paultilley.net

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us.”

A few nights ago as I was browsing the net I came across a very ‘interesting’ site called Apprising Ministries. I came across an article on the site regarding Rob Bell entitled Rob Bell and New Age Guru Marianne Williamson, I know I know you just know from the title and the ‘feel’ of the website this is not going to be a nice chirpy read! After reading it, I thought I’d check out the claim that Bell was quoting “New Age Guru’s” (see top of page quote). Turns out the quote was from Marianne Williamson (so called New Age Guru) yet Bell believed he was quoting Nelson Mandela. So me getting my knickers in a twist over this (like I’ve not nothing better to do) started to do a little investigating. Turns out, according to this article it is a Marianne Williamson quote, yet it is mistakenly commonly believed to be Nelson Mandela. So shock horror Bell is falable, he did, it would seem, quote a ‘New Age Guru’!

So me being the justice loving guy I am, and because I still seemingly having nothing better to do, I emailed Apprising Ministries (strangely Ken Silva site will not allow people to comment) in the hope of correcting miss information (or slur campaign as some may say). Here is the email:

In reference to your post: http://www.sliceoflaodicea.com/?p=433 it seems that it a common ‘urban myth’ that the words “Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate…” were Mandela’s words in his 1994 inauguration speech. Therefore, Bell may well have indirectly quoted Williamson believing them to be the words of Mandela.
You may find this artical of interest: http://www.newsobserver.com/667/story/436158.html

Thanks

Paul Tilley“Pastor” Ken Silva quickly corrected my ignorance by stating that I had totally missed the point of their accusations of Bell. In fact it was the point that [supposedly] ‘Rob Bell agrees with the following lies: 1) “the glory of God that is within us” and 2) “glory that resides in every singe [sic] human being.”‘ My bad it would seem!

Here is the full email:

Hello Paul,

Thank you for contacting Apprising Ministries. Indeed, this is an “urban myth” and I covered the issue in more depth in a previous post:

EMERGENT CHURCH PASTOR ROB BELL RECITES THE MYSTIC MANTRA FOR THE NEW EVANGELICAL RELIGION OF MAN’S LOVE OF SELF http://www.apprising.org/archives/2007/04/emergent_church_9.html

You sent me the link to “Light from an unexpected source” http://www.newsobserver.com/667/story/436158.html

This piece talks about the quote in question being used in “Akeelah and the Bee.” FYI, I was aware of this. As a matter of fact, given Bell’s love of culture, I personally would have no doubt whatsoever that Rob probably first heard the quote in the movie and then lifted it from there.

However, I’m afraid that in your rush to defend Bell you completely missed the point of my article of which you speak. And that is: Rob Bell agrees with New Age Guru Marianne Williamson. I couldn’t care less that Bell thought he was agreeing with Nelson Mandela because that quote speaks of the spark of the divine allegedly within all mankind.

If what Williamson said is true then there is no reason for one, through the grace of God, to be regenerated by the Holy Spirit and personally place their faith in Jesus Christ as Savior. The problem here is that Rob Bell agrees with the following lies: 1) “the glory of God that is within us” and 2) “glory that resides in every singe human being.”

However, the Bible teaches the exact opposite, which I have shown in a couple of pieces e.g. this one:

YOUR EVIL “TRUE SELF”

http://www.apprising.org/archives/2006/11/your_evil_atrue.html

That Williamson is speaking of universalism is clear when she says - “You are a child of God” - meaning all human beings. Bell himself teaches a quasi-universalism where all mankind was saved and forgiven at the Cross - redeemed along with the entire Kosmos - and then he says our job is to get people to “convert” i.e. accept the forgiveness they have already been given by God as we get them to “follow the way of God in Jesus.”

In fact, in “Light from an unexpected source”, the way Williamson herself explains what she’s means in that quote happens to directly contradict the Bible: “It’s an extraordinary concept,” she said of the idea — from “A Course in Miracles” — that people are afraid of the light in themselves, rather than the dark.”

But Jesus, our Creator, says in His Word - “This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God.” (John 3:19-21)

Now please note that what Jesus has just told us is the polar opposite of what Williamson is saying in her quote, which Rob thinks/thought is/was Mandela. The Truth is, men aren’t afraid of the Light within them because He isn’t there prior to the new birth. Rather, in our unregenerate nature we hate the Light [God] because we love the darkness we think covers our sins from Him.

It is only after the Spirit of Jesus comes into someone to dwell that they have “the glory of God” within and then begin to live by the Truth. Christ is our Light so that people may see that our good deeds bring honor and glory to God - not to man - because what we do “has been done through God”, and not by ourselves.

As a Christian pastor it is Rob Bell’s job to work for the honor and glory of Christ, but it is very obvious to those of us who love Jesus that Bell’s ministry is instead centered on man. And so, if we assume Rob is sincere, then we will have to say that he is sincerely wrong.

Paul, I pray that this clears up your confusion, because if at YOUTH HACKS.NET http://www.youthhacks.net/ you are, “Helping youth workers, ministers and others who work with teenagers with news, ideas, theology and theory about working with young people“, then you should at least be telling them the Truth.

For Christ’s honor I labor,

“Pastor” Ken Silva
President
Apprising Ministries
http://apprising.org/
Ezekiel 3:7-14

General Editor
Christian Research Net
http://christianresearchnetwork.com/
2 Corinthians 11:12-15

I thought that the response was interesting but I didn’t wish to get into some big theological email debate and so wrote back saying:

Thank you for your response and I appreciate your offer of pray as always.

Paul Tilley

I thought that that was the end of the excitement when low and behold, I was looking at my website traffic (something I don’t do often) and found lots of traffic coming from…. Apprising Ministries. Turns out that they thought the email exchange was so cool that they posted it on their site stating that it was for ‘our edification’, its nice to think that I started the edification!

Anyway, I wrote back to them thanking them for the traffic and stating that I would also post the conversation so they too could get traffic.

 

Popularity: 67% [?]

Technorati Apprising Ministries, Emerging Church, imago dei, Ken Silva, Marianne Williamson, Nelson Mandela, new age, Rob Bell