were simply the manifestation of the animals/humans being infected with specific identifiable bacteria, all the old arguments just became irrelevant.
Today, life is understood in terms of genetics and the interrelationships between species at the genetic level is unquestioned by any who truly understand. In addition, the level of detail is absolutely stunning. The old, simplistic, and tired false presumptions and arguments do not become more persuasive simply because one continues to repeat them over and over – preying on a scientifically uninformed general public. No geologist or paleontologist that I know considers these creationist claims to be worthy of any time or attention or response. The entire premise is flawed.
Contrary to popular perception, creationist’s views are not shared by the vast majority of Christian biologists. However, these biologists know as I do that if they are a part of a Christian organization and speak aloud/publicly in support of evolution, they will be demonized and their jobs/positions/reputations/Christian character disparaged and impugned by the loving (not) Creationists. Consequently, I try very hard to not become embroiled in responding to the multitude of the silly “claims” of creationists. My experience is that it is a never-ending “black hole” of foolishness designed to deceive the public, sheds no informative light on the matter, and adds no useful information to the discussion of origins. After all, if God just poofed it all into existence in 6 -24 hour days 8000 years ago, what else is left to discuss?
Nevertheless, you seem to be genuinely interested and open and honest in your question. Hopes this sheds some light Todd. If you have other questions, feel free to communicate here or via email.
Rick
Thanks for writing such an easy-to-understand artcile on this topic.
Hi Dr. Colling,
I liked your article very much. I am a believing and practicing Muslim and I share your open mind and open heart that we should leave ultimate judging to the ONE who has all knowledge by which to judge.
Dr. Colling, please email me if you would like….I wanted to develop a brief, respectful, and productive conversation with you.
Hi Richard.
Great response to the nonsense surrounding Rob Bell’s challenging and thought-provoking book.
However, my blogging is for a different reason. I am in a country (New Zealand) remote from the specifically U.S. science vs faith battles, and was raised in a Christian Tradition (Catholic/Anglican) where the notion of a clash between science and faith was never possible. I still shake my head at the current conflict which can only undermine proclamation of the Gospel. I have just watched the DVD “From the Dust” and was staggered to learn of the price you paid for your intellectual and spiritual honesty.
Your passion, your frustration and your pain came across very clearly and it simply beggars belief that you had to leave a university environment in this way.
I wanted simply to say thank you. i hope that in similar situations I would have your courage and your clarity, and your commitment to walk with God.
Thank you for the kind thoughts and comments Phil. It means a great deal to me. Rick
“Or at least that’s the pronouncement of the 21st century religious Pharisees.” Here here!
Great piece. You’ve expressed my frustration with the ‘Christian’ community to the tee. I am so thankful for people like you that are capable of thinking and loving outside the box.