The Evangelical Universalist Forum

160,000 people die every day. Can our evangelism help?

Practices Evangelism
#1

What is the relevancy of these numbers? Should these numbers have any impact on our lives?

  • Totally irrelevant: there is nothing we can do to alter these people being punished by God post-mortem, because God decided from the beginning they’d be punished, period.
  • Totally irrelevant: there is nothing we can do to alter these people being punished by God post-mortem, because God decided from the beginning that they might or might not avoid it but no one else can help them–God does all He can for them but the choice is theirs, and other humans contribute nothing.
  • Totally irrelevant: God won’t in fact be punishing anyone post-mortem, and nothing a sinner can do will change that, period.
  • Totally relevant: there is much we can do to alter these people being punished by God post-mortem, because God decided from the beginning that they might or might not avoid it and relies entirely on other people to help.
  • Somewhat relevant: God decided from the beginning that sinners might or might not avoid post-mortem punishment, and expects other people to help as much as possible where possible, but also expects the person to take some responsibility for his or her own penitence, and also acts Himself (without which none of the other help would be helpful).
  • I am unsure.

0 voters

Show results

Poll Survey: The World’s Mortality Rate

Over 162,000 will die on an average day. What is their eternal destiny? Obviously, we have no idea. However, some people have estimated that only 7% of the world’s population adheres to the Biblical plan of salvation. Even if that estimate is totally wrong and the number is actually 70%, that still means that over 48,000 are going to Hell every day.

What is the relevancy of these numbers? Should these numbers have any impact on our lives? I’m conducting a poll and would like your opinion on this issue.

-Totally irrelevant: there is nothing we can do to alter the eternal destiny of these people.
-Totally relevant: there is much we can do to alter the eternal destiny of these people.
-I am unsure:

Calculations:

World’s population: 7.08 billion
A little less than 1% (0.837%) of the world’s population died last year
7.08 billion x .837% (.00837) = 59,259,600 deaths a year
59,259,600 divided by 365 days = 162,355 deaths a day
162,355 x 30% (.30) = 48,706 people going to Hell

#2

The board does have a polling function, and you can alter your question to make use of it if you like. But your chosen answers aren’t really adequate for this forum imo. I would say that there is nothing we can do to alter the ultimate eternal destiny of these people; that is, they will all eventually be reconciled to the Father through Jesus Christ the Son via the agency of the Holy Spirit. BUT there IS much we can do to affect (if not alter) the immediate destiny of people. We can pray; we can love; we can serve. That is our job as followers of Jesus; the ministry of reconciliation. We are called to take people by the hand and lead them through Christ to the Father. WE are the body of Christ. We are the temple of the Holy Spirit. We are the responsible older children of the Father, called to minister to and serve the younger ones.

What would Father say if we were to come home without the others?! (George MacDonald)

#3

^^ +1000 to Cindy! ^^

I fixed the thread title and instituted the poll, with more comprehensive options, since the original poll was too simplistic and left out some concepts. (I didn’t alter I&F’s original post in any way, though, so his original options for the poll are still there for reference.)

Note that by phrasing the poll in terms of “post-mortem punishment”, the punishment could be hopeless (as eternal conscious torment or as annihilation either way) or hopeful (as in remedial purgatory).

If a member thinks all sin only needs healing, not conscious repentance before the healing in at least some cases, you should vote the option where there is no post-mortem punishment at all.

#4

Evangelism can certainly help! The gospel is the power of God unto salvation, though ultimately all people die. People coming to know the Lord, be born of His Spirit, delivers them from the dominion of evil and translates them into the kingdom of light!

Concerning people going to “Hell” when they die, I do not believe such is true. If there was a Hell, it seems to me that such would be warned of specifically and repeatedly in scripture, at least once anyhow! But of course, it’s not. There are 3 words that are mistranslated as Hell in the KJV, but neither Sheol, Hades, nor Gehenna mean Hell. There are many verses where ECT is read or mistranslated INTO the text, but ECT is not a warning from scripture.

