One part of the tragedy here is the high cost of living without Jesus.  Not only in her life but what those in her life failed to pass on to her when they lived without Jesus.  I tell people only 2 things can destroy a life.  Bad situations and bad choices.  The only way to overcome bad situations is good choices.  As a dad I see stories like this and wonder, where was her daddy?

Well, well, well.  Hmmmm.  I pray that some Christian(s) somewhere along her life’s journey did share the plan of salvation with her.  If she did and she rejected God’s gracious offer...what more can be said?  How sad.  If no Christian somewhere along her life’s journey did not take the opportunity to share the Gospel, how sadder!

Friends:
Just a thought....there are many death bed confessions.......also, as one preacher once told me, when we get to heaven, we will be suprised to find out who made it and probably more surprised who didn’t. (I guess he figured we would both make it). The moral of this small contribution - never pass up the opportunity to provide the Good News.  Who knows when God will call one home or who God will call into the ministry because of a kind word of the Word!

Leonard - my dear brother - where’s the grace dude?  Like, we’re any different in God’s eyes?

I think Steve’s comments are well put:  “Not so fast”, and “Who put you in charge of such announcements.”

I’d like to put myself in front of the firing squad, and with the spirit of grace, invite all those doctrinal purists who were ready to condem Tony Campolo a couple of weeks ago when he publically stated that he “wasn’t so sure if non-christians wouldn’t make it to heaven” (or words to that affect), to take a shot at comdemning Anna Nicole to a Christless eternity.  It seems to me that many evangelicals (I’m a “recovering evangelical") are ready to pass judgment (or allow the Bible to do so based on their own interpretal bias) on anyone who doesn’t “say the prayer and get saved”.  To you I offer the following thoughts (not necessarily in any order):

1 - Jesus didn’t say much to define the concept of hell, other than a) it exists, and b) it was made for the devil and his angels.
2 - None of us has ever been there, or seen it...actually, we’re fairly clueless on the whole concept except for a few minor biblical passages that seem to relate to it.
3 - Jesus certainly didn’t threaten to send any “lost people” to hell while he was ministering - other than the “religious fundamentalists” (or pharisees, if it’s less harsh) of the day who were ready to condemn everyone else who didn’t adopt to their theological interpretations of Scripture.
4 - Most of Jesus’ statements on hell were used metaphorically or as allegories, which makes it difficult to define “doctrinally” just exactly what he meant (as in “weeping and nashing of teeth").
5 - Jesus never told “lost people” in the Bible who weren’t saved, that they were going to hell if they didn’t accept him - instead, he simply loved them, showed them grace, and ministered to them at their point of need.
6 - If hell is really for everyone who doesn’t “believe in Jesus” before they die, this obviously didn’t concern Jesus much during his time on the planet, because he never ran around in a panic (as in door to door in any city or from person to person) telling everyone he met - “please believe in me today, this is your only chance, and if you don’t you’ll go to hell...” In fact, Jesus bypassed entire towns full of lost people!  Obviously, he either, a) didn’t care, b) knew they wouldn’t end up in hell if he bypassed them, or c) was a calvanist.
7 - As some one previously pointed out (in the Camplolo postings) almost all verses dealing with “salvation” in the Bible, deal more with the principle of “sanctification” and living life in the Kingdom of God NOW, then they do about “heaven and hell” and eternity.
8 - All of which means we need to be VERY CAREFUL judging and condemning people to hell (or sounding overly pious by claiming our allegience to “The Word” and letting the Bible speak for us - thus letting the Bible condemn them for us - which is basically passing the buck on our own judgmentalism).

Maybe the “doctrine of redemption” isn’t as clear as some of us were led (or indoctrinated) to believe?

Maybe the Bible was never meant to be an “Encyclopedia Britanica” of doctrine (as in, “turn to page 59 and read everything you ever wanted to know about hell") - maybe God simply gave us a narrative account of a) the history of man, b) how God interacts with us, c) His plan for redeeming His creation through Christ, and c) principles concerning how we are supposed to live?

Just some thoughts (guaranteed to get me fired by every elder board in America - oh wait!  That’s right - I’m the only elder in my church! WHEW!)

Leonard -

You are correct - after re-reading you post, I did somewhat mis-understand where you were coming from.  I skimmed over your list of adjectives describing Anna and only the more condemning ones caught my eye.  Please accept my apology to you personally :-(

However, my response was directed more towards those Steve referred to in the article who are quick to judge and assign “sinners who don’t accept Christ personally in this life” to a place called “hell”.  I had also just finished reading all the posts commenting on Tony Campolo’s statment from an earlier article on “who will or won’t” be in heaven (most of them lambasting Tony for his “liberal” views) - and I felt led to enter the discussion on the subject, as this article refers to this subject as well.  Again, sorry for the personal admonition I do stand by my overall reasoning though (apart from some of your remarks).

Thank you Charlye....we all to soon forget as did those who were ready to cast stones at the women, we all are subject to the Lord’s judgment......................and mercy.  There used to be an expression, “except for the Grace of God, there go I” We must be always on guard, for we have all read of pastors and great men and women of God who have fallen.  Which is worse........... never having the experience of salvation, or falling away?