Paul – a little off the precise subject here, but more stone throwing is currently going on in the Kirk Cameron dispute.
Now I don’t happen to agree with him on his annihilation view of hell, but I think he has every right to question the ‘tradtional’ interpretation. The eternal torment concept is difficult to square with a God who is love. I well understand anyone reacting against the torture chamber model of hell.
My question to you regards the reaction to Cameron from the mainstream evangelical community. I have rarely seen such snark and party spirit, and displays of ignorance from those who clearly have never given this issue much thought. This appears to come mainly from Calvinists, and they are reacting like robots.
The reaction is as though their faith is being threatened. If eternal punishment (clearly biblical) doesn’t involve eternal conscious torment (the point being disputed) then you might as well give up the faith. Do you have any idea what the underlying problem is? Is this revealing some psychological deficit? I quite genuinely don’t get it.
Sorry for the belated posting of you comment Ken. Yea, the hell thing. It’s been in the batter’s box of my mind lately. So, I heard something about Cameron and and it is on my list to look into it. If you remember, Rob Bell came out with a challenge against the traditional view of hell and he immediately suffered the wrath of mainline Protestants. What you cite above is very reminiscent of the Rob Bell response. I will say this: I am very suspicious of the traditional view of hell because it is the ultimate fear tool to control people. Furthermore, what exactly would be the point of eternal torment? So, let’s talk about the utter complexity of biblical doctrine as set against the stakes? Look, what? 200 different denominations and all of them saying that if you don’t agree with them you are going to spend eternity in hell? Pretty sketchy. We should all probably listen to what Rob Bell and Cameron have to say and weigh it against other information. And regarding something you said above, right, the people who are most exercised about this have been wrong about the gospel itself for over 500 years and are wrong about what the wrong gospel actually teaches (wrong X2). I am preparing to write TTANC volume 2…maybe a chapter in there about the hell controversy.
Paul's Passing Thoughts 
Paul – a little off the precise subject here, but more stone throwing is currently going on in the Kirk Cameron dispute.
Now I don’t happen to agree with him on his annihilation view of hell, but I think he has every right to question the ‘tradtional’ interpretation. The eternal torment concept is difficult to square with a God who is love. I well understand anyone reacting against the torture chamber model of hell.
My question to you regards the reaction to Cameron from the mainstream evangelical community. I have rarely seen such snark and party spirit, and displays of ignorance from those who clearly have never given this issue much thought. This appears to come mainly from Calvinists, and they are reacting like robots.
The reaction is as though their faith is being threatened. If eternal punishment (clearly biblical) doesn’t involve eternal conscious torment (the point being disputed) then you might as well give up the faith. Do you have any idea what the underlying problem is? Is this revealing some psychological deficit? I quite genuinely don’t get it.
Ken B
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Sorry for the belated posting of you comment Ken. Yea, the hell thing. It’s been in the batter’s box of my mind lately. So, I heard something about Cameron and and it is on my list to look into it. If you remember, Rob Bell came out with a challenge against the traditional view of hell and he immediately suffered the wrath of mainline Protestants. What you cite above is very reminiscent of the Rob Bell response. I will say this: I am very suspicious of the traditional view of hell because it is the ultimate fear tool to control people. Furthermore, what exactly would be the point of eternal torment? So, let’s talk about the utter complexity of biblical doctrine as set against the stakes? Look, what? 200 different denominations and all of them saying that if you don’t agree with them you are going to spend eternity in hell? Pretty sketchy. We should all probably listen to what Rob Bell and Cameron have to say and weigh it against other information. And regarding something you said above, right, the people who are most exercised about this have been wrong about the gospel itself for over 500 years and are wrong about what the wrong gospel actually teaches (wrong X2). I am preparing to write TTANC volume 2…maybe a chapter in there about the hell controversy.
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