FacePalm of the Day - Debunking Christianity: The Christianity of the Future is Innoxious

John Loftus made the following  comment:

Christianity has always changed like a chameleon to its culture and times. It's emphatically NOT the case that the Christianity of the 1st or 2nd centuries has survived. The heresy of a previous generation just becomes the orthodoxy of the next one. Subsequent generations develop an amnesia about what Christianity used to be. That's it. The conservatives in one generation become the moderates in the next one who become the liberals in the following one. In each of these subsequent generations conservatives who object to this trend start their own churches, publishing houses and seminaries. Then these new churches, publishing houses and seminaries follow the same trend. And as they do, conservatives break off again and the trend starts all over. Do you want to know the Christianity of the future in America? I suspect it might look more like the inclusivist/universalism of Rob Bell along with the pop-psychology gospel of Joel Olsteen. 

Debunking Christianity: The Christianity of the Future is Innoxious

I disagree. I've heard many an assertion that Christianity has changed since the first and second centuries Anno Domini  but there is very little discussion of how. Only a moron would walk into church today and think that church services were the same during the time of the Apostles. And Loftus is most likely correct that many people will continue to follow "the inclusivist/universalism of Rob Bell along with the pop-psychology gospel of Joel Olsteen." Loftus is also correct that this isn't the Gospel of the Bible. Here is the fail: If it's so hopeless to understand what the first Christians believed then how does Loftus know that Rob Bell and Joel Olsteen is preaching somethings different?   I agree that they are but I disagree that there no living people today who are attempting to live what the Bible teaches - following Jesus Christ. This week Dr Kenneth Samples posted a quote from Dr  Alister McGrath that shows what I mean:

Christianity is a strongly ethical faith. This does not, however, mean that Christianity is about a set of rules, in which Christians mechanically conform to a set of instructions. Rather, it is about a set of values which arises from being redeemed.

– Alister E. McGrath, An Introduction to Christianity (Cambridge, Mass: Blackwell, 1997), xix–xx.

Quote of the Week: Alister McGrath, 2

Debunking Christianity: Time Magazine Cover: Is Hell Dead?

I was wondering when would John Loftus would get around to commenting Rob Bell.

Christians have been reinventing their faith from the beginning. It won't stop. That's my prediction. So what will become orthodoxy in 20-30 years? This will. The orthodoxy of today started out as the unorthodoxy of yesterday.

I'm aware of the firestorm surrounding Bell's book Love Wins. Bell admits that his viewpoint is not new - in the slightest. If Loftus is correct then Rob Bell's ideas should be new without any precedent. However, it is far from new that people will throwout and misinterpret scriptures simply because it doesn't match their concept of God.

From the article Loftus linked to:

Particularly galling to conservative Christian critics is that Love Wins is not an attack from outside the walls of the Evangelical city but a mutiny from within — a rebellion led by a charismatic, popular and savvy pastor with a following. Is Bell's Christianity — less judgmental, more fluid, open to questioning the most ancient of assumptions — on an inexorable rise? "I have long wondered if there is a massive shift coming in what it means to be a Christian," Bell says. "Something new is in the air."

Read more: http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,2065080,00.html#ixzz1KJGfxPfH

Yup, I smell it too: Heresy

God warned us about this.

¹ In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I give you this charge: ² Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction. ³ For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. ⁴ They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. ⁵ But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry. - 2 Timothy 4: 1-5

Debunking Christianity: Time Magazine Cover: Is Hell Dead?

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Faithful Thinkers: Article: Review of "Love Wins"

Luke Nix called attention to a two-part review of Rob Bell's book Love Wins by Dr. Ben Witherington. I love Dr. Witherington's work and the way he puts things when he talks about the Bible and theology. He is truly a top-notch scholar and it is interesting to look at his opinion regarding Love Wins and the controversies it has stirred.

Do not Ask for whom the Bell tolls…… A Chapter by Chapter review of ‘Love Wins’ | The Bible and Culture

Faithful Thinkers: Article: Review of "Love Wins"- Part 2

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Discussing the Theology of the Emergent Church: My Discussion with Brian McLaren

Dr James White has recently conversed with Brian McLaren on the UK radio program Unbelievable? by Justin Brierley. It aired today, Saturday April 30, 2011. This is what Dr. White had to say on the subject.

My sincere thanks to Justin Brierley for inviting me to dialogue with the biggest name in the Emergent movement, Brian McLaren on Justin's fine program from London, Unbelievable. You can download the program here, and I would strongly suggest subscribing to Justin's program. You sure hear enough of it on The Dividing Line as I interact with the discussions that take place there from a Reformed and presuppositional perspective!

I highly recommend listening to this discussion. It is extremely useful. It underscores and showcases what happens when two people who disagree can come together and present what they believe and why. The differences are evident and clear and cannot be ignored. Thankfully, Brian McLaren is a much better at articulation of theology and the Emergent Church than Rob Bell. I found Brian McLaren's discussion of the dominance of the "Prosperity Gospel" in the part of Africa he visited extremely interesting. The "Prosperity Gospel" is not Biblical at all and going the "Emergent" Route is just trading one heresy for another.

