I first heard of The Shack reading the book review in the April-June issue of TVCNews. Knowing the problems of New Age, etc., I accepted it. Then my daughter called raving about the book. That began my investigation including reading the book.

The editor/publisher of this newspaper has included articles opposing The Shack in three of the last four issues. His concern for orthodoxy is commendable but he is overzealous here.

Michael Youssef (Feb-April) had only one valid criticism: Young’s presentation of the Father with nail prints is wrong because the Father did not physically suffer. Young erred in trying to show, as the included conversation says, that the Father suffered with His Son. I believe He did.

Young is NOT a universalist. I wrote to Young and received a reply repudiating universalism. Anthony Harper, editor/publisher of this paper has a copy. Youssef did not check with him (see Matthew 18:15) maligning Young—a sin.

On pages 162-163 Young presents Mack asking about God sending people to hell. God asks Mack to pick two of his children to go to heaven and three to go to hell. Mack can’t do it and asks to take their place. He’s told that’s like God. That’s true. God (in Jesus) took the punishment for every human. 1 John 2:1 says, “He is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.”

Here is a segment of conversation with Jesus (page 182 ):

“[People] come from every system that exists. They were Buddhists or Mormons, Baptists or Muslims … [other groups]. I have no desire to make them Christian, but I do want to join them in their transformation into sons and daughters of my Papa….”

“Does that mean,” asked Mack, “that all roads will lead to you?”

“Not at all,” smiled Jesus….”Most roads don’t lead anywhere. What it does mean is that I will travel any road to find you.”

All TRUE!

The representations of the Trinity are fictionally creative, not heretical.

The Forward describes Mack’s father who gave Mack a negative feeling about God as Father. In this fiction, “Papa” (Mack’s wife’s way of referring to her heavenly Father) first appears as a jovial black woman to get around Mack’s negative father image. At the end, “Papa” appears as a man. God (Jehovah) is neither male nor female.

The Shack is excellent reading expressing only one aspect of God’s character—desire for a loving relationship. If we love God (Deuteronomy 6:5), we want to please Him, and there is no need for “law.” The omissions of the other aspects of God do not mean that the book is bad, or that it should be rejected. Hundreds, probably many thousands by now, have purportedly received Christ as Savior through reading this book.

Criticisms are exaggerations and/or taken out of context, and I don’t have space to respond to more. Contact me if you have specific questions.