Here’s The Answer Rob Bell Won’t Give Aaron Rodgers About Salvation For People ‘In A Remote Rainforest’

Here are links to two articles by Peter M. Burfeind as well as to his book Gnostic America: A Reading of Contemporary American Culture & Religion according to Christianity’s Oldest Heresy.

In the above titled article, here is the lede and its opening:

Aaron Rodgers and other millennials who struggle with questions about the ‘remote jungle’ conundrum should rest easy. There is a biblical answer rooted in ancient church teaching.

Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers brought up the old “sinners in a remote jungle” conundrum in a recent exclusive interview with ESPN. Of course, in his words the conundrum is updated to “remote rainforest,” because, I guess, “jungle” is offensive or culturally oppressive, or something.

In any event, the conundrum supposedly unmasks a big problem with Christianity. In Rodgers’ words: “I remember asking a question as a young person about [somebody’s salvation] in a remote rainforest…[He answered]: ‘If you don’t confess your sins, then you’re going to hell.’ And I said, ‘What about the people who don’t have a Bible readily accessible?’”

Rodgers, who grew up in a conservative evangelical household, struggled with this question for years, until he heard progressive preacher Rob Bell give a talk to the Packers in 2008. After his relationship with Bell grew into a friendship—he watched last year’s Super Bowl with Bell—he came to adopt Bell’s progressive views on Christianity, eventually concluding that hell “wasn’t a fiery pit idea – that [concept] was handed down in the 1700s by the Puritans and influenced Western culture.”

Later, the interviewer asked Rodgers if he’s still a Christian. Rodgers said he has “no affiliation.”

Good Job Being a Cultural Cliché, Aaron

Where to begin? First off, ohhhh, how ESPN must have loved this. Another millennial ditching that mean, nasty Christianity? Such stuff is the catnip of the media and coastal elites.

Second, c’mon Aaron! Don’t be a cultural cliché! Of all the cultural clichés out there, millennials growing up in a Christian household and abandoning “organized religion” after “questioning things” is probably the biggest of our era. As a campus pastor and Army chaplain dealing with young people all the time, I constantly hear some variation of “I grew up X, but…” That’s our national religion!

Read more: The Federalist

In that article, Burfeind links to one of his previous articles:

Why The Left Will Never Stop Despairing Over Trump
Leftism has the characteristics of religious dogma, and so isn’t allowed by its first principles to fathom good other than through revolutionary, government action.

Here is information on his book and part of the summary from the Amazon.com page:

Gnostic America: A Reading of Contemporary American Culture & Religion according to Christianity’s Oldest Heresy

Gnostic America is a reading of current American culture, politics, and religious life according to the ancient movement known as Gnosticism. In it, Peter M Burfeind … explores the spiritual mechanisms going on behind everything from transgenderism to so-called “contemporary worship,” from the deconstructionist movement to the role pop music and media have in our culture, from progressive politics to the Emergent Church.

Particularly challenging is Burfeind’s claim that both progressivism and Neo-evangelicalism — seemingly at odds in the “culture wars” — actually share the same Gnostic roots. Burfeind’s book is a tour de force through contemporary rock, pop, movies, television, politics, and religion showing how many of the values driving these cultural elements are informed by the ancient esoteric teachings of Gnosticism. Burfeind marshals a ton of surprising evidence to make his case, taking us through ancient and Medieval history, through the Enlightenment and Romantic periods, to today.

Here is Peter M. Burfeind’s archive at The Federalist.

Image credit: www.thefederalist.com.