MSNBC Host Makes Rob Bell Squirm: "You're Amending The Gospel So That It's Palatable!"

The problem is that Martin Bashir tried to nail down a post-modernist. He pressed Bell on whether trusting in Jesus was relevant or irrelevant in light of the fact that God’s love wil eventually win everyone over. Bell said trusting in Jesus is relevant, but then could not answer why, in view of everyone eventually being won over by the love of God.

Bashir may be a member of Redeemer Presbyterian NYC (Tim Keller’s church), and may be a recent convert to Christianity. That’s the rumor in the twitterverse.

This is from 2008 when Bashir seemed to be pretty antagonistic to Christianity,

http://bwog.com/2008/02/20/lecture-hop-the-veritas-forum/

And now this,

http://neighborhoods.redeemer.com/news_and_events/newsletter/?aid=220

God has his people everywhere, even possibly at MSNBC. I know I watched a FoxNews interview with Tim Keller where the interviewer from Fox was a member of Redeemer. May Redeemer’s tribe increase.

I don’t know what else to call it. He doesn’t deny that he thinks everyone is going to heaven but he won’t admit it. He gets lobbed a softball about God being loving or powerful and he dives out of the way and gives a dodge. It was almost as if Bashir was asking questions straight out of an apologetics workbook and Bell was trying to find a hole to get into. The only thing he wanted to say was that his message was “relevant.” Really, is that the best you got? I thought Joel Osteen was bad in interviews. Bell makes Osteen look almost fundamental and I didn’t think that possible. The double-speak was very obvious.

I think the only thing Bell said that he really believed (because of how quickly and adeptly he answered it) was that the book was at least partly a reaction to his very conservative upbringing. Stereotypical post-modern response.

He bobbed, he weaved, he ducked. All he needed was a baby to kiss and he could get his name on most ballots. Very, very sad. Given a great opportunity to glorify God he caused the few people who watch MSNBC to have even more doubts about God. The hubbub surrounding this book is warranted and it’s time Bell was called out for his false gospel.

Better Martin Bashir saying this to Bell than God saying it to Bell. Maybe Bell will realize where his ideology has lead him in time.

Martin was the first interviewer who actually got to the issues at hand even if Bell tried to dodge them.

Interestingly, Bell sounds exactly like Karl Barth on the issue. Both men have attempted to modify the basic tenants of Christianity to appeal to modernism (postmodernism is just modernism coming to its own). In the end, both of their theologies end with absolute grace (for Barth even Judas was redeemed).

Praise God for the likes of the late Jerry Falwell and Franklin Graham who, in every interview I’ve ever seen on TV whether FOX or MSNBC, have given the Gospel clearly enough for anyone listening. What a difference!