[Ronzo]

*PING*

I was going to post this review on the If A Tree Falls in the Forest... thread, but becaue of it's length and possible interest to others, gave it it's own thread.

Enjoy!

[ConservativeMind]

Wow. Great review!

[Choose Ye This Day]

Good review. "Easy believism" refuted.

"The command Be ye perfect is not idealistic gas. Nor is it a command to do the impossible. He is going to make us into creatures that can obey that command. He said (in the Bible) that we were 'gods' and He is going to make good His words. If we let Him--for we can prevent Him, if we choose--He will make the feeblest and filthiest of us into a god or goddess, dazzling, radiant, immortal creature, pulsating all through with such energy and joy and wisdom and love as we cannot now imagine, a bright stainless mirror which reflects back to God perfectly (though, of course, on a smaller scale) His own boundless power and delight and goodness. The process will be long and in parts very painful; but that is what we are in for. Nothing less. He meant what He said." (Mere Christianity, pp.174-75)

[HarleyD]

”This book is based on a simple premise: if grace (God’s unmerited favor) is true, then literally everyone will go to heaven, no matter their religion or behavior. Those who are familiar with orthodox Christian doctrine will immediately realize there is a problem with this premise: there is nothing in all of Christianity that supports it. As a matter of fact, this very doctrine, which the authors correctly point out originated with Origen, was considered heresy by the Second Council of Constantinople in 553. … For example, if every person is saved, then it is no longer God’s grace that is in operation; grace is completely nullified. … Let me state that I believe God does want every person to be saved; “

”Behold, the Lord’s hand is not so short that it cannot save; nor is His ear so dull that it cannot hear.” Isa 59:1

I thought the author was heading in the right direction. Believing in universal salvation is simply a cunning way of saying everyone COULD go to Heaven. Man’s in control and does the saving by reducing our salvation experience to some sort of intellectual decision. It nullifies grace.

This is not what the scriptures tells us and, as was point out by the author, this is not what the early church believed.

BTW-Several of these universal points I have read from Christians on this site.