Rob Bell spells out painfully and simply the “problem” (as far as I'm concerned, the real good news) with Christianity – that of an unconditional grace on page 11:

“And that question raises another question. If the messge of Jesus is that God is offering the free gift of eternal life through him – a gift we cannot earn by our own efforts, works, or good dees – and all we hav to do is accept and confess and believe, aren't those verbs?

And aren't verbs actions?

Accepting, confessing, believing – those are things we do.

Does that mean, then, that going to heaven is dependent on something I do?

How is any of that grace?
How is tht a gift?
How is that good news?

Isn't that what Christians have always claimed set their religion apart – that is wasn't, in the end, a religion at all – that you don't have to do anything, because God has already done it through Jesus?”

Ultimately, this only points out that we have a simple choice.

Either Christianity has always been flawed and little more than just another religion not really worth keeping.

Or that what we have today is a hijacked corruption of what its founder intended.

There's no doubt that this book has and is causing a lot of rumbling and controversy in church circles. Neither option is acceptable to the church... and neither can simply be written off.

I say good! Looks good on 'em.

...but my “position” shouldn't be a surprising one. After all, as I've written and made mention before, I've “moved beyond” Christianity. Let them wring their hands and worry and grumble and conspire.

If they truly loved what they say they do, then they would follow it.

My God, mirrors are inconvenient things!