My Universalism Experience One Saturday Morning

  This actually happened a couple of years ago. One Saturday morning I was out giving out tracts and talking to people on Park Avenue. There was a group of four college age kids sitting on the lawn. Not wanting to be disruptive to their conversation, I carefully gave them tracts and started talking to them. Needless to say, they weren't happy about what I was doing. Two of them professed to be believers. The other two seemed to be more followers.
   I did ask them a couple of questions about themselves (which they denied later on) to get to know them. The young girl who did the most talking explained to me that Jesus wouldn't be happy about my passing out tracts and talking to people, and that Jesus didn't do that when He was here. She continued to explain that her parents were unbelievers and she wouldn't want me talking to them because it would turn them off. One of the other girls explained to me that every time I gave out a tract, I was putting a check mark in my box (kind of similar to Rob Bells's explanation of putting a notch in your belt whenever you give out a tract). They went on to explain that the people that were around Park Avenue already knew about Jesus. I would be making enemies with people if I did that (excuse me, but where is that in the Bible?).
    I basically let them talk to see what kind of reasoning they would have. They went to a local church geared to single people in their 20's. I must have sat there for a half an hour listening to them talk. At the very end, the one girl accused me of not even showing any interest in them (You never asked our names, etc). Excuse me again, but I did ask their names and where they went to school along with a few other things. Well, the other girl actually came to my defense and repeated something I told them.
    The girl recommended that I read two books. She was very impressed that I had an I-Phone too. Now I seemed to synchronize with them a little more. The two books were, 'Blue like Jazz' and 'Velvet Elvis'. I don't have to explain too much more to show where they got their information on Christianity. I found an excerpt done by Mark Sohmer on 'Velvet Elvis' and was appalled by what was written in that book. The author, Rob Bell, definitely hates evangelism. He doesn't have a deep respect for God's Word, and I didn't detect any recognition of the Gospel or Who Jesus is in anything I read about from that excerpt. If that is where they are getting their basic instructions on discipleship, no wonder they said the things they were saying.
  One of the things the girl said at the end of our conversation, at least I thought I heard her say this, was that when Scripture and the culture go against each other, Scripture has to bow to the culture. Now maybe I remembered this incorrectly, I don't know, but I wouldn't be surprised if someone really believes this, if they are a fan of Rob Bell. The girl commented about Rob Bell in saying that people say that Rob Bell is a Universalist, but she says that he really isn't. What do you think?
   I would hope that the church you attend doesn't support this kind of thinking. If those in a church are supportive of Mr. Bell's teachings and books, I think it would be wise to point out to the pastor or leaders in that church of the errors in Rob Bell's books/videos/teachings. If the leaders hold on to that kind of teaching and are not looking for change, I would be praying to see if God has another place for me somewhere else. Books like 'Velvet Elvis' promote Universalism, which basically believes that God doesn't really send people to hell (unless they are really bad, like Hitler). Somehow, because Jesus died for everyone's sins, everyone is ok before God. We know that is not true. We need to be careful to correct wrong doctrine. When a teaching goes against Scripture, we have to go along with what Scripture teaches. The church needs to be kept pure from error. And it is our responsibility to do that.