Preacher Said 'There's No Fire' Then He Got 'FIRED'

Pastor Holtz Said - 'No Hell Fire?' (But He Got Fired)

Holtz (was) a pastor at a Methodist Church in North Carolina lost his job after questioning traditional views on the nature of hell.

Chad Holtz got his walking papers after posting a note on Facebook supporting a controversial book by an evangelical preacher that rethinks hell as a place for billions of damned souls.

"I think justice comes and judgment will happen, but I don't think that means an eternity of torment," Holtz said. "I can understand why people in my church aren't ready to leave that behind. It's something I'm still grappling with myself."

The book, written by Rob Bell and titled "Love Wins," has caused quite a stir for questioning the belief that only a select number of Christians are allowed in heaven while everyone else burns in eternal hell fire.

Traditional Christians say the book's point is very similar to the theological position of universalism, which is considered heresy for many churches.

Bell denies he is a universalist and says he is just arguing that Christian teaching focuses too much attention on hell.

Officials with Holtz's church declined to discuss his firing in detail, but suggested there was more to it than his position on hell.

Holtz said he continues to work on reconciling his beliefs but feels liberated by making his struggle public.

"So long as we believe there's a dividing point in eternity, we're going to think in terms of us and them," Holtz said. "When you believe God has saved everyone, the point is, you're saved. Live like it."