My name is Rick, and I currently attend a UU Fellowship here in Iowa. I am hoping to learn more about Christian Universalism.
Welcome Rick!
Glad you're here.
:icon_flower:
Hi Rick,
This is the right place to learn a lot it a short time.
Especially if you are a fast reader:
http://www.tentmaker.org/
http://www.tentmaker.org/ScholarsCorner.html
:newb: :welcome:
Quote from: RJohnson64 on July 10, 2009, 07:51:18 AM
My name is Rick, and I currently attend a UU Fellowship here in Iowa. I am hoping to learn more about Christian Universalism.
Hi Rick,
Well, you've definitely come to the right place! Focusing on the two sections of boards collectively called "Discussions Relating to Universal Reconciliation" and "Apologetics - Universal Reconciliation" should likely give you many of the answers you've been looking for. It's not a hard, out of reach concept. KJV and other translations that by their own admission follow in the traditions of the KJV have some translational errors that impute double mindedness to our heavenly Father with regards to His eternal purposes. But the Bible correctly and consistently translated according to what the languages of the Bible meant 2000 years ago and back, rather than in the Reformed traditions of translating according to more modern Hebrew, Greek, and theological exegesis will consistently provide you with the never failing, inescapable, love of God for each and every single creature in all of Creation. Not an equality of every being in all of Creation, but a consistency of His loving plan for even "the least of these, His brethren," including angels, animals, and any other life forms in the entire multiverse of existence, phenomena, and experience.
Between the pseudo-translations of the Bible that teach eternal punishment and the correctly translated Bibles that indicate Universal Restoration, all of the promises of Universal Restoration are generally very consistently translated exactly the same way between them, even in the KJV. It winds up being the mistranslations of destruction, eternal, and for evers that insert the dogma of eternal annihilation and eternal punishment erroneously into the text. The very words mistranslated as eternal, forever, etc., ARE NOT CAPABLE OF consistently being translated with the same sense from cover to cover in the Bible without inserting absolute nonsense that's not even good poetry -- and translated with the understood sense of limited duration as it would have been understood from the 5th century BC to the 5th century AD does absolutely no violence to any major doctrine of the Scriptures whatsoever. Although many mainstream theologians will balk at the implicit requirement of changing their vernacular regarding how they express their theology and more consistently abiding by the language of the Scriptures after centuries of laziness of mind, emotions, and spirit regarding their semantics in how they express their religious notions -- so [very often] they'd rather criticize as invalid or worse good translation work of the Bible that's translated with the same translation principles as any other ancient text being translated into today's English.
Again, no major Christian doctrine is harmed in the least by the Bible being correctly translated, except for the dogmas of eternal destruction and eternal punishment, torments forever and ever, etc. All other doctrines are left completely untouched by good translations, although some would wish to argue that point with me on the basis of semantics and their dogmas against certain Christian doctrines, though more often than not to their own personal peril as the ages of the divine judgment and restoration are unfolding. But it does require one to reconsider one's previously held to interpretations of how numerous passages are consistent with a Biblical understanding of the divine nature, the permanent nature of the divine verses the limited duration of His recreative activities in His Creation. Yet it is all perfectly consistent with perpetual Benevolence and the gracious charity of the divine!!
In terms of books, my number one recommendations are always "The Universal Restoration" by Elhanan Winchester, "Restitution of all Things" by Andrew Jukes, "The Greek Word Aion" by J.W. Hanson, "Analytical Study of Words" by Louis Abbott (which is a Tentmaker exclusive available from this web page http://www.tentmaker.org/books (http://www.tentmaker.org/books)), and "The Inescapable Love of God" by Thomas Talbott. Tentmaker has a free book offer, including shipping being a freebie, currently, and you can find the relevant info on how to get in on a couple of really good UR books right now via this thread http://www.tentmaker.org/forum/index.php?topic=6051.0 (http://www.tentmaker.org/forum/index.php?topic=6051.0). Please feel free to start any threads with any relevant questions you may have. Hopefully what to post on which board is fairly clear. If in doubt about anything, feel free to send a private message to any of our moderators via the links at the top of the forum. Thanks for joining Tentmaker's Forum!!
:cloud9: Welcome! Blessings....
Welcome Rick. Thanks for checking in.
Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me". John 14:6
:welcome: Rick...I pray that you find all that you look for. Seek and you shall find. Ask the Lord for bread, will he give you a stone? Oh no....Welcome again.. :icon_flower:
Hi Rick.
I'm from Iowa aswell. Des Moines.
Hey Rick, keep searching and you'll find what you're looking for! Love is to be found, not lost. :bigGrin: