this one's for the doubters

So tonight I decided to read some more of a blog I've been reading recently (see previous post). I started out reading his thoughts on "Love Wins" by Rob Bell, and it quickly became apparent that the author of the blog holds to universalism (the idea that all will be saved, not just Christians). I started following some links to previous entries, and came across this:

http://experimentaltheology.blogspot.com/2010/05/george-macdonald-real-emerald-city.html

I've never been too interested in the whole idea of universalism. After all, I have a whole list of verses that have always kept me content that I must hold to a certain creed to be saved.

I have, however, become somewhat disturbed by the disconnect between a "pray the prayer and be saved" theology and the sermon on the mount. Jesus seems to be so "this worldly" in his sermons and teachings, particularly the sermon on the mount. At the same time, reading through said sermon right now, Jesus refers repeatedly to things such as "you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven" (Matt 5:20) and being "in danger of the fire of hell" (5:22).

The questions this man raises in his blog, however, are questions of the sort that Christians cannot afford to run from anymore. After attending a year or two at a Christian college, I had so many questions to the point of almost losing my faith. I know there are more like me, and many more who do walk away from the faith of their youth. And I think I may understand a small bit why they do. It's hard to have questions in evangelical Christianity. It's hard to be "the doubter" or the one who asks questions like "what if those evil universalists have it right?" It's hard to step outside of the carefully prescribed box of orthodoxy, even if only to ask a question. It's scary for me to be real on this blog, because I'm so terrified of being judged (which may say more about my people pleasing ways than anything, but that's another matter).

Even if Rob Bell and this blogger are wrong, I am coming to firmly believe that evangelical Christians need to stop dismissing their questions as irrelevant. Love Wins may not end up to be right in the final analysis, but is it going to kill us to talk about it free of assumptions and fear?

Maybe fear is the problem. I believe that many Christians are terrified. Terrified that what they believe may not be right. If they're not right, what else aren't they right about? What does that then mean for their eternal destination? This fear causes knee-jerk reactions and closes down conversations. Which is fine for everyone except the doubters. It's fine for everyone except the wandering soul who doesn't know quite what to believe anymore. It's fine for everyone except exactly those the church claims to be trying to reach.