Wow – my post has been up only few hours in support of Rob Bell and already someone is here trying to diss the bloke! (Do these people search every hour for people who have made positive comments to attempt to convert them to their brand of truth?)
So I’ve taken a look at this blog and am shocked my some of the vitriolic comments here! Are these people Christians, Christian pastors even? I would humbly suggest a slight loss of plot, love and grace is occuring here! Even if you disagree with the guy then I belive treating with respect is still a necessity.
Here is a quote as to why they belittle Rob Bell:
In his road show, he dismisses creationism, the idea that the world literally was created in six days. And he argues that the Bible’s message is more about helping the world’s poor than about personal success.
Bell said that, even though his own nondenominational church is often described as evangelical, he doesn’t like to use that word anymore. “The word evangelical has been hijacked by people with a loaded political agenda.
“What got Jesus angry was poverty, institutional racism and religious people who were indifferent to suffering people,” Bell said. “And what got Jesus very angry were religious people going around proclaiming who was in and who was out of God’s kingdom.”
well … erm … YES!
What is there to disagree with in those 3 statement? None of them replace the fundamentals of Jesus, God incarnate, dieing for our sins and rising again? Why not just concern yourslf with your God given mission, and allow others to engage with their God given mission?
I find it sad that so many people are willing to believe they are right and not even consider than an alternative view may be correct. The church should be bigger than this! I find it even sadder that some people are willing, and see it as a mission, to attack others through their own blogs and even seekout posts to comment on, while they write as if they alone have absolute truth through denying their readers to make comment at all. My question: what are you so scared of?
The Shiny Headed Prophet 
Was really excited about your post about Rob Bell (left a comment even!) which made my sadness at attitudes like this even more profound. In being excited about the discussion to do with fresh expressions of ministry, being a Christian and everything connected, I’m sure there are plenty of things that we might have differences of opinion on. But I would rather have a difference of opinion with people sometimes but be striving towards a more pure expression of life as a follower of Jesus than dig my heels in and hope what I’ve done and do doesn’t change!I feel quite happy disagreeing with people and there are many things that have come out of such a discussion that make me a little wary, but there’s been a lot more that has broadened my thinking, improved my youth ministry practice and made my soul soar as a follower of Jesus. Haven’t got it sorted, still trying to figure it out within the context of a Baptist church in Hereford, but if we never think about these things we haven’t got a chance!
rob,You said: “I find it sad that so many people are willing to believe they are right and not even consider than an alternative view may be correct.”I wonder, are you including yourslef in with this tolerance? For you have done the same thing, so maybe I should ask you: “What are you so afraid of?”You seriously think I am fearful as I attack the bad theology, note: not Rob himself, of a man who could by and sell me on the international forum of the internet. Be serious. It’s not like it’s hard to find me as I am pastoral advisor/contributor at http://www.sliceoflaodicea.com/ As well as a regular columnist at http://www.christianworldviewnetwork.com/But the fact is that my criticism is well-founded and Biblical. Bell has yet to refute any of what I have pointed out and Apprising Ministries even appears on the Rob Bell entry at Wikipedia:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rob_Bell#CriticismJust a little food for thought…
Thanks for your comments.You are hard to find! I don’t have time to do a google search on who you are – maybe you should make comments available on your blog as I do.Also – I do not use Wikepedia as a number of educational institutions here fail students assignments, as I believe they do in the US too, if people quote from it as it is a transient and not wholly reliable dictionary.Also – no I am not afraid, which is why I blogged my response in a space that I hope you would see it – and where you had an oppotunity to be heard. If I was afraid I do have the facility to delete your comments – which I have not done so.So – I don’t see what you are getting at, and I don’t see how what Rob Bell is saying is in conflict with Orthodox Christianity? Maybe you could ouline your top 2 concerns?Finally – you say ‘Bell has yet to refute’ – does that mean he is being silent against criticism and just getting on with what God has called him to do? Could this be because he wants to concentrate on God and his mission and calling? I believe that is a good Biblical practice shown at the time of persecution by Jesus himself.Thanks, thought for your comments – I appreciate them even though we disagree.
he he, you know you must be doing OK when you attract the attention of a “Slice” contributor, next step is a damning article on EmergentNO! Thats the equivalent of an Emerging Church Oscar!
You say:”I don’t see how what Rob Bell is saying is in conflict with Orthodox Christianity? Maybe you could ouline your top 2 concerns?”1) Bell rejects the inerrancy and plenary inspiration of the Bible.http://www.apprising.org/archives/2006/08/bell_tolls_on_t.html2) Bell promotes and practices Contemplative Spirituality which originated with Desert hermits (circa AD 350-400) who borrowed concepts from the pagan religions of Hinduism and Buddhism. It later flowered in the antibiblical monastic traditions of the apostate Church of Rome.http://www.apprising.org/archives/2006/04/meditating_on_c_1.htmlYou quote me: ” ‘Bell has yet to refute’ ” – and ask “does that mean he is being silent against criticism and just getting on with what God has called him to do?” Of course I don’t know Rob’s motives and I’m only speaking to the fact.I don’t think it’s wise of him to try and ignore his growing critics (I’m not the only one by far) and even Jesus debated His opponents (see – Mark 12:28) If you look at the Wikipedia entry (I’m not arguing for Wiki) you’ll see a quote from an article where Bell just laughs critics off. I responded to that here:http://www.apprising.org/archives/2006/08/rob_bell_the_bl.htmlFinally you say: “Thanks, though for your comments – I appreciate them even though we disagree.” You are welcome, and I appreciate yours as well. As my teacher Dr. Walter Martin so often said sometimes we have to “agree to disagree agreeably.” Shhh…now don’t let it get out that I’m really not a bad guy. It’ll ruin my image as the man Bell-ites luv ta hate on. 😉
Interesting Ken:’Bell rejects the inerrancy and plenary inspiration of the Bible’yes many do, but this does not take him out of orthodox mainstream christianity. The Bible is God’s word, but it contains human input and different sorts of writings. I have never understood the inerrancy argument and why this causes problems – I have also never understood why supporters of inerrancy don’t follow ‘scriptural commands’ inerrently such as:giving everything back to others / cancelling outstanding debts in the year of jubilee (Lev 25)cuttig off the hand, or gouging out the eyes, that causes us to sinbasically all the Levitcus laws on practice, dress …you also talk aboutyour concern over borrowing from pagan religions – haven’t we done that with both easter and christmas. An amount of OT text is also borrowed from ancient near easter relgions – carbon dating and similarity show this to be true.Is there a problem with taking something from some other religion, or worldview, in the world that God created and re-claim it for the Triune creator God we worship?my final point : is this a case of eeither / or – can’t you both, in the mysterious majesty of God, both be correct?