So here’s another movie that I do not plan to see, based on a best-selling book that I would, at all costs, avoid reading: The Shack, by William Young.
Steve Brown, of Key Life Ministries, to whom I listened on the radio for some years, was wild about the book when it came out. I never understood that–and neither, he admitted, did most of the other people in his audience. Steve is a rather conservative guy. I interviewed him once; and when someone picked up the phone and said “Key Life Ministries,” I asked the stupidest question I ever asked in my life: “Hello, could I speak to Steve Brown, please?” Steve has a deep, deep, sonorous, down-home voice, impossible to mistake for anyone else’s: impossible, but I did it anyway. As if there could be two voices like that! My only defense is that I never expected the president of the ministry to answer the phone. But I digress.
The Shack preaches universalism: the doctrine that anybody and everybody goes to heaven no matter what they believe. Why, then, be a Christian, if worshiping a ham sandwich will get you there just as well?
So… the protagonist has had some serious agony in his life, and he needs answers. He wanders around until he finds this shack; and in the shack, just hanging out, he finds what Mr. Young is pleased to tell us is the Holy Trinity.
God the Father, Yahweh, the Great I AM–well, that’s a black woman. This has to be liberal para-Christianity’s oldest cliche. I’ll bet there were cave men who were bored to death by it. So give Mr. Young an F- for originality. The Holy Spirit is a prattling Asian woman, and God the Son, Jesus Christ Our Lord, the King of Kings–well, he’s just this laid-back, chilled-out, loosey-goosey Middle Eastern Guy. And the message is, Everybody gets saved.
What Bible did Mr. Young get that out of?
For whatever my opinion may be worth, this seems like a very serious sin: trying to use God to bear false witness against His own enscriptured Word. The Shack can’t be right unless the Bible is wrong about virtually everything. And that, in a nutshell, is what liberal para-Christianity is all about. You can’t believe the message of The Shack unless you disbelieve the Bible.
Give The Shack another F- for theology.
If you have to choose between seeing this movie and watching the grass grow, go for the grass.
I had enjoyed the book…but now you have me second guessing my decision to see this movie tonight as I do not believe in ham sandwich worship.
Yes, Lee, you are totally correct. I reviewed the book several years ago,
and found it to be total hogwash. Worse, it is misleading and dangerous.
Universalism is heresy, pure and simple. I know a lot of people would like to believe it, but it just is not true. All you have to do so read the Scripture from front to back, and you will find nothing there that agrees this work of
wickedness. I pray that those who are vulnerable will be given the truth by the Holy Spirit of God and thereby learn the saving truth.
2 Tim 4:3 “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires,”
I think this sums it up. I’ve read two of Rob Bell’s books and, while I enjoyed his optimism and the presentation of positive things promised in the Bible, I can’t agree with his universalist notions.
I don’t believe that God will judge unfairly and I think we are safe in assuming that His mercy is abundant, but there are people that are taking a stand against the very Creator, and that can not be brushed aside as poor judgement. God takes no pleasure in the destruction of even the truly wicked, but He will not allow mercy to subvert justice.
As for making Yahweh out to be a woman; let’s just say I’m glad I don’t have to answer for that one. These people have confused acceptance of others with unconditional acceptance of anything or any behavior. No one should be judged on their skin color, etc. but that doesn’t equate to what is happening all around us. Somehow, treating others as equal has morphed into accepting all behaviors, even if they may be harmful.
This movie doesn’t sound like anything I’d care to see.
Rob Bell–isn’t he the guy who subverted the Reformed Church in America and made it liberal? With his theology of “anything goes”?
I’m not sure about his role in the Reformed Church.
I heard that he was hobknobbing with Hillary and if he wants want to support the high priestess of abortion that’s all I care to know about him. Ive never supported abortion, but I didn’t really think much about it, until the last ten years or so. Now I see it as the modern day equivalent of worshipping Moloch and I think that this nation has harmed itself greatly by legalizing the practice. If a man claims to be a spiritual leader, then supports a pro-abortion candidate, I find that to be repugnant.
That’s putting it mildly.
Amen, Erlene!
Until yesterday, I had never heard of this book or movie. It grieves me to think that baby Christians – and some not on milk alone – would fall for this non-scriptural drivel. And it’s shocking to me that so many professing Christians with celebrity status are endorsing it and singing its praises – Glen Beck (who is a Mormon), Tim McGraw, Faith Hill, Tim Tebow to name a few. Their ‘status’ could very well entice others to follow this heresy.
Therefore, I repeat my daily prayer that the lost be found, the sleeping awaken, and the backslidden return and repent. And we must all put up a huge neon ‘DANGER’ sign!
Well said, Linda. You nailed it. UnKnowable, too, is right on. Many in the churches think “love” is more important than doctrine. It is like letting a small child go play in the street because he wants to. This is not showing love.