I am so glad to have found my house church! So far there appears to be a lot of potential learning and accountability and so on. The others appear to be at least leaning towards reformed(AKA Calvinist) theology but as far as I can see seem to be loving people. Today we had a church gathering and afterward one of the older guys, me, and another young guy who I think it is fair to say is a friend at this point(Let's call him Immanuel, that is close to his name) stayed afterward for lunch and discussed for maybe about another hour some topics and I discussed with them my thoughts and experience with unGodly indignation vs Godly indignation. At some point, the discussion turned to the older guy expressing a reformed view that God does not love all people in the same way or degree. (This was all respectful discussion and he didn't know my views at that point). He basically went on to express his reasoning that God is able to save who he wants so doesn't that mean that in some sense he probably doesn't love everybody equally or in the same way?(that is how I remember understanding his point at least, he seemed to hesitate to say some of it). I replied that I think that God must at least love each person as much as their families do or more. Surely nobody could be more loving towards someone than God.(That is a paraphrase of my point). He seemed surprised but didn't seem offended by that reply, he didn't have anything to say against that and might have been thinking about it. I ended up revealing that I was a universalist and called myself an "exclusivist universalist", I clarified right away that I was not a pluralist, that I believe people must be saved through Jesus alone, and that I did believe in hell but do not believe it is eternal. I gave a clumsy version of the universalist argument based on Thomas Talbott's three propositions argument. I made an offer and told them that even if they don't think there is any chance of adopting the belief(of universal salvation), I would be willing to order a copy of Thomas Talbott's "The Inescapable Love of God" if they just wanted to understand where I am coming from. They appeared interested.
My friend Imanuel seemed very open to it without necessarily seeming eager to believe it. I am optimistic that this is a good house church for me even if nobody else comes to believe in universalism, it will be better than lacking these forms of christian relationships in my life. Immanuel gave me a drive so we discussed it and some related topic on the way back to my house and in the driveway. I prayed in my mind afterward that we all would all be guided towards correct doctrine, that my false beliefs be corrected, and that any of their false beliefs be corrected(since we all have false beliefs from our own misinterpretations). I don't need them to believe in universal salvation to consider them brothers/sisters or to learn from them, reading through scripture with them I am noticing all kinds of things that I haven't noticed on my own, I am not talking about a "reformed" perspective but simply things that have escaped my notice. Reading the Bible with other Christians can be worth as much as reading it many times on your own.
congratulations for speaking the truth in love and humility, and finding people to fellowship with!