**Rowland Croucher** wrote:
> lynx wrote:
>> **Rowland Croucher** wrote:
>>
>>> From: Athanasius <dcn_athanas...@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>
>>> Date: Tue, 29 Apr 2008 19:14:36 -0700 (PDT)
>>> Local: Wed, Apr 30 2008 12:14 pm
>>> Subject: Re: The Wall
>>> <>
>>> > I do not think that Rowland believes in "Hell" as a place of pain
and
>>> separation. Nor do I think Rowland believes any humans go to such a
>>> "hell" anyway. So in his mind he is not leading anyone there, you
>>> see.
>>>
>>> ***
>>>
>>> I read this today, and I can't think of a better response:
>>>
>>> Questioner, to Billy Graham on his last visit to Harvard:
>>>
>>> 'Since Jesus said "I am the way, the truth and the life, no man
>>> cometh to the Father but by me" doesn't that mean people from other
>>> religions - Jews and the rest - are going to hell?'
>>>
>>> Billy replied,'I'm sure glad God is the judge of people's hearts and
>>> not me! And I trust God to decide those questions justly and
>>> mercifully.'
>>>
>>> The student was disappointed and pressed further, 'Well, what do you
>>> think God will decide?'
>>>
>>> Graham demurred, 'Well, God doesn't really ask my advice on those
>>> matters.'
>>
>> As usual you have not addressed the issue, which is.. (a) whether YOU
>> believe in Hell 'as a place of pain and separation' from God. ie. the
>> existence and purpose of it... and.. (b) whether YOU believe ANY
>> 'humans go to such a "hell" anyway'. C'mon Rowland- speak up! For
>> someone who is a Baptist minister with several theological
>> qualifications, written umpteen books, given umpteen lectures, and
>> has a website with zillions of views, those two simple questions
>> should not be too hard.
>
> Ah... the quest for simple questions and simple answers!
Simple answers are usually the most accurate. And if truth is the issue,
then answers can only be RIGHT or WRONG regardless of how much
'explanation' is involved.
> In another thread here somewhere the issue of Jesus speaking in
> parables was raised. Jesus in the gospels only anwered directly three
> questions he was asked. Why was that? 'Cos like any good teacher he
> wanted his students to think through their own faith-responses. Their
> faith would be child-like, not childish...
>
> Anyway:
>
> In my experience there are four broad views held by people who claim
> to be Christians about hell. The whole subject is problematical,
> particularly for the second and third groups. The first and fourth
> categories have more clear-cut positions.
>
> But first, here's one statement of the problem, in the preface to
> Richard Dawkins' The God Delusion chapter 8: 'What's wrong with
> religion? Why be so hostile?' (p. 279).
>
> "Religion has actually convinced people that there's an invisible man
> - living in the sky - who watches everything you do, every minute of
> every day. And the invisible man has a special list of ten things he
> does not want you to do. And if you do any of these ten things, he has
> a special place, full of fire and smoke and burning and torture and
> anguish, where he will send you to live and suffer and burn and choke
> and scream and cry forever and ever 'til the end of time... But he
> loves you!" (George Carlin).
>
> 1. Some *sectarians* I've met actually believe that only they - or
> perhaps one or two other groups very much like them - will go to
> heaven. The majority of the human race will suffer eternal torment -
> including babies, mad people, and those who've never heard of Christ.
> These people preach about hell 'without tears in their voice', and
> even with hatred, seeming to give the impression they're happy these
> other infidels - including many who call themselves Christians, but
> are apostate - will spend eternity in hell, without reprieve.
>
> 2. The second group - *conservative* or evangelical Christians -
> believe the majority of the human race is destined for hell, but may
> take seriously the Romans 2:15 suggestion that some who follow the law
> ('written on their hearts/conscience') will 'perhaps be excused' on
> the day of judgment - together with young children, mad people, and
> maybe others totally ignorant of the Christian gospel. There is
> another significant sub-group who believe in some form of 'conditional
> immortality' or 'annihilationism': the souls of those who resist God
> actually 'perish', cease to exist in the after-life. My hunch is that
> this doctrine is partly driven by the horrible notion of everlasting
> torment or torture being incompatible with the will of a loving God.
> John Stott belongs there somewhere.
>
> 3. The third group - I'll call them *progressive* Christians - believe
> that yes, there is a hell, but we mustn't take literalistic black and
> white (or cold/hot) categories of existence into the spirit-world.
> Hell and heaven are an eternal experiencing of the attitudes we've
> cultivated in this life. Richard Rohr ('Things Hidden: Scripture as
> Spirituality') seems to hold a view roughly like this.
>
> 4. *Universalists* believe God's love and grace can't be finally
> conquered by unbelief or rebellion. All will be saved. 'As in Adam all
> die, so in Christ shall all be made alive' (1 Corinthians 15:22) is
> their text. Every human dies; every human is loved unconditionally by
> God and will experience bliss forever. (However, moving to an
> 'ultra-liberal' extreme, I know a Christian minister who doesn't
> believe in the after-life; I know another who affirms reincarnation).
>
> Now, they're very broad categories, and there are more sub-categories
> within each than I've mentioned.
>
> But that'll do for now... I'll be back when my ISP fixes its newsgroup
> server and fewer people demand my time with problems!!!
LOL! You are one of a kind Rowland. Thanks for all that, but as usual
you've ignored my question! Here it is again, stated as simply as I can
make it. "What do YOU believe about Hell?" Or should we just assume that
despite all your qualifications, preaching, lectures, books, and your
wonderful website with it's zillions of views, you really have
absolutely no idea what you believe?
--
rgds,
Pete
=====
http://pw352.blogspot.com/
'I'm not young enough to know everything' -Oscar Wilde
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