Discussing the Theology of the Emergent Church: My Discussion with Brian McLaren

Speaking of Rob Bell, he was Unbelievable? Last week. He debated Adrian Warnok. The audio is available here as well as some comments from Warnok: Listen to my face to face debate with Rob Bell about heaven, hell, and the fate of every person who ever lived. There is even a video of the encounter. You can find that video at this link: Unbelievable? Debate: Heaven and Hell

Iron Sharpens Iron: James White: Love Wins by Rob Bell Examined & Critiqued

Last Monday, James White was a guest on Irons Sharpens Iron. The subject was an examination and critique on Rob Bell's new book "Love Wins". Rob Bell has some serious problems in this book. James White has already spoken out but it's good to hear it in the context of an interview. Bell's errors must be pointed out because it's a different Gospel than what the Bible promotes and teaches. Follow the link to hear the interview.

Iron Sharpens Iron: James White: Love Wins by Rob Bell Examined & Critiqued

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A Parody That Accomplishes Its Task

Image via WikipediaHilarious Parody. Who says Reformed folks ain't got a sense of humor?

Robbed Hell - C.A.S.T. Pearls Presents from Canon Wired on Vimeo.

A Parody That Accomplishes Its Task

Calvinistic Cartoons: From an Arminian Viewpoint

Eddie Eddings has called attention to the following post from an Arminian that I also have to say I agree with.

Arminian Today: Problems I Have With Modern Arminians: "If I have learned anything from the Rob Bell wave that has hit the blogs over the past few weeks its that I am not in full agreement with al..."

Sometimes critics of Christianity use the Arminian/Calvinist debate to try to say Christians do not understand what we believe and can't agree. The thing is there is really no reason for Calvinists and Arminians to be at each others' throats. The disagreement centers on how God does what He does in saving an individual from sin and death. I agree that the following list is something all Christians should repudiate:

• The rejection of inerrancy and infallibility of the Bible.
• The emphasis on Mankind being the center of theology instead of God Almighty being the center.
• The rejection of justification by grace through faith apart from works.
• Inclusive theology.
• Postmortem salvation as a true possibility.
• Universalism.
• The drifting toward pragmatism and postmodern theology.
• The willingness to embrace any theology that holds to some forms of Arminianism such as the open view of God.
  

I'm glad to find out that there are some people who call themselves "Arminians" who disagree with the stuff on this list. I don't see how one can call themselves ones who believe the Bible and yet reject what it says.


Calvinistic Cartoons: From an Arminian Viewpoint

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Recording of this Tuesday’s Debate on Faith, Evidence, Atheism, Rob Bell, and Hell | Athanatos Christian Apologetics Ministry

Here is an interesting Debate from last Tuesday. The technology is interesting. The entire audio meeting plus a transcript of the online chat. Topic: Do Christians Believe Despite the Evidence? What about atheists?

Recording of this Tuesday’s Debate on Faith, Evidence, Atheism, Rob Bell, and Hell | Athanatos Christian Apologetics Ministry

Calvinistic Cartoons: Yesterday's News

Another Hilarious panel from Calvinistic Cartoons
This was the Panel that was ran yesterday

Calvinistic Cartoons: Yesterday's News

Truthbomb Apologetics: Love Wins- Resources Dealing with Rob Bell's New Book

Over on his blog, Chad has posted a great resource summarizing responses to the book "Love Wins" by Rob Bell. He promises to post more as he finds them. I liked what Chad wrote explaining why this important:

While the likes of Dawkins, Hitchens, and Harris travel around the world doing their best to trounce anything to do with Christ or God, Bell releases a book that promotes universalism and suddenly the entire body of Christ is ready for a fight. And while I applaud that, I have to ask myself why more of us don't care about these types of issues all the time and not just when folks such as Bell spout their usual non-sense.

I agree. We must care about these issues all the time. I find that many people who reject Jesus do so because the message they get is confused and unfortunately many people like Bell confuses the message further by saying things the Bible does not say. I highly recommend Chad's blog and this post. I got the following video from Chad's post.




People who know the Bible would answer many of these questions differently.

Truthbomb Apologetics: Love Wins- Resources Dealing with Rob Bell's New Book

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Confident Christianity: A Question for Rob Bell: Whose God Rose from the Dead?

I've been hearing about Rob Bell for the past couple of weeks. I'm really think there is a problem with things he has been teaching. I'm grateful to see this article because it does a great job in summarizing the issues and falls in line with everything I've been hearing. I just don't understand how people like Rob Bell can still consider themselves Christians and still reject or change so much of what the Bible says. I first heard of him from James White when Dr. White refuted a video that referred to Mithras and his allegations that Christian ideas came from it and other religions.

Here is the video Dr. White Responded to.

Confident Christianity: A Question for Rob Bell: Whose God Rose from the Dead?

Dividing Lines regarding Rob Bell
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Mithra? Attis? Really, Rob Bell?

James White has posted a video response to videos by Rob Bell. One of the things I appreciate about Dr. James White is always clear about what core message of Christianity - the Gospel - is and tries to not let his traditions and thoughts enter into the presentation of what the Bible says. This should be done when discussing anything dealing with such matters as history and the origins of Christianity. This video also gives Dr White's insights into how to answer the charges that Mithra and Attis were archetypal Christs even as he unpacks Rob Bell's explanations.





Mithra? Attis? Really, Rob Bell?