Alternative Culture: Erasing Hell review

[This is yet another of my reviews on Lent.]

Introduction
Earlier this week, Mr Lee Kuan Yew, the first Prime Minister of Singapore passed away. This made me think deeply about mortality and final judgement.

Thus I decided to re-read a book I bought a few years ago, called Erasing Hell (2011). Written as a response to Pastor Rob Bell's book Love Wins (2011), Francis Chan and Preston Sprinkle set out to closely examine what the Bible's say about hell.

The main issue
In 2011, Bell argued (in Love Wins) that everybody will eventually recognise Jesus as Lord and saviour and be with in heaven, even if they did not believe in Jesus in their lifetime. (In Christian theology this is called universalism. To be fair to Rob Bell, he does not use this term in his book.)

In Erasing Hell, Chan and Sprinkle argues that the person who talks most about hell in the Bible is Jesus Christ. While admitting the temptation to water down the concept of hell is high, the duo managed to present hell and judgement as realities described in the Bible.

For instance, Jesus uses the word gehenna (from the Greek New Testament, one of the earliest copies we have) to refer to hell. Chan and Sprinkle explain that this gehenna is a place of punishment, and Jesus used imagery of fire to described the place, in contrast to Bell who described it as a garbage dump (to be fair to Bell, he got the idea from a commentary of a Middle Ages rabbi David Kimhi).

Theological review
Again, I appreciate the duo's attempt at exegesis. Erasing Hell forces me to think closely about my own theology. Do I believe things about hell because I am comfortable with it? Or do I believe in the real hell that Jesus spoke about?

For further information

Alternative Culture: The Encounter Review

Professional wrestler Sting playing the businessman Nick in the Encounter

[As part of my Lent series, I decided to review some Christian books and films that I have watched recently. Here is my review of The Encounter.]

Synopsis
Five people get stranded in a mysterious, remote diner due to poor weather conditions. The dinner is manned by a stranger named Jesus (Bruce Marchiano) and he reveals that each person has an important decision they have to make concerning the ultimate destiny of their lives.

Each of the stranded has their own set of problems and grievances. Businessman Nick (Steve "Sting" Borden) is prideful. Runaway teenager Kayla (Madison Gibney) is suicidal. Couple Hank (Jamie Nieto) and Catherine (Dannah Davis) have marriage issues. Melissa (Jaci Velasquez) has relationship problems.

Theological Review
Jesus's ability
One of thing the film plays up is the omniscience of Bruce's Jesus. He's revealed to know all events in the past, present and future. This causes the stranded strangers to accept that he is really Jesus, and not an impostor or charlatan.

The film also emphasised that everyone falls short of the perfectness of God, although Catherine and Nick trust to justify themselves via their morality and achievements respectively.

The reasons for disbelief
Another potent thing the film brings up is objections to Christianity. Nick objected to the apparent cruelty of God in the Old Testament, and calling his Kayla's attraction to Jesus an emotional "exploitation". Kayla objects to apathy of God in the face of evil.

Nevertheless, I found it weird that this film's Jesus seem to hesitate to answer when Nick grills him. Another thing I felt should be in the film should be that most people should reject God's message of love and salvation. In fact real Jesus said in Matthew 7: 13-14,

“Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it."

Conclusion
Despite having a generally unknown cast, the movie is decent. I give it a 65/100.

Alternative Culture: Rust review

A scene from Rust

[As part of the season of Lent, I will be reviewing some Christian literature over a course of 40 days. So let me begin with the movie Rust (2010).]

Synopsis
Many years after his pastorate falls apart, ex-pastor James Moore (Corbin Bernsen) returns to his hometown to find that his friend Travis (Lloyd Allen Warner) in prison. Travis confessed to arson and manslaughter of an entire family, but James refused to believe him.

With a sudden purpose and anewed vigour, James set out to find out the truth forcing him to confront his estranged father, his bitter sister, forgotten friends and even the problems caused and faced by the town's youth.

Theological review
As usual, I will doing a short review on the theological issues I felt were raised by the movie.

Quest for truth
One thing I felt was very engaging about the movie was James's attempts to discover the truth about the arson. Even though the matter inconvenienced him and further strained his relationships with the community, James found himself unable to rest till he unearthed the truth.

On the flip side, the mentally-challenged Travis chose to cover for the community. In doing so, he sought to find peace for and with the community whom he felt he never belong to the first place. It was not a surprise he obtained neither.

For us Christians, do we often choose inclusive peace with the world over the divisive truth of the Gospel? We should be choosing the liberating truth of the Gospel to find peace with God.

They exchanged the truth about God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised. Amen. -- Romans 1:25.

Suffering
One issue that I felt the film handled poorly was the issue of suffering. Although bringing up ideas about suffering that builds character, the film does not address the origin of suffering (i.e. sin) and the purpose of Jesus's sacrifice (i.e. to die for the sins of mankind).

Instead, God is portrayed as a problem-solver, only if we have faith in him.

Conclusion
A decent film, considering that the producer used a the local cast and a low budget. I like the emotionalism and flashbacks used in the film. I give it a decent 65/100.