Meet Dale O'Neal, Ph.D.

The insanity of this dilemma was the nail in the coffin for his faith.   

                                                                

Dale O’Neal didn’t become a Christian—he was born one. His father was Dean of a large evangelical seminary, Talbot School of Theology, from which he graduated and was chosen “preacher of the year.” 

 

It never occurred to Dale to question the school’s Statement of Faith that all graduates were required to sign to receive their degrees. He soon became immersed in serving the Lord: leading Youth for Christ and Young Life clubs, youth minister, music director, assistant minister. During this time, he even authored a Bible study book, Meet the Man from Nazareth, published by Zondervan Press. 

 

After the book was published, he noticed he was becoming increasingly troubled by three doctrines at the core of evangelical Christianity: male dominance, salvation based on a human sacrifice, and eternal punishment for those who don’t believe in Jesus as their savior. 

 

Especially troubling was the doctrine of eternal punishment—or annihilation, as some spin it. After all, this is what salvation is all about—being saved from this horrific destiny.

 

To put it mildly, his faith was wavering. This led to hedging in his teaching and preaching as he sought ways to spin the offending doctrines. Not surprisingly, it led to a church hearing—a kind of tribunal. For Dale, the writing was on the wall—it was time to leave. 

 

For the first time, Dale had the freedom to explore his doubts without the pressure of church compliance. Accelerating the unraveling of his faith was the soul-shaking dilemma faced by every Christian contemplating parenthood. Put simply, the question is, “Should we bring a child into the world and put him/her at risk of eternal punishment for not believing in Jesus?” 

 

What possible motivation could justify putting children in such jeopardy? The insanity of this dilemma was the nail in the coffin for his faith. Convinced such a diabolical scheme must be man-made, it was a short step to suspect this also was true of the Bible’s view of women and the Christian plan of salvation. 

 

Dale is a man filled with curiosity. The question that begged to be answered was:  Where did these beliefs come from?