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"Hellbound?" Official Teaser Trailer
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=mGfY_LyYYUg
Published on Mar 21, 2012 by HellboundMovie2012
This is the teaser trailer for "Hellbound?" (www.hellboundthemovie.com), a feature-length documentary that takes an in-depth look at today's highly contentious debate over the Christian doctrine of eternal punishment. Does hell really exist, and if so, what factors determine who ends up there?
Written and directed by Kevin Miller ("Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed," "Sex+Money," "spOILed" and "With God On Our Side"), "Hellbound?" features interviews with an eclectic group of high profile authors, theologians, pastors, social commentators, musicians, exorcists and individuals who claim to have experienced the fires of hell firsthand. The film will hit theaters across North America in September 2012 through a combination of major metropolitan area theatrical runs and special event screenings.
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Does hell exist? If so, who ends up there, and why? Featuring an eclectic group of authors, theologians, pastors, social commentators and musicians, “Hellbound?” is a provocative, feature-length documentary that will ensure you never look at hell the same way again! Coming to theaters in Fall 2012.
Hell. A shadowy abode choked with eggy, sulfurous fumes; the stench of blackened, bubbling flesh and screams of agony from souls trapped forever in a lake of fire. A vision made all the more terrifying by the fact that God–the only being who could possibly save us from such a fate–is the one who consigns us there instead.
Such depictions of hell have gripped humanity for centuries. But the traditional view of hell also presents us with a dilemma. If God is our pure, all-loving Creator, can he really allow (presumably) billions of people to suffer in hell for eternity? To many people, it seems like we can have a good God or we can have the traditional view of hell, but we can’t have both…
Some people simply resign themselves to the mystery, hoping the logic of damnation will be revealed in the life to come. Others suggest alternate views, such as Annihilationism (the souls of the damned are extinguished after the Day of Judgment) or Universalism (everyone is eventually reconciled to God). Still others become so frustrated that they finally walk away from Christianity altogether.
Is it possible we’ve gotten hell wrong? Or are recent challenges to the traditional view a vain attempt to avoid the inevitable? Featuring an eclectic group of authors, theologians, pastors, musicians and social commentators, Hellbound? asks why we are so bound to the idea of hell and what our view of hell reveals about how we perceive God, the Bible and, ultimately, ourselves.
COMING TO THEATERS IN FALL 2012!!
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March 28, 2012
A while back, it was mentioned that Mark Driscoll was being interviewed for a documentary about Hell, being created by some of the folks who made Expelled. That documentary, now being called Hellbound, is scheduled for release in September.
Despite Driscoll’s involvement, I hear that the documentary comes closer to siding with Rob Bell.
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Message from Writer/Director Kevin Miller
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Introductory Comments and Observations
by R.E. Slater
When I first started this blog I began writing under the pseudonym skinhead but as time went on and I became more familiar with the issues that were rocking the modern day church I switched to my own name. My writing has subsequently developed as well so that my earlier posts will show a transition of topical maturity and development. Hence, my earliest posts (as seen below) will reflect a "point" versus "counterpoint" format, but over time will begin showing more my own sentiments on that particular subject as I become more comfortable with this Internet-based form of electronic medium known as blogging.
Herein I reflect on the evangelical church's modern day discussions of popular biblical topics as versus my own growth and development away from evangelicalism's doctrinal simplicities and aggressive overstatements to more of a moderating contemplation of theologic positions biblically, personally, politically, culturally, and spiritually. For it seems that today's Christianity may not be the Christianity of the Bible but one more fabricated by evangelicalism's own dogmatic preferences and personal judgments. Which makes for lively discussions but nonetheless unbiblical positions fraught with spiritual misconcerns and errant dogmas.
Hence, shock films like Hellbound? serve as reminders to Christians that perhaps not all things are as they seem to those of us residing within our very comfortable church cultures. That perhaps it is we, ourselves, who need to begin questioning everything as we once did before becoming a Christian, and begin thinking through the implications of our religious perceptions that would lend itself back to the bedrock of a biblically-orientated and spiritually-charged faith. Which is what I have attempted to do within the roll calls of this blog moving from subject matter to subject matter under the auspices of an "emergent Christian faith" that questions everything and is willing to develop better questions while not necessarily demanding complete answers in its heart felt search.
By holding to yesteryear's "evangelical Christian faith" I could not do this. It simply demanded my allegiance to a plethora of unquestioning dogmatic statements. Statements that can be misleading if not downright wrong and wrongheaded. And I suppose that after 2000 years of church history it should be about time that we of the church review all of our own positions and not hold any as sacred until we've had the time to better deduce where we are personally and corporately as the church of God. What we are saying. And how it is being perceived beyond the walls of the church. Walls that we have built very high. Very strong. And very thick. Which is unfortunate because Jesus led a wall-less life. And so should we. However, this does not mean that we devalue our church history for it is this very history that can give to us guidance and instruction so that similar misjudgments and error can be averted.
