Four Mile Post May 2011

Rob Bell, the founding pastor of Mars Hill church in Michigan is all over the news these days.  Major networks are conducting interviews with him and Time Magazine just    published an article on him in the April 14th 2011 issue.  The reason for such frenetic interest in him is his new book titled “Love Wins: A Book About Heaven, Hell, and the Fate of Every Person Who Ever Lived.”  In it Bell advocates Universalism – the doctrine that every human being will eventually end up in Heaven – in other words, “Love wins in the end!”  The Time Magazine article is therefore aptly titled, “Is Hell Dead?”  What would prompt an evangelical pastor to promote such a  doctrine?  In the opening of his book Bell gives the immediate  reason.  At an art exhibit on World peace in his church Bell had included a quote from  Mahatma Gandhi – the late founder of independent India. One of the visitors to the exhibit had scribbled a note under that quote, “Gandhi’s in hell.”  Bell recalls his reaction when he saw that note.  His thoughts, “He is?  We have confirmation of this?  Somebody knows this?  Without a doubt?” 

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