Rob Bell, pastor of Mars Hill Bible Church
GRANDVILLE, MI (WZZM) - Mars Hill Bible Church pastor Rob Bell says he didn't write the book "Love Wins" to create controversy in the Christian community.
"It was never about controversy," says Bell. "It was about this beautiful Christian message the world needs to hear."
In "Love Wins," Pastor Bell says he doesn't think heaven is reserved just for Christians.
"If I am a Christian do I have to consign all Buddhists to hell," he asks. "No, you don't. You don't at all."
Pastor Bell doesn't believe a loving God would condemn people to endless suffering in Hell.
"Is God like that?, he asks. "Is that the kind of God Jesus talked about? That view has a lot of answering to do. A lot of answering."
But while some are praising his views on Heaven, Hell and faith, there are also critics.
"The ideas presented in this book are concerning," says evangelical theologian Jeremy Bouma. "The way he defines the nature of God, the way he talks about Jesus himself does not reflect the scriptures or the historic Christian faith."
Rob Bell admits he doesn't know all of the answers. Some of his views are speculation.
"Let's be honest when we are speculating," he says. "Actually, I think it's important to keep it simple." God loves everybody and Jesus came to show us that love. The Christian message has been hijacked by a number of other messages."
"The ideas presented in this book are troubling and this community and certainly pastors have to respond," says Bouma.
"If somebody doesn't like a book written by a pastor in Grand Rapids, Michigan, that's okay," says Bell. "I'm taking part in a long discussion and I never set out to convince everybody."
"Love Wins" is Rob Bell's fifth book. Because of all the controversy it's also his best selling.
Bell says he will use the money it makes to create water purification systems in undeveloped areas of the world.
He says a billion people don't have clean drinking water.