Universalism- What is it? What isn't it?

Here's what I call Universalism. Since this is a personal journey (as is yours), I'm not going to pretend this definition is accepted by everyone who calls himself a Universalist. Some might ask:

 "Why should I care about this?  I'm saved.  It's not up to me to save the world or worry about their eternal destiny."

Well, as a Christian, I think it is up to you to worry about the rest of the world. We are our brothers' keepers. Is it possible to love your neighbor as yourself and not be concerned that the God you serve wants to eternally torment that person with no hope of escape?

What Universalism Is

 

   

A Universalist is someone who believes that ultimately, God will reconcile all of mankind to Himself.   Period. 

 

There are many opinions on  how and even when this takes place. That's all very interesting. But, IMHO it's not the most important thing. The exact method of salvation and its timing can be approached through careful Biblical exegesis, theology and philosophy. But, the how is up to God.

The reason why I think Universalism is so important, as it stands opposed to ECT (Eternal Conscious Torment), is I believe that ECT makes a mockery of the Love of God. If God is Love (as the Bible tells us) and God is all powerful, how can we possibly believe He either can't or won't save a portion of His children or even worse has created many of them just to display His "wrath" for His "glory"? These distorted views of God hindered my ability to have a real loving relationship with Him that wasn't either based on fear of Him purposely rejecting me eternally or viewing Him as weak because He couldn't overcome my "free will" and I might be able to somehow slip through the cracks into Hell.

Specifically, I am a Christian Universalist. This is a subset of the overall group of Universalists. I believe that Jesus (Yeshua) is the Christ (Messiah) and that God (YHWH) sent Him to the world to proclaim the Gospel (Good News). I don't know exactly how this works.  But, I believe all will be saved through Yeshua.

What Universalism Is Not

Universalism is not a denomination- Universalists can be members of any of a number of denominations. There are very few beliefs Universalists cannot embrace. Arminianism would be one (that God will allow man's free will to rule over His grace and desire for all to be saved) and Calvinism would be another (that God purposely creates people for the purpose of eternally and consciously tormenting them). There are, however, other elements of both of these beliefs that Universalism can and does embrace, including the Arminian view that God purposes that everyone will be reconciled/saved, and the Calvinist view that God will accomplish His purpose.

Universalism is not a view that G-d is just a big old softie- at least Christian Universalists believe that God is a responsible Father/Creator. I've heard this sentiment expressed (not using the word Father) by people of other religions also. Universalists do not necessarily believe that God has no interest in our sanctification and that He will not do whatever necessary (even using correction) to achieve His means. As a responsible parent, God chastises. The difference between a URer and an ECTer though is that we believe God uses punishment for correction or chastisement (kolasis is the word Yeshua used), not for retribution (timoria). When I discipline my children, I discipline them just enough to correct them. I do not discipline them out of "anger" or "wrath". I discipline them because I love them and want them to be better people.

Universalism is not an excuse to live any way you want because we'll all be saved anyway- Christian Universalists take sin very seriously. I daresay more seriously than many ECTers who believe saying the Sinner's Prayer is a get out of hell free card. Just say the magic words and at death you're whisked off into eternal bliss. I believe each will be judged according to his works and will suffer for sin (even if this suffering is "merely" remorse at knowing the pain we have caused and how much it hurts our Father). The natural consequence of sin is pain and those who continue to sin will suffer pain. All will be drawn to God. Sinners will experience pain. Whether hell is a literal place or a mental/spiritual state, most Universalists I know of expect that people who cling to sin will be purged of it in a not-so-pleasant process. As George MacDonald pointed out, our God is a all consuming fire. Christian Universalists take that quite seriously. Belief in Universalism does not negate the belief in a hell-like state that people will have to pass through whether here, in the after-life or both. Many fear the proliferation of the belief in Universalism because the masses will begin to live in sin knowing that, in the end, they'll be saved anyway. Sadly, many of the Universalist church fathers shared this same fear and taught Universalism only privately while continuing to preach a doctrine of ECT that they did not believe themselves.

Universalism is not a cult- I've heard Universalism referred to as a cult. The most common definition of a cult is a religion or religious sect generally considered to be extremist or false, with its followers often living in an unconventional manner under the guidance of an authoritarian, charismatic leader. Universalists are all over the board way too much to be considered a cult. We have no one leader and we do not live under authoritarian or unconventional manners. The term cult is an unfair disparagement.

Universalism is not a group that denies the deity of Jesus- Christian Universalists (like any other Christians) hold varying thoughts on the origin and exact nature of Jesus. Some say if you believe in the Trinity, you are not a "true" Christian. Some say if you do not believe in the Trinity, you are not a "true" Christian. I don't squabble over such distinctions. But, Universalists do not necessarily hold that Jesus is not part of the Trinity and is not equal to God. Many Universalists do believe these very things.

Universalism is not a deliberate attempt to distort the Bible- Christian Universalists hold varying beliefs about the inerrancy and authority of the Bible. Some are just as Bible-worshipping and literal as any Calvinist. Some take the Bible seriously, but not literally. But, all Christian Universalists that I know try to read the Bible as a whole and take it very seriously. However, we don't limit our studies to the often poor translations we have today. We attempt to understand the Greek, Hebrew or Aramaic that was originally used and try to understand the historical and social contexts of the passages. I would say our critics are just as guilty of "proof texting" as any Universalist I have ever come across. Proof texting is taking passages from the Bible, out of context and stringing them together to prove your point rather than trying to go to the Bible with an open mind and make a cohesive whole of what you are reading. I refuse to play the proof text game because it gets you nowhere in the end. I am writing this blog for those who are willing to explore with an open mind. If you are not willing to do that, I will not waste your time or mine trying to convince you of anything. Some key words have to be understood to understand what the Bible is saying. Words like "eternal", "hell" and "punishment" in our English Bibles are often the result of sloppy translation, at best and deliberate attempts to promote a doctrine of ECT at worst.

Universalism is not pure emotionalism or merely wishful thinking- Universalism has many arguments including philosophical, theological, biblical and historical/traditional (many of the early Church fathers were universalists). I freely admit that I would not have found Universalism if it weren't for the fact that ECT just never fit right in my heart. I could not accept it even though I was told it was clearly taught in the Bible. For many of us, our hearts lead us to universalism. But, we don't check our brains at the door before we enter. Universalists are not just emotional saps who want to save the world, we believe God wants to save the world and we have good reason for believing so.

Universalism is not Unitarians (necessarily)- I am not a Unitarian Universalist and I'm not sure I even know what one is.  They are merely a subset of Universalists.

In my case, Universalism was born out of the fact that I just could not believe that an all-loving and all powerful God would torment anyone eternally, let alone the vast majority of His creation. For my entire Christian life (since I was about five years old), this belief bothered me. This view of God made me feel small and vile and made me think of Him as cruel, weak, insecure and/or schizophrenic. I'll go into the details about that later. Thank God, He showed me sound reasons why I could set this doctrine aside and begin to truly worship Him in love and not out of fear.

If you are a Christian or are considering Christianity, but you just cannot abide the belief in a God who would do the things many Christians say He would do, there is biblically based, theological and philosophically sound reason to have hope that God is greater than you might have been taught. God is not weak, cruel or schizophrenic. God is Love.

Peace,

Brian