I think that the arguments of TEU are very strong, but I don’t see many folks convinced. Has it happened here where someone started out a strong pro-ECT person and then changed his/her mind?
Excellent question!
From my personal experience, God works in unexpected ways. Some Christians I know, who I thought would grasp EU immediately, have rejected it (for now), whilst others who I didn’t think would, do pick it up. I’ve only been here for 6 months so I don’t know the answer to your actual question, however, I’ve seen people move from unsure to sure about EU.
In regards to conservative or liberal, as a starting point; I can think of people who have started from each position.
I was very conservative evangelical, and I’m still pretty conservative I think, with some changes. I didn’t become convinced of UR because of TEU or this forum–I stumbled across an article online about Hell and aionios which made me realize the Bible might not say what I had thought it said. And that set me off on a journey to discover what the Bible really did say, if I dumped all I’d been taught and tried to look with fresh eyes.
I think most won’t be convinced. I’ve said on this forum before that I’m a pessimist when it comes to the hope of convincing people about UR. Many people just don’t seem to really care. To some, hell doesn’t seem all that real. Some like the idea of Hell. Some find Hell a beautiful expression of God’s wrath. Some find it too frightening to contemplate something that is different from the church traditions they grew up in. Some think it’s not any of our business if people suffer ECT. (After all we all deserve it and God is gracious enough to save a few of us!)
I read something awhile back where one person asked another, “How will we be able to be happy in heaven, knowing others are suffering in Hell?” and the other replied, “The same way we do it now.” (Was that Packer? Seems like it was in an article posted or linked here.)
I have a couple of problems with that answer. For one thing, I should hope we would be more perfect in love by then! And the second… I say that many people are profoundly unhappy in this knowledge and I don’t think the delights of heaven would be enough to change that–I know I was very depressed, and I’m sure many people suffer emotionally and even go insane because of that hellish doctrine. Even Jonathan Edwards had a crisis of faith over it when he was a young man. Unfortunately he was able to get over that and go on to preach his infamous sermon. 
Anyway, I seem to be drifting off topic. The short answer is “yes”–myself!
Sonia
Oh and yes, I was/am the most conservative person in my family, and go to the most conservative church among my immediate family.
Southern Baptist here! 
I was, and still am, at least as conservative as C. S. Lewis theologically; and I’m still a routine apologist for the doctrines of orthodox trinitarian theism and historical Christianity. Heck, I’m on the downhill slope of posting around 800 pages of ortho-trin apologetics at the Cadre Journal (and dittoed here, due to the special connection I find between ortho-trin and universalism); and the second link in my signature goes to a Gospel harmonization study I wrote which is almost as long. I have written thousands of pages of apologetics and evangelism so far (maybe close to 10,000 by now), and I don’t intend to slow down any on that (God willing and the creek don’t rise, as we say here in West Tennessee! )
I don’t think I could (or would) say I am (or was) at the very far right of the North American theological spectrum, but I’m a strong middle-right. I’m even drifting a little further to the right over time, since I (and every Christian I grew up respecting) was, and still am, an old-earth theistic evolutionist, but I have increasing respect for YEC.
While it was C. S. Lewis who inadvertently pointed me theologically in the direction of universalism, thanks to how some of his trinitarian theology pointed, I was more strongly ECT than he was. He was the first author I read who ever even tried presenting annihilationism, and I thought he did a respectable job, but I still believed ECT was the better solution of the scriptural data, though I very much admired (and still do!) his clever way of suggesting that both were true in The Problem of Pain.
It was while I was plotting how to incorporate Lewis’ scraps of “God is love” trinitarian theology into my Sword to the Heart mega-apologetic work, back in late 99/early 2000 (updating and expanding what Lewis himself had tried with some success in Miracles: A Preliminary Study), that I suddenly worked out where the implications of coherent ortho-trin doctrine pointed: God would by His own unique trinitarian character constantly act toward saving all sinners from sin. I was extremely surprised to find that, but also very pleased at how it resolved a number of theological problems I had long detected in both Calv and Arm theological variants, while also respecting major emphases and contributions (including scriptural testimony) from both sides. Also, the version I theologically derived could still fit within scriptural testimony of ECT (though not annihilation) if, as I thought was still true at the time, the overall balance of testimony pointed toward some persons never being saved from sin–that didn’t mean God wouldn’t keep acting toward doing so.
As I began studying scripture more deeply and thoroughly than ever before, though, with the resolve not to interpret so as to contravene ortho-trin doctrines (I mean in soteriology and other subsidary theological topics–I didn’t beg the question in resolve to scriptural testimony about the honor, characteristics, names, deeds and throne of the persons or person of the Father, Son and HS), I found more and more and more scriptural details not only confirming basic universalism (of the Calv + Arm type, in a fashion similar to how ortho-trin combines and expands on modalist and Arian interpretations–or rather those two truncate the data in order to try to make better sense of it), but also indicating God’s revelation of final success.
