Universalism

There was a person on another board where I'm a moderator who posted many Universalist beliefs, but refused to admit it was Universalism. We who are Baptists should know our own beliefs, so I wouldn't hesitate to question the source of any anomylous belief posted here. As a veteran "cult-buster", I can generally discern which cult a given false doctrine is from.

 

This sounds kind of like Armstrong's doctrine of the judgment. Though he did say that there will be some then the still refuse and go to the lake of fire, and those called now who refuse also (the rest are not called now, but will be at the Great White Throne), but other than them, the only ones who go to Hell are Satan and the demons, and the beast and false prophet.

Another form of universalism (though they don't call it that either) is Comprehensive Grace or pantelism. This stems from full preterism and takes it to its logical conclusion. That all the judgment in the Bible was covenantal and referred to the destruction of Jerusalem in AD70. Christ therefore redeemed all, whether they accept Him now or not. They reject classical universalism for being based on modern philosophy and "removing [universal salvation] from its covenental framework".
There seem to be a lot of things that make sense about it, when looking at the original meanings of scriptural terminology; but still, as I am asking adherents of this system on another board; it does seem to reduce the Gospel to just a less consequential option that in practice would not really be worth us spending so much time and energy and money spreading to the world, often at the pain of death, etc. It's just letting people in darkness know that they are loved by God (as well as "spreading the Kingdom"), but people will make it to Heaven anyway.

I wonder if this was the position Ken once mentioned something about in the Calvinist forum.

 

Yes every knee will bow and every tongue confess that Jesus is Lord. But, no, this does not mean that every knee and every tongue will make it into heaven.

Joseph Botwinick

 

Be on the lookout for this in your local church!

So many Christians admire the books of Madeleine L'Engle, but after I became a Christian, I found her statements and some of the things in her books to be very disturbing. Yet, I was constantly assured that she is a regular Christian.

Well, I have the proof in my hand, so to speak, of why I was disturbed. On the back cover of a book that promotes and defends universalism, _If Grace is True: Why God Will Save Every Person_ by Philip Gulley, there is an endorsement from L'Engle:

One of the writers L'Engle admires is fantasy author George MacDonald (very popular among Christians). She said of him:

Also, there is movement reaching the evangelical church called Contemplative Prayer or Listening Prayer (also Centering Prayer). This is advocated by Richard Foster, who is popular among evangelicals. Many of the people Foster and others heavily quote from are inclusivists and universalists.

 

Of course I have. I just wrote an article on Contemplative Prayer. It's going to be published next week and then a longer version will go on my site. In fact, I'm working on it now.

Foster is Quaker and Quakers are always open to mysticism. Many of his statements are not supported by scripture at all, but by the mystics that he quotes and seems to love.

 

Of course I have. I just wrote an article on Contemplative Prayer. It's going to be published next week and then a longer version will go on my site. In fact, I'm working on it now.

Foster is Quaker and Quakers are always open to mysticism. Many of his statements are not supported by scripture at all, but by the mystics that he quotes and seems to love. </font>[/QUOTE]So which is it? Foster good or Foster bad???

 

Foster is problematic on many issues. He does not back up what he says with scripture, and when he does use scripture, it's often out of context or he reads into it. He has a lot of extra-biblical ideas and beliefs. Here's a sample from my article (which will also be online next week sometime, I hope):

[Note: CP stands for contemplative prayer]

 

He has other troublesome quotes from Celebration of Discipline

 

He advocates many New Age techniques such as visualization, affirmation, repeating something over and over, etc.

In the first edition of this book, he advocated what seemed to be an out-of-body experiences, describing how to do it. I saw this when I was a new believer, was shocked (I used to do astral travel so I know what it is) and put the book down. This was taken out of later editions.

 

Quote from Prof. Donald Whitney, professor at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary
http://www.spiritualdisciplines.org/devotion.html