Universalism has a Bad Name

[legoman]

I agree Tim.
I wonder how long the replies stay online.
Peace to you too Mr. Lego.

Thanks WW & Tim :winkgrin:

It would be pretty sad if he did end up deleting the replies.  Actually I hope he responds again; I have more to share.  :Sparkletooth:

[Doc]

Doc, I like your signature!
A one-liner with depth.

Thanks, WW. It just "came to me" a few nights ago.

[Tim B]

It's a very interesting read, but to sum it up the author's conclusion is simply that IF the Bible teaches unlimited atonement then it MUST also be teaching universal salvation - and we know that can't be right!

Yep, universalism is so loaded with negative bias, that if anything even points to universal salvation, it is automatically discarded as a possible conclusion.  This means most people don't bother investigating universalism because they "know" everyone has already disproven it.

Part of the great delusion and deception of this world.

Peace.

That's why I think that even super intelligent men like William Lane Craig (one of my favorite Christian philosophers) do not take UR seriously. I know for sure he believes in Hell, and has even entertained the idea that people could possibly be saved from Hell, but thinks they will rather keep on sinning in Hell and not be able to be saved. (But, then one might ask, are Christians not saved either because they continue to sin after they accept Christ as their savior??) Because unless Dr. Craig knows something about Hell that none of us do, then I'm sure he has not studied UR and Hell enough and just shrugged off UR as simply not possible.

[Doc]

That's why I think that even super intelligent men like William Lane Craig (one of my favorite Christian philosophers) do not take UR seriously. I know for sure he believes in Hell, and has even entertained the idea that people could possibly be saved from Hell, but thinks they will rather keep on sinning in Hell and not be able to be saved. (But, then one might ask, are Christians not saved either because they continue to sin after they accept Christ as their savior??) Because unless Dr. Craig knows something about Hell that none of us do, then I'm sure he has not studied UR and Hell enough and just shrugged off UR as simply not possible.

Ever heard the phrase, too smart for their own good? This is the problem with folks like Craig. They believe in their own intellect more than they believe the word of God, and end up outsmarting themselves. The scriptural instruction is NOT to lean on our own understanding, but rather to gain the mind of Christ, by having our minds renewed.

[martincisneros]

We're judged for the things done in the body, not for sins in the afterlife.  There is ZERO Scripture to base a perpetual need to keep sinning upon.  And the infinity of sin, likewise a Calvinist argument with the other one, completely falls apart Scripturally because the Psalms say, with David speaking in the Person of Christ to the Father, that My righteousness does not extend to You.  Psalm 16, if I remember correctly.  Now, if righteousness, which is far greater than sin, does not extend to God -- then what hope has sin, the mere act of a worm of being infinite??  For anything to be perpetual, it must necessarily have an attribute of God, and sin is neither an attribute of God, and neither is it assigned an attribute of God by God.  So, ET falls apart at once, Scripturally and reasonably.  The Blood of Jesus Christ is much more infinite!!!!!  And you're left with annihilation or the Universal Restoration.  And then since the destruction passages are easily as resolved as the eternals in the Scriptures, then you're left with nothing else but the more than 100 EMPHATIC promises of the Word regarding the Universal Restoration:

ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY REASONS FOR BELIEVING IN THE FINAL SALVATION OF ALL MANKIND

100 Scriptural Proofs That Jesus Christ Will Save All Mankind

An Analytical Study of Words

Eternal Death (Annihilation): One Step Out of Hell; One Step Short of Glory

Detailed softbound book (136 pages) with over 600 verses into more than 350 groups, printed out completely, with the Key Words emphasized, concordance numbers, references and comments on the Universal Restoration.