That took quite a few years. Until I could fairly search the scriptures “to see if these things might be true”, I held universalism only provisionally; only after I started substantially piecing together scriptural testimony, confirming the shape of it (so far as I can currently see), did I start publicly teaching and professing it to other Christians.
Since then, thanks to my work and testimony, I know of several conservative evangelical Christians who are a lot closer to believing it to be true than they were before. And the timescale is about right for any serious and thoughtful development of theirs along this line. I didn’t rush into it myself, and I never recommend that anyone else should do so either. Also, where I live and work pretty much everyone is conservative evangelical ECT who have had practically no exposure to EU and only know the term (as I once did) in reference to the so-called ‘Unitarian Universalists’. So the fact that it has been very slow going doesn’t bother me.
Clark Pinnock was conservatism’s poster boy for Calvinism at one point. He died an inclusivist, open theist, annihilationist.
Greg Boyd used to be a conservative, hard core, front and center Calvinist as well. He ditched ECT some time ago and leans toward annihilationism BUT is hopeful regarding eventual UR. He agrees that so long as there is hope, God will pursue people. Only those who are irrevocably solidified in evil (which he grants is a possibility) will be annihilated (actually their complete annihilation is cotermimous with their final irrevocable solidificatn in evil). But anyhow…
…there are others.
Tom
My family Gene (Auggy), dad (Bob Wilson), and myself all participated in a conservative American Baptist church and still do. Well, with the exception of Gene. He says it’s too difficult. My dad was the pastor and I grew up believing in hell for sure. He, after leaving the ministry, read Talbott and started introducing us to it. It was a long while before we were taken with EU. My dad has shared that, while in the ministry, he had a particularly difficult time with hell, though he felt he just had to accept it. Getting out of the ministry and being able to reflect, come to his own conclusions, has been very liberating.
On my ordination training course 1998-2001 I was the most conservative student of all - and proud of it. Defender of orthodox biblical truth against the wishy washy liberal hordes! 
Dirtboy,now that I think about it I remember having a conversation about this with my Dad. He was reflecting that it’s usually us conservative ones that end up being EU. I remember this because I got a little worried that my kids, that won’t be as indoctrinated in fundamentalism, might not come to appreciate Universalism like I have. I wonder how many that weren’t raised conservative hold our view, that though maybe they hope for it informally they arent as interested in how all the pieces fit together like we are. It’s almost like to truly appreciate it you have to have been a conservative. Ya think? What liberals do you know care about EU?
A few years back I began to pray for a revelation of Hell because I thought that the church was doing a poor job of getting people to Jesus. We seemed to be more concerned with numbers, nickles and noses, as I heard one person put it. I believed it for forty years of my life and then I had the dream. I dreamed that I was buried alive…complete darkness, utter despair without any hope. I woke up terrified and then I heard a voice say, “I wouldn’t do that to anyone.” I immediately went to my pastor, he blew me off. I went to two other men who I respected and they had no answers for my questions about scripture that I began to see. They said that I was adding to scripture. I showed them where the church had added things to scripture such as “God is “potentially” the Savior of all men, but “actually” the Savior of those who believed.” but that is not what it said. They pretty much ignored me after that. I began to look on line and was blown away by what I found. Five years or so later and here I am stuck between hell and a hard place. 
So yes I believed it, didn’t want to not believe it.
Amy you make a very good point. When I’ve talked to liberal christian friends about EU they have been a bit “yeah, whatever- what’s the big deal?” Maybe because they never took the horrors of hell seriously in the first place (linking into nimblewill’s story!). What I think we have to be careful of is that we don’t misdirect our zeal and become obsessed with convincing other christians to be universalists, diverting our energy away from the far more important task of helping non-christians come to faith and bringing the kingdom on earth. There are some interesting bible stories about where misdirected zeal can lead - and they don’t only apply to neo-calvinist haters of the Rob Bell “way”. 
Nimblewill, thanks for sharing that story. People won’t be convinced by words on the page - even scripture - until the Spirit changes their heart.
I was thinking about this today, how much my attitude toward God and other people has changed since discovering UR. I’ve never loved God or people like I do now. If I am being deceived God is using it mightly in my life. If people don’t see it in me and the Spirit doesn’t draw them through it then it probably is a lie. But I have witnessed otherwise. And yes I agree. I don’t tell people unless I feel I am led directly to do so. The results have been fun.
I was a strong ECT believer prior to understanding UR. My mind was changed when I was put into a situation where I questioned God’s wisdom in sending my father astray into UR. I demanded answers from God into why God would let my father waste 25 years of his life in the Gospel to end up believing a heresy which would ultimately (according to my doctrine at the time) send him into Hell!!! I said if I did not get an answer in three days, I would leave Him since such a weak God is not worthy of my worship or my life. Three days later, I am a fully convinced universalist.
