Q&A: Francis Chan on Rob Bell and Hell

The other side was that I was really hoping to maybe discover some things that I hadn't discovered before—or maybe this was an opportunity to soften my stance on hell. I was hoping to find that in Scripture. And so when I didn't it find it, it made me even more sick to my stomach.

It's weird to write something that you really don't like. It's easy to write for God and about God because what a thrill to remind the church that the Holy Spirit of God is in you. What a rush! What an amazing blessing! Who'd want to take the time to write about something that's so, so awful? So painful? That was the conflict for me.

Your reaction to was my experience as well and, I suspect, the reaction of a lot of its readers. That's the one thing that I've said is good about the book. It's forced us all to think more deeply, go back to Scripture, and read more carefully.

There was a lot that was good in that book. There are some good principles in there. Some of the things that he dislikes about the evangelical church today are things I have a real problem with as well. I told Rob that some of the stuff that he writes needs to be heard, and the people who need to hear it won't hear it because of some of the tone and some of the other things that he writes.

He didn't think that was the case, but I do think there is some value in some of the things that he writes.

I think that's where Rob is a little disingenuous. He claims that he's not a controversialist, but when it comes to his critique of fundamentalist and legalistic Christianity, he spares no sarcasm.

That was the hard part for me. I didn't see love towards those people—of whom I would be included. In some of those respects it seemed like a mockery of what I believe and the God that I believe in.

Why did you write a book just on hell? It's only one chapter in Bell's book.

The Bargainess is Delightfully Domesticated!: Change my heart O God...

First off, let me begin by stating-My God is SOOOO good! He really is. I am astonished by the wonderful things He is doing in my life. He is bringing super sweet people, such as a new friend named Lisa . Although we have never met, nor live very close-He has used her to speak such wonderful things into my life. God has not only fixed out car, but our water heater too. He is bringing new Christians in our lives, and we are standing in faith that a new job and new location will be next. The doors and windows seems to be flying open around us. He has brought me into a new place of "awe" for Him. There is something that keeps ringing in my head as all these things happen. I feel that God is telling/asking me- "Love, now that you see what I can do, could you PLEASE trust me-just a bit more?" It's true. My faith in Christ has seemed to dwindle. But that is what happens when you don't spend time with someone. You simply forget how awesome they really can be. It does come with a price. With all of these wonderful things going on, we have had some sorrow as well. I see so many of our family members and friends push us away. The more radical we become for Jesus, the more people don't want to be around us. But that's okay. Why on earth should we think that wouldn't happen? My love affair with Jesus seems to grow deeper and deeper, but the more I know Him, the more I understand when the Bible says He was a man of sorrow. I have been listening/watching a ton of Francis Chan lately. He has been my church. We have yet to find a church that is SERIOUSLY radical for Jesus. We are simply tired of American Christians. No, we don't put ourselves on a pedestal. But I have been to India. I have seen what real Christians are like. They are the ones who could do what the rich young man couldn't do. Give up everything. Even their lives. I have seen people who live in sewers and under bridges praise Jesus as if they were Bill Gates. It astonishes me the complacency that we as Americans have come to. No one wants to actually do what Jesus says in the Bible. We make excuses for what He says. "What Jesus meant to say was..."," He was really speaking to so and so...", "I can't reach people for Jesus if no on likes me." Back to Francis Chan. He convicts me. Hard. His love and awe of Jesus just spews it all over me. My heart longs for the love of Jesus to ooze outta me like it does this man.

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