"HELL, ROB BELL, AND WHAT HAPPENS WHEN PEOPLE DIE", by Bobby Conway

There are some conversations best left untouched in public circles, like religion and politics.  But another that is often neglected because of its sensitive, even politically incorrect nature, is Hell.  It's difficult to talk about openly because (a) if it really exists, nobody wants to come to grips with the notion that grandma or grandpa -- or even we -- might be or go there; (b) it is difficult to imagine decent people suffering for all eternity in Hell for finite sins; (c) it has often been used as a scare tactic to coerce people to believe a certain way.  I could continue, but you get the point.

"Hell, Rob Bell, and What Happens When People Die" is a short rebuttal to Rob Bell's recent release, "Love Wins".


So why this book?  Why is it necessary?  Why not let Bell write his best-seller book about his beliefs on Hell and just get on with life?  Because "a Barna poll found that 25 percent of born-again Christians maintain that all people will eventually be accepted by God" and "only 1 percent of Americans actually think they are going to hell."

I think Conway is right when he wrote, "Christians are embarrassed by the doctrine of Hell", that it is "seldom preached from the pulpit."  If the Bible is true; if Jesus bore witness to the truth, to reality; then Hell is a real place with which we real sinners must come to grips.  We have shied away from Hell's reality because we have forgotten that Hell was God's idea in the first place.  We have forgotten that sin is not merely something that is finite or horizontal in nature, that we can only commit "so much" sin in any one lifetime.  Instead, sin must be seen as infinite and vertical in nature.  We must recognize that sin causes us to fall infinitely below the holiness of God, and that height is infinitely great.

Conway is spot-on in his approach to the horrible reality of Hell.  But he doesn't leave the reader hopeless, for he presents the simple, clear gospel, giving hope that sinners can be saved by God's grace through Christ from this horrible eternity.  He offers the promise of real hope, not the false hope that Bell provides.  Conway urges his readers that when talking about such a difficult topic as Hell, "When we who call ourselves Christians talk about hell, our demeanor and our words should express humble brokenheartedness, with no hint of arrogance.  Nonbelievers have a hard enough time digesting this terrible truth -- we should not make it even more tasteless with a love-lacking presentation.  Our voice should have the ring of urgency, truth, humility, and brokenness."

For his careful and truthful presentation of Hell's reality, I give Conway 5 stars on this book!  It was the perfect length.  Perfect for sharing.  He lovingly, but sternly, corrects Bell's flawed doctrine while presenting the message of the gospel of Christ.  It's a very quick read, and extremely cheap in e-book form.


DISCLAIMER: I received this title from Waterbrook Multnomah "Blogging for Books" free of charge in exchange for my unbiased review.  I was not threatened or coerced in any way in order to provide a positive review. All opinions are mine.

RUN FOR THE GLORY OF GOD:

A popular quote has been attributed to Eric Liddell (on whom "Chariots of Fire" was based): "I believe God made me for a purpose, but he also made me fast. And when I run I feel His pleasure."

I competed in the Clarklake Triathlon yesterday...and I beat myself!  I had an overall time of 1 hour 48 minutes, which was well below my estimated time of 2 hours 10 minutes.  I was 22nd of 26 in my age group, but the experience was exhilarating!

Prior to beginning the triathlon yesterday, though, a good friend sent me a text message: "I'll be praying for you as you run for the glory of God."  It was appreciated, and I was later encouraged by those words.  After swimming the 1/2 mile and about 4 miles into the 13.5 mile bike portion, I was starting to sharply fatigue.  I was reminded of all the good advice I'd heard during my training: "Pace yourself.  Don't worry about what others are doing.  Go at your pace."

Well, during that fatiguing process, I was reminded of my friend's good words about running for the glory of God.  I reflected on some people in my life who would gladly trade their wheelchairs for the chance to compete in an event like this.  I thought, "If Jason (a paraplegic friend) or Joni Earickson-Tada were told, 'You can get out of your wheelchair on one condition: you must compete in a triathlon;' "  My hunch is that they would jump at the chance.

So I took that opportunity to smile, enjoy the tightness in my lungs, and the burn in my legs, saying, "Thank you, God, for giving me the ability to swim, and bike, and run, and breathe heavily, and push myself in ways others may not be able to do, and enjoy the health you've given me."

More than simply performing well for my own standards (good grief, a 69 year-old guy "smoked" me!), I used the opportunity to run in pain for God's glory; to remember those who were/are not able to compete, and mention their names to God.

Run for the glory of God, Christian. 
Run hard! 
Don't give up. 
Run as if your life depends on it.
Because it does.

"WHY GOD WON'T GO AWAY", by Alister McGrath

Two general classes of atheism exist today: Apathetic and Committed. Apathetic atheists say, “I don’t believe in God”. While atheists, they feel little need to provide reasons why they believe as they do. They have no axe to grind with religion; they are simply indifferent to it. Committed atheists, on the other hand, say, “I believe no God exists”. They have their reasons, and they’re not afraid to make their points. The committed atheists are not indifferent to religion, as are their apathetic counterparts, but they merely tolerate it.


But there’s a sub-category of Committed atheism: It’s the New Atheism. “New Atheists”, informally led by “The Four Horsemen” – Sam Harris, Richard Dawkins, Daniel Dennett, & Christopher Hitchens – do not stop with their profession that “there is no God”. Neither do they tolerate religion. Instead, they are militant about their position. In fact, they think apathetic and committed atheists are cowards. They hate religion, saying it is the sole source for today’s evils. In a word, they are “anti-theists”.

“Why God Won’t Go Away”, by Alister McGrath, is not a tome on the defense of Christianity – or any other religion, for that matter. McGrath writes, “It is not my intention to argue the case for the Christian faith in this short volume…” (p.145). Neither is this title one where the author slings mud at the atheists who sling mud at the religious. It is also like a childhood playground argument: “God is not good”, “Yes He is”, “No he isn’t”, “Yes He is.”

Instead, “Why God Won’t Go Away” is a book that sheds light on the inconsistent positions the New Atheists posit. In the three primary sections of the book, McGrath discusses three core themes of attack New Atheists level against religion: “Violence”, “Reason”, and “Science”. The New Atheists attack on these fronts because “New Atheism is characterized more by its attacks on religion than by its own positive beliefs…” (p.45).

Citing several historical events, McGrath brings injury to the New Atheist positions because “such irrational hatred [is] what the New Atheists want us to believe is characteristic only of religion” (p.50). He does well in pointing out the New Atheist flaws and inconsistencies (something too detailed to describe in this brief review), and he does it without demeaning or belittling those who hold the atheistic position.

“Why God Won’t Go Away” is intelligently written and presented – although the New Atheists will never accept anything that’s not atheist as being remotely intelligent. Reading this book was truly a pleasure, and I highly recommend it if the on-going conversation interests you. You will see that the New Atheism is, in fact, running on empty.  I give this one 5 stars out of 5.


I was given this free book by Booksneeze in exchange for my unbiased review.  All opinions are mine. I was not coerced or threatened to provide a positive review of this title.