It seems that you are probably right on that one. Most of the people at my church are very conservative, republican, young earth creationist ECTers. (For the record, I was a conservative, libertarian, old earth design theorist, ECTer now I’m leaning very strongly toward UR!) What do you think are their chances? Just a few weeks ago, my pastor, who is one of the coolest guys you will ever meet, gave the “an eternal offense against an eternal God deserves eternal hell” statement. I don’t think he would respond well to TEU. He is VERY comfortable with hell 
What was it that convinced you? 
I be one 
I came from a Plymouth Brethren, Gospel Hall, Fire and Brimestone preaching, we’re the only group that’s going to make it to the pearly gates type sect 
. Jesus loves you, but I’m his favorite, mind set
I’m not out of the proverbial closet yet… I’ve just tested the waters here and there so far. But, boy oh boy, It will be fun when I do.
I’ve been out of the Brethren for about six years now. Doing the house church thing for now. But most of my friends are from the old school. Please keep me in your prayers, I need to do this soon I believe.
Yes, I understand that will be difficult 
I will pray for you.
On December 23rd, 2003, I woke up with a dislocated neck and I had to get my dad to drive me to a doctor. While at the doctor we began to talk about the goodness of God and the Gospel of Christ. My dad said, “Craig, we understand that the grace of God and the sovereignty of our God is real. What if—and I ask this only for you to think about—what if all are saved?” He waited for my reaction.
In my heart, a piercing jab–like a sword tearing through my flesh–devastated my presupposition of God. I had known since I was very young about God’s grace and sovereignty. Could my father be right? Could it be that despite the things that God had shown me concerning Himself, that I had a very limited perception of Him? I recalled the words He had spoken to me: “You know that I AM, but now KNOW who I AM. Know why and what you believe! Do this and grow in Me!” Those words echoed in my heart as my dad continued to speak.
“Craig, would that not be the Best Good News?” My dad was not wanting to hurt me. He saw my expression of immediate anger slowly subsiding to reason.
“Yes, that would be, and that would compel me to tell the world of this good news.” I didn’t realize the truth as I said it, “That would mean that all our free-will is a joke.” Though my pride was offended by the thought, my heart was telling me otherwise. “I will need to pray over this dad,” I said to him. I wasn’t about to go into deep debate with him over the possibility that God wanted to–and could–save all mankind. Though we ended our conversation that day, my dad’s words continued to torment my mind.
I was thinking about this so deeply, that I missed my bus stop, and had to walk home. I’m sure it was the Lord’s pleasure. All the way home, I argued loudly to God. I was hurt that this was not made a reality to me before. I was hurt the Lord had for 20 years kept me in the dark concerning this wonderful plan. I was hurt at the possibility that my perception of justice had been foolishness to God and that I had been deceived for so long. “God!” I said in anger, “Dear Heavenly Father!” I could hear my sobbing voice echo in the snowy streets, “You are not a God of confusion, and I ask you now to remove this thought from me! I cannot live a lie, nor can I follow You any longer if You cannot prove to me the Truth of your Word. If You cannot effectively prove to me in two days Your purpose and plan, I will leave You forever and I will choose to live a life for myself.” I was very hurt for some reason. It all seems irrational now as I speak it, but the emotion and confusion were very real. I got home just in time to open my Bible.
There was nothing but text, black ink on white paper. I could not read it for any understanding. I could not read in the reality of God, nor could I read in the reality of His existence. The words were dead to me as if God was a myth and I was atheist looking in on a foolish religion. I went to sleep crying.
The same thing happened the second day. No longer did I have a purpose to read the Bible; it laid bare in front of me, foreign and distant. I could not grasp any Truth from it. I could only read of a sadistic God who tormented His Creation with an iron scepter and whip. Hell was endless, with Satan and his fallen angels prodding the people who were imprisoned there. There was no hope in this gospel. I went to sleep crying.
Like Jonah in the belly of the whale, on the third day, I opened the Living Word for the first time. No longer were the words merely black and white, but color! I saw a broad spectrum of shades found in the rainbow promise of God! Praise God, He did save all mankind! He is the Savior of all mankind! I could not believe my eyes as every verse and chapter and book read of reconciliation and the Love of God. I read Isaiah 45; 1 Timothy 2:4; John 1:12-13; John 3:16-17; Romans 5:18-20, and the list goes on and on and on! I opened to obscure passages of Lamentations, Micah, and Hosea. I read strange Psalms and Proverbs that spoke of the immeasurable salvation that is found in the Lord, and how every knee would bow and every tongue confess that He is Lord–not out of fear but willingly. The Lord reminded me of my testimony; and for the first time everything made sense.
Thank you for sharing your story Craig!
It took longer than 3 days for me, but I sure can relate to this!
Sonia
I believe God is greater than all things. If He couldn’t show me in three days, then I knew He wasn’t God and would walk away. I needed to know for sure by the third day and He went through 3 different ways people can read Scriptures (upon my reflection) and the God within: as a cultural history book, a religious book with wrath and judgment, a religious book of grace and salvation. Of course it is more than a religious book, but He shown me these different ways, and at the end told me, “Do you know who I AM?”