This may be the next 5500 posts to this discussion board. This one's one of my absolute pet peeves, so I'll wait for a day when I'm less ornery to share my answers to this one, but:
"If UR were THE Truth of the Bible, then wouldn't it be plain(er) to everybody?"
Hmm this is a good topic.
There have been some interesting posts recently and almost shedding a new light on all of this. As UR cannot be defined as a doctrine/creed etc. it is therefor a "cult", well so say all the traditionalists.
Point is, I believe many cannot stomach the thought of ET but do not know where to seek answers or are too lazy to get into the word and seek truth for themselves.
My personal opinion is that many church goers are pew warmers and somehow have belief in regular church attendance = preserving salvation. So sad to see many fall into the trap of the good seed sown on rocky soil.
Luckily my conversion took place essentially outside of church influence and my early bible studies, my teacher was the Holy Spirit, strangely enough, HE never once taught me about hell even when I asked Him questions about it. In fact His answer to me was, "Now you let me worry about that, you just study." It all turned pear-shaped when I joined a charismatic church and got exposed to "un-truths", it was not their fault but mine.
Having done the circuit of many Pentecostals, I soon came to the realisation something was wrong, all they had was the same reformed traditions mixed with tongues and a happy clappie approach to worship. It is the mixing of new wine in old wine-skins. God makes a move with an outpouring and instead of letting God have His way, man too soon legalize it and then it dies. Oh the patience of God with us disobedient folk.
Like in your other thread, the questions nag of the falling away, the great apostasy etc.
Once the veil is in place, the unveiling takes a long time unless one has a scales dropping from eyes experience, most have wrestled with this and many still wrestle.
So much nicer not having to defend the dualist nature of our Father as many have been taught.
I have always made it a habit of returning to the gospels to see what Jesus had to say when I get confused. The problem is many accept the preacher's teaching as he is the anointed and one may not speak against the anointed one. Hmm somehow that is also not just applicable to Pastors, the word is clear about teachers and what happens when they err and lead others from the truth. Of the one thing I give my ex-pastor credit for, he never misquoted that scripture and was open to criticism, there again, he never spoke on hell at all.
I would say those that embrace UR are not looking for an easy gospel, rather a sensible one. Once we realize how much rubbish we have believed in in the past, we have no choice but to examine the word for ourselves and research deeper into the word, the original Hebrew and Greek and it becomes a journey of discovery. Most start the journey in traditional circles but when they subscribe to a bible study curriculum, the curriculum inevitably becomes their belief system, a few certificates later nicely framed et al. salvation is secured and hell well and truly entrenched in their minds.
I always wondered why we lose that first love experience, God never leaves us nor forsakes us so how is it we lose it. We walk away from the experiential process God has in mind for each and everyone of us. With that peace flies out of the window and we soon find ourselves burdened with our religion
"Red Flag, Red Flag"
"For my yoke is easy and my burden is light" How soon we forget that very jewel of scripture.
