Higher Dimensions church > Reverend Carlton Pearson > A heresy

[Geocacher]

I was just listening to “This American Life” on NPR on WDET 101.9 FM, and the topic was Heretics, and the Heresy was the loss of belief in Hell by the Reverend Carlton Pearson som years ago.

Dec 5, 2008

304: Heretics

The story of Reverend Carlton Pearson, a renowned evangelical pastor in Tulsa, Oklahoma, who cast aside the idea of Hell, and with it everything he’d worked for over his entire life.

Prologue.

Carlton Pearson’s church, Higher Dimensions, was once one of the biggest in the city, drawing crowds of 5,000 people every Sunday. But several years ago, scandal engulfed the reverend. He didn’t have an affair. He didn’t embezzle lots of money. His sin was something that to a lot of people is far worse: He stopped believing in Hell. (2 minutes)

Act One. Rise.
Reporter Russell Cobb takes us through the remarkable and meteoric rise of Carlton Pearson from a young man to a Pentecostal Bishop: from the moment he first cast the devil out of his 17-year-old girlfriend, to the days when he had a close, personal relationship with Oral Roberts and had appearances on TV and at the White House. Just as Reverend Pearson’s career peaked, with more than 5,000 members of his congregation coming every week, he started to think about Hell, wondering if a loving God would really condemn most of the human race to burn and writhe in the fire of Hell for eternity. (30 minutes)

Act Two. Fall. Once he starts preaching his own revelation, Carlton Pearson’s church falls apart. After all, when there’s no Hell (as the logic goes), you don’t really need to believe in Jesus to be saved from it. What follows are the swift departures of his pastors, and an exodus from his congregation—which quickly dwindled to a few hundred people. Donations drop off too, but just as things start looking bleakest, new kinds of people, curious about his change in beliefs, start showing up on Sunday mornings. (23 minutes)
thisamericanlife.org/Radio_Episode.aspx?episode=304
Originally aired Dec 16 2005

It was sad that this Reverend had lost most of his congregation of 5000, including staff, with his loss of belief in HELL.

So the question is:
What do you think of what is going on in the world, with people loosing their belief in a HELL ?

 

[RHisComingHome]

The problem is the constant dilution of the Truth through the thousands of different denominations of Protestantism. Each pastor in each church can define what the bible says through their own interpretation. It’s very frightening. My former boss believed in Hell but she believed that NO ONE went to Hell because they were all “washed in the blood of Jesus,” regardless if that person ever repented for their sins before they died. To her, all sins were forgiven without even having to ask for that forgiveness and grace!

Look at it this way, I live in a tiny town. In my town, there are four churches - all of them are Baptist but each of them are a different sect of Baptist with their own interpretation and beliefs. And they snub their noses at the other Baptist churches because that church doesn’t have the “truth” like theirs does.

I’m going to look at this story you’ve provided…it sounds very interesting. Thanks.

 

[Ruthie]

The poor, deluded man. I read his statement here. He has taken proof-texting to a new height, or do I mean, depth? He even brings in the Early Fathers, calling them Universalists.

He also is a perfect example of the problems with private revelations! His ideas regarding the lake of fire into which the goats go is especially interesting:

…“cast into the lake which burns with fire and brimstone: which is the SECOND death” (Revelation 21:8) …1 Corinthians 15:26 …the last enemy to be destroyed, (rendered inoperative) is death. Could that statement by the Apostle include the ultimate victory of Christ’s blood even over the Lake of fire, the second death?
The Greek word for brimstone is “Theion” and it means flashing/sulphur. It is a derivative of the word “Theios” which means “godlike or in the neuter, divinity.” Both these words are derivatives of the Greek word, “Theos” which means “deity or God.” If the lake of fire is burning with divinity or god-likeness, or perhaps God Himself as a purifying agency, then the ultimate triumph of Christ over the last enemy is that much more logical.

The purging power of God in the flames of the Lake of fire, into which all remaining impurities are purged, means we can rejoice in the ultimate declaration of Paul in 1 Corinthians 15:55, …“Where O death is your victory? Where O death is your sting?” The power of death is sin (washed away by the blood, John 1:29) and the power of sin is the law (abolished now by Jesus, Ephesians 2:15). But, thanks be to God! He gives us the victory though our Lord Jesus Christ!

The question posed to death (grave) infers it has lost its victory or its triumph. … In Revelations 20:12-14, an emptied death and an emptied hell is cast into the lake of fire, which proves it’s (hell’s) limitation. As pointed out earlier, the lake of fire will, more than likely, have an awesome as well as, if you insist, awful purifying effect. It will, in effect, burn off any remaining dross of unbelief, rebellion or disobedience.

As for the question -

A disbelief in Hell is either the result of, or the first step towards not believing in Satan. And I don’t see how anyone can look around us at this culture of death and not believe in Satan.

I would like to see how Rev. Pearson develops his ideas. For instance, why, if God has always intended to save every human born on earth, was Jesus’ Passion necessary? Why, if we are all to be saved, were we allowed free will? Why were Adam and Eve thrown out of the Garden?

What, if we have free will, is the result for someone who chooses to do wrong?

I will pray for him.



Ruthie

 

[Roman_Catholic_1]

My first reaction is that I am surprised. I would have expected that the population of his church would go the other way and grow if he gave up belief in hell.

God bless