April 19 - Rob Bell Calls for Civil Discourse, Has No Regrets

Since its release last month, Love Wins has flown off the shelves, reaching No. 2 on the New York Times bestseller list and the top 10 on Amazon.

While it has clearly struck a chord with people looking for an alternative to the hellfire and brimstone concept of God, many critics have pounded the book and denounced Bell as a universalist or a heretic.

They accuse Bell of distorting biblical truths about judgment, wrath and hell, and diminishing the meaning of the blood and the cross in salvation, with potentially devastating consequences for the spiritual fate of those who embrace his perspective.

"Some of the things people say and the way that they act, this can't be the way of Jesus. There's got to be a little higher standard of civil discourse," he said.

Despite the fierce criticism from some corners, Bell said others have been "extraordinarily supportive and appreciative," and that some had been set free because they realized they could be a Christian and "ask that sort of question."

He told them it had never been his intention to be controversial but that his book was rather about "recapturing the Gospel" and pointing out that Christianity has a "wide variety of perspectives" on judgment and reconciliation.

That exploration has led Bell to conclude that Christians should be open to the possibility that repentance can come later.  Although he denies being a universalist, Bell went on to say that he is also open to the possibility that repentance and, therefore salvation, could come at a point beyond this life.