No, by utilizing church history with updated biblical studies we should be able to come to a better position of Christian statement, belief, worship, ministry, witness and community. One not closed in by religious sentiment and popular opinion but reflective towards an openness that gives hope and reality to the Christian faith. A hope that is less dogmatic. More searching and exploratory. More radical as to living out the claims of Jesus in our lives and in our church communities. Less deterministic. More real. More charged with the empowerment of the Holy Spirit long made dormant by our restrictive religious beliefs, ideologies and corporate posturings.
For the essence of Christianity must be re-examined yet again as can be seen by the many articles contained in this blogsite www.relevancy22.blogspot.com searching for a greater openness of reflection, orientation and direction. And though I try to give guidance on the various topical issues facing the church, overall I have ultimately left this task to the reader to ask better questions of her/himself, of their church, and even of God Himself. For I am confident that God can cause us to better hear Him through His Word as we seek Him in our daily lives and livelihoods. And though this blogsite attempts to give a basic framework from which to begin these tasks it does not necessarily provide any final answers so much as to point us towards more helpful solutions that may work within the postmodern transition of today's emerging church and that of our emerging Christian faith. A faith that must come out from the wilderness of dogmatic religiousity, modernism and bonded service to a promise land of milk and honey. And even though this land may be filled with giants that would give evangelical Christians pause from attempting so bold an attempt, even still does God command us forward into His promises that He is there in this postmodern land of good things. Hence, we begin the task of deconstructing and reconstructing a faith that should be criticized, critiqued and even categorized because of its many current forms and posturings. But a faith that ultimately must lead to spiritual health and transformation, personal development and growth, that cannot come unless it be willing to submit to God's Spirit in our lives.
Consequently, I give below a partial list of current discussions under the topics of "Hell" but with the allowance that I have grown spiritually through each separate response and find in their totality a basic awareness of today's more popular perceptions while admitting a more open response of inquiry through each submission. Rather than requiring definitive statements on each subject matter I am more willing to allow God's revival of my spirit and attitudes by releasing Him from mine own doctrinal prejudices when they have been found to be less than biblical, less than helpful to His overall message of love and salvation in our lives. At times discussions here will be academic. At other times inspirational and devotional. Or even personal commentaries from guest blogs that I consider helpful to our emergent journey. It is a small attempt to re-orient us back to the contemporary message of Jesus for our 21st Century. And though we bear an old message apparently it needs reframing and revising to our 21st Century ears long grown dull and unconcerned with the message of the Gospel jangling in the background but making no headway in our hearts.
Consequently, I have marked in red those articles which may be more helpful than other articles but would advise the reading of each (perhaps date wise, beginning with the oldest first). Overall, I suspect that our modern understanding of hell will be transformed into a postmodern conviction of heaven and earth becoming joined together in this life. Joined by our conviction that God is real and reaching out to all men everywhere through the work and ministry of Christ Jesus our Savior and Lord. That our choices matter. And that they matter in ways that we cannot even begin to fathom or understand within the universal design of the Kingdom of God come to Earth through us, the church. That with those choices (or, lack of choices) come consequences of our of acts and actions as sublime as the air we breath and as revolutionary as the breaking in of the Spirit of God upon the kingdoms of men. And if the article is too long, or too short, or too technical or even uses words that are too big then move on to the next. My favs will be highlighted.
At the last, this life matters. This time in which we live matters. Even our choices matter. They matter because everything and all things are related and spiritual and as much earth-bound as they are heaven/hell-bound. For the question isn't one of destiny to either heaven or hell but of the transformation of the earth to be more heaven-like and less hellish and more focused upon bringing God's redemption into the very fabric of the cultures and societies of man. Ultimately this task will be that of the Returning Christ as the coming King-of-Kings, but until that time we live and breathe, work and act, minister and preach a hands-on gospel of submission, repentance, redemption, transformation, and Spirit-empowerment until our King returns to divide and conquer man's kingdoms; judge and condemn sin and death; and incorporate God's will upon this Earth.
This present moment counts. And it begins now. So let's us serve then as gracious prophets and priests of God's almighty rule in this present day and hour. Serving in love and goodwill, peaceably and without prejudice, to any man or woman lost in this wicked world of sin and death such as we were before Christ came to our heart wooing our spirit and nurturing our soul with love and mercy. For our prejudices and unloving spirit can withhold the gospel even now when voicing exclusionary dogmas and doctrines, though laced with good-intentions as obedient servants to God and Scripture.... A gospel message that can be a confusing - even ostracizing - message to the world of men beyond the walls of the church if we do not let go of our many self-righteous statements and fears, church laws and undimming barriers. Barriers grown large even to our very selves when living the Christian faith through our own biases and fears and man-made religion. Even as Jesus rebuked the priests of His day when they used the Law to withhold God's grace and love from His people, let us not do the same with the Gospel of Christ as the church of God.
R.E. Slater
June 20, 2012
LIST OF TOPICS ON HELL
(Red - articles more pertinent to subject title)