So I read a Christianity Today editorial regarding the Rob Bell kerfuffle. After reading it I came away wondering: do you consider the doctrine of eternal punishment a non-negotiable? I always have and continue to do so. But what do y'all say? Is the doctrine of eternal, conscious punishment for the unrepentant a non-negotiable issue? Is it something to divide over? Can annihilationism be considered an orthodox doctrine? (I am not talking universalism here which is clearly heretical)
By the way. If you read the article, check out the comments. I am not sure if the comments speak to the theological ignorance of the church community or if Christianity Today just attracts the theologically ignorant.
3 comments:
Arthur,
In spite of the statements of some, this is a question that has been asked and argued for 2000 years. If we decide that certain answers are "heretical," what example does that mean, both for people today and historically? Do we decide that they are not or were not God's children?
-Alan
Alan,
That begs another question that I wrestle with. can someone be flat out wrong about core doctrines and still be saved? If our faith is in error on key point, what does that mean? Clearly it is not an "anything goes" mentality because false tecahers got strong rebuke in the Bible (i.e. the intro to Galatians) but is it the case that every one of God's redeemed has a proper understanding of doctrine, even the central ideas?
Arthur,
I agree it's not anything goes. But, I wonder, what do you mean by this statement: "If our faith is in error..."
-Alan
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