Many thanks to both of you! The humility with which you present these concepts creates a peaceful and still atmosphere that is very conducive for struggling people such as myself. Thank you for expounding in such a coherent manner this Gospel that is such a balm to weary hearts!
I must add my thanks to you both as well. It was just over a year ago that I first saw a video on universal reconciliation. It was on this same channel, and Robin Parry was speaking to a group in Australia. At first I thought there must be a flaw somewhere, but over this past year I have read many books and articles, and I found no flaw. My christian life has been so radically changed for the better. I too can say that belief in eternal conscious torment made my heart hard toward others. I spent the first thirty years of my life as an evangelical with an Arminian perspective. The next thirty plus as a Calvinist. All that time I never felt closeness to God, and my christian life was not joyful. Sanctification was very minimal. All that has changed, praise God!
Fr. Parry's remarks around minute 35 are spot on. The doctrine of infinite punishment (including annihilation, the denial of infinite bliss) forces those who hold to it to become worse people morally.
Great dialogue. I realized something myself after I began to change my understanding of the Bible outside of modern Evangelical theology which is: the Gospel is extortion. I am wondering if you could address this because it can't possibly be true. How is it extortion? The mobster goes to the local grocer and says 'you need to pay me' and the grocer says 'for what', robber 'to protect you', grocer 'from what?', robber 'from what I'm going to do to you if you don't pay me'. Gospel is the same. Jesus stands at the door and knocks, 'why do I need to let you in?I say, ' 'To save you' he says, 'from what' I reply, ' from what I" I'm going to do to you if you don't let me in.'
Many thanks to both of you! The humility with which you present these concepts creates a peaceful and still atmosphere that is very conducive for struggling people such as myself. Thank you for expounding in such a coherent manner this Gospel that is such a balm to weary hearts!
I must add my thanks to you both as well. It was just over a year ago that I first saw a video on universal reconciliation. It was on this same channel, and Robin Parry was speaking to a group in Australia. At first I thought there must be a flaw somewhere, but over this past year I have read many books and articles, and I found no flaw. My christian life has been so radically changed for the better. I too can say that belief in eternal conscious torment made my heart hard toward others. I spent the first thirty years of my life as an evangelical with an Arminian perspective. The next thirty plus as a Calvinist. All that time I never felt closeness to God, and my christian life was not joyful. Sanctification was very minimal. All that has changed, praise God!
Fr. Parry's remarks around minute 35 are spot on. The doctrine of infinite punishment (including annihilation, the denial of infinite bliss) forces those who hold to it to become worse people morally.
First
Great dialogue. I realized something myself after I began to change my understanding of the Bible outside of modern Evangelical theology which is: the Gospel is extortion. I am wondering if you could address this because it can't possibly be true.
How is it extortion? The mobster goes to the local grocer and says 'you need to pay me' and the grocer says 'for what', robber 'to protect you', grocer 'from what?', robber 'from what I'm going to do to you if you don't pay me'.
Gospel is the same. Jesus stands at the door and knocks, 'why do I need to let you in?I say, ' 'To save you' he says, 'from what' I reply, ' from what I"
I'm going to do to you if you don't let me in.'