by FlyingHighNow 39 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
Hey, Flying High Now..................Don't you know that everyone from/living in Michigan are Bible believing, evangelical Christians, that always vote 'Republican'? I know, I lived there! Ha, Ha, just kidding! So, don't disgrace our great State....
Outaservice
I know, I lived there! Ha, Ha, just kidding! So, don't disgrace our great State....Outaservice
Hahaha, not this girl. I go St. Mark's Episcopal Church on Division in Grand Rapids. We fly a rainbow coiltion flag out front.
And as for everyone voting republican here's my old avatar, my Kerry rally tickets and my Michigan for Kerry pin I proudly wore.
If God is only going to settle his issues once, for all time, why would he do it in any fashion short of breathtakingly, mindbogglingly, and "leave you standing on the side of the road with your mouth hanging open" spectacular fashion beyond anything that any other being in the universe could even begin to imagine? Why would he not save everyone? What would be the ultimate test of his wisdom, power, justice, and love but to design a situation where he truly does bring EVERYTHING back to himself?
Abandoned, print up the article and read it. You'll be blown away, this is exactly the point it makes.
If he was to be spared...would he still be allowed to prey on weaker people..or would he not want to anymore and repent?
If he was to be spared...would he still be allowed to prey on weaker people..or would he not want to anymore and repent?
This particular article doesn't mention Satan or his demons at all, but other pages and books do. They show that every human being or angel will return to God's Love, be drawn back to it. So of course he would no longer be a big, mean, nasty bully. Good finally, once and for all time triumphs over evil. I like this idea. Makes a lot more sense than the mean spirited God a lot of Christians and Muslims worship.
Universalism is certainly not a new teaching. It's been around a long time. An interesting article on the topic, which includes the Biblical passages pro and con, can be found at
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/universal_reconciliation
One of the pro passages not appearing in that article is "Love your enemies." Matt. 5:44 The argument goes like this. If Satan is Jesus enemy, than if he is to go by his own advice to his followers, it stands to reason that he must likewise love Satan and do good to him.
Another argument is if God wills that all be saved than He can certainly see to it that all are saved.
I think it's an appealing teaching, but I have reservations. If we are made with free will than one must have the option not to choose God or Jesus. Why should those who choose and those who reject have the same reward? Even in our daily life we know that not all choices are the same. Individuals pay the consequences for criminal acts, whereas those who engage in altruistic and humanitarian activities do not. Not every act is judged the same. It seems to me that there is a possibility that someone might not be saved.
While it is true that God is love, does love exclude justice?
Universalism is certainly not a new teaching. It's been around a long time.
According to one of the priests at my church, the early church fathers taught universalism. This business that only Christians would be saved came about later.
I don't know why people are stuck on the idea that punishment or discipline has to be an eternal thing. I would suppose we all suffer plenty enough. Doesn't sound to me like Satan and his dark buddies are having such a wonderful time of things either.
If I may expand a bit on Kenneson's comment, historically there was "contact" between universalism and the WTB&TS, back in the early days.
Fredrik Homer Robison (born 1885) was about 20 years old when he first encountered Pastor Russell's teachings in a copy of Studies in the Scriptures. After serving as a colportuer for one year he was invited to join the Pittsburg Bethel family. Iin 1909 he married Bethelite Minnie Almeda Nation, an osteopath, whose was one of the witnesses that signed Pastor Russell's will. Fredrik served as Pator Russell's private seecretary for several years, and then was put in charge of the foreign work because of his prowess with other languages. He is said to have been fluent in German, Greek and English and capable of translating twenty other languages. In 1907 he bacame one of the four co-editors of Zion's Watch Tower specified by Pastor Russell's will. In 1918 he was one of the eight officers of the Society who was sentenced to the Atlanta Federal Penitentiary for sedition, along with Rutherford.
In early 1920 Robison travelled to California to meet with A. E. Knoch to negotiate the preparation of a special edition of the Concordant version of the New Testament. They reached an agreement and arangements were made. During his meetings with A. E. Knoch, Robison became convinced of the truth of Universal Salvation. Further, he shared his new found knowledge with his associates in the WTB&TS, with the result that many of his associates joined with him, including Menta Sturgeon, who attended to Pastor Russell during his last trip. In 1922 Fredrik H. Robison submitted his resignation to the WTB&TS. Sadly, in 1932 he contracted pneumonia and died at age 47.
Abandoned, print up the article and read it. You'll be blown away, this is exactly the point it makes.
OK, I'll do it. You've piqued my curiosity. And, since I'm not a cat, I'm not afraid of being curious.
One thing that I've thought a lot about would probably make some people very mad at me, but one of the coolest things I can imagine seeing would be Hitler truly being sorry for what he did and a million jews sincerely forgiving him. And then, all of them, along with all of us too, living together forever. Of course this makes me an apostate. HA HA HA!
Thank you, Nathan. It's just too bad that Pastor Russel and Rutherford weren't inclined to be intrigued by Universalism. Imagine how different the borg would be, maybe not a borg at all. Millions knocking on doors telling everyone that God loves and saves everyone and good does eventually conquer all evil. *Sigh*. How eternal destruction or punishment appeals to one more than grace, I don't know.
