This article written in response to: http://www.foxnews.com/us/2011/03/24/whos-hell-michigan-pastors-book-sparks-debate-eternal-torment/
A good question. I have two answers to this one and they're not Hitler and Stalin.
The first one is the good old gospel standby: Don't judge. Or Don't judge with an unrighteous judgement (depending on your Bible's translation). This is referring specifically to people's place in the eternities. I would like to take a moment to note some of the logical fallacies I saw when reading comments on this article. The one the struck me the most was that people where posting scriptures about condemnation and saying that those scriptures gave them license to judge that some were going to Hell. Again, don't judge with an unrighteous judgement, and the big one: Condemnation is not necessarily Hell. If it didn't say Damnation it's not necessarily true that people are going to hell. This is what I was taught is a shifting meaning logical fallacy. The words seem similar so we assume that they have the same meaning; we forget that this is a legal book to God. Each word is defined and has a specific meaning. Condemned does not have to mean condemned to hell.
If we look at Paul's talk about the man who was taken up to the third heaven (yes, THIRD heaven) that may give us some insight into not many people making it to hell. What if there is a heaven that almost all people can get into, and another Heaven for people who were a bit better, and yet another for the most righteous of people. Well that would explain Paul's third heaven as well as reconcile the idea that few people make it to hell.
Continuing with Paul, he talks about the glory of the stars, the moon, and the sun. Three distinct places; three distinct glories. What if these are all heaven and some place of darkness (without Light which is Christ) is what hell actually is.
From a purely Christian values sense this Pastor (Chad Holtz) is spot on. It is more difficult to be kind to people if we already believe they are condemned (or condemn them ourselves), and losing this view of hell, losing this belief that many people are going to hell limits our ability to be kind; the show mercy; to serve the sinner; to not pass judgement. What Chad Holtz is trying to do is the embodiment of Christian charity and love.
Thursday, March 24, 2011
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Truthfully, I didn't take the time to read the article, but I wanted to let you know that I think the biggest problem amongst church members is judgment. We have been counseled by prophets to judge righteously, simply to know where we want to associate, so we're not led astray by those with less than righteous intentions. Keep our kids away from drug dealers, etc. But, we judge each other, even though we're all on the same side, which is unrighteous judgment. What is the root cause of judgment? Lack of self worth or pride.
ReplyDeleteI could be wrong. But that's my take on it. We need to be kinder to one another, and I like your post. :)
So...do you think there's hope for this society as it exists? With all that has been happening recently, what do you think? Will we stand as a nation to exist for the next election, or will God remove the wicked and destroy us, as He did in times of old? (Think of Lehi leaving Jerusalem just before it was destroyed, the Jaredites being destroyed after being called away to live righteously, the Nephites at the end....)
ReplyDeleteHow do you feel about W. Cleon Skousen? The book, "The Cleansing of America," may be something you'd enjoy.