Concerning post-mortem punishment/chastisement of sin, most passages warning of such are addressed to believers, to the children of God - not the unbeliever. Of those who have been given much, much is expected! And those of us who have been privaledged to have received “eternal” life, we have been given more than anyone and thus more is expected of us. Frankly, the parable of the talents causes me to tremble when I recognize how much God has given me and how little I’ve done with it. I imagine I will cry buckets of tears and grind my teeth to the gum when I see the truth concerning what all I’ve wasted in my life. But I trust in the grace and love of God for us all, even me, for our ultimate salvation! So though the fire of God’s righteous judgment burns the hell out of me, I trust that the Lord will quench that fire with His love and mercy. Though much of my life is burnt up in judgment, I trust that what is valuable (me) will be purified by the fire like gold!

#5

I started looking into UR because of this issue 4 years ago. I just don’t see the turn or burn warning ads on TV or the sides of buses or alongside the roads (ok, perhaps the occasional Church notice board). If the majority of the Church really feels that ECT is where the vast majority (160,000/day)are bound for then no one has much of a finger on the panic button do they? Is it lack of funds? ECT really stuffs up the Gospel imo. So where do we go in effectivly setting the record straight? This is a lovely forum but I don’t think too many Christians of any stripe know about it or the great direction in which it is moving. Any ideas? I do believe that the Holy Spirit is moving what do you feel? Chris

#6

He’d say, “Go back out and find them!”

We’re a kingdom of priests. Priests bring people to God, and God to people.

#7

:laughing: Allen, you are quick and witty and astute as always. :wink:

Chris, I’ve been wondering about this too. Some of my friends say the move of the Spirit is 1.) toward community and NT church, and 2.) toward the west including/allowing women in key ministry roles. I agree with both of these, but my friends somehow don’t see God’s move in this third and extremely vital doctrine of Jesus truly and actually being the savior of the world (as opposed to a miniscule portion of the world which He has either pre-approved or of those who can see through the fog to make a decision to ask Him into their hearts.

Now it’s funny to me that they don’t see this, as pretty much all of them who are in higher leadership/ministry positions have “gone over” to annihilation. That’s just Ellis Island, imo. Soon, I think, they’ll be knocking upon our door.

Blessings!
Cindy

#8

Thanks Cindy, I think we would see the same in Aussie Land re No1. I am not sure that I understand point 2. Do you mean west in a geopolitical sense? Ellis Island? That threw me until I googled it and lo up came a nice picture of NY in the background and the immigration buildings - Ellis Island I presume. (Halfway house is that right?) Chris

#9

I think the confusion might lie in us not properly understanding the two resurrection periods after the second coming.

The first is for those who are selected by God to be in the Kingdom of God and who will reign with Him for 1,000 years.

The second is for everyone else, where they will be given another chance to learn what they didn’t learn in this lifetime.

So, no one goes to “hell”. And all are (eventually) saved.

These two articles might help explain the above:

askelm.com/doctrine/d971005.htm

ernestlmartin.com/kingdomofgod-firstresurrection.htm

Now, as Christians, we are not under any specific command to do any preaching at all (as only the Apostles were given an edict to preach the Gospel to the world). However, if we practice what we preach, we should want the world to understand the biblical principles of universal salvation - and a whole host of other equally important biblical subjects.

Thanks for bringing up this subject.

Ken

#10

Hi, Chris

I guess by ‘the west’ I mean not the far east. But you’re right. That’s neither very descriptive nor in all probability very accurate. I mean the USA and central/south America and Africa and anywhere else that women aren’t considered suitable for leadership in the kingdom of God. In the far east women play a huge role, but not so much here; I don’t know about Canada, Europe or GB. But anyway, that’s what I meant. Sorry for being somewhat cryptic. :blush: