Hello,
I have a kind of a problem. I feel like I do not find my place in Christian communities.
I feel like I do not fit in with my views (e.g. universal salvation).
What could I do about it?
Thank you
Love and Shalom
Dani
PS: Sorry, for the second post on the same day but I hope it is ok this time…
Hi Dani,
There is a church called Christian (Disciples of Christ). They let the individual make up their own mind on controversial issues like hell. Not sure if you’ve looked into them or not but you might give it a shot and see what you think. They do take communion every Sunday but everyone is invited.
Yeah, I know what you mean, Dani.
I’m not going to church now, for a number of reasons unrelated to church itself, but it seems to me that there are quite a few churches where the doctrine of hell is just more or less ignored. You might like the Methodist church too – Or the one Cole said (which I don’t know anything about). I grew up in the Methodist church and while they’re all different, it seems to me they don’t typically talk about hell. Unless you’re in Houston or Denver or somewhere else where there’s a viable Christian universalist church, that’s probably the best you’re going to do.
Good hunting! 
Cindy
Hi Dani
This is a difficult one. In the UK, we’re a bit more fortunate in this regards - hell is very rarely mentioned in church, simply because the Church is small enough here that it’s not generally considered a particularly good evangelistic ‘tactic’ to bring it up. In a society like ours, talking about it would probably just backfire. That doesn’t mean that universalism is even tolerated in our churches but you rarely hear a talk on hell - I’ve never personally heard a single Sunday sermon on hell even though I’ve been in church all my life - so you could probably hold your view without it ever being a problem. The chances are that you would rarely be in a situation where you would have to admit to it.
Is it the problem that churches themselves haven’t been accepting towards you or is it that you just don’t feel like you belong because of your views? The first one’s very hard to deal with; if there’s a stern doctrinal divide and people’s attitudes towards you are ones of suspicion and hostility then that’s not going to be a good match. The second one’s more manageable because you can do more about it than you can the first one.
Dani,
Here is a group that that has churches all over the world, most of them outside of Canada and the U.S.A.
The overseers of this group, as well as most of the people who attend their churches, believe in universal salvation, and so none of these churches will fault you for holding that position.
They don’t mention universal salvation in their “statement of faith”, and seldom preach it. I don’t know the reason for that.
But I assure you, they never speak against it, or in any way oppose anyone who believes it. You could write to them and find out if there’s a church near you.
Dani - dont know if you’ve tried the Episcopalians. They have such a “wideness” in belief systems, and they have ritual, liturgy, the Eucharist. I was episcopalian before going RC, and there are so many things I love about that Church. You would want to find one that allows for the diverse opinions.
If you are interested at all in RC check out EWTN (tv channel)…lots of shows on the saints, on the love of Christ, on the catholic belief system…not universalist, but certainly many Catholics believe most are saved…(not all catholics believe this but many do)
I think the suggestions of Methodism. Roman Catholicism, Anglicanism and Eastern Orthodoxy, are all viable options to consider. When my mom passed away over a year ago, I did attend grief groups at a local Methodist church. A retired clergy member did host a 4 week book study on Love Wins by Rob Lowe. Perhaps you can follow the advice in the Christian Guideposts article I read today on How to Pray and Get Results, that tells the story of a small business owner. It could also apply to finding a church open to universalists.
Rob Lowe? Or maybe Rob Bell.
Perhaps you can follow the advice in the Christian Guideposts article I read today on How to Pray and Get Results, that tells the story of a small business owner. It could also apply to finding a church open to universalists.
Good stuff Randy, thanks!
Rob Lowe is the spokesman now for Direct TV and they have been airing quite a few TV commercials lately. I should have looked up the book author rather than rely on memory. 
Find what is true because certain denominations have horrible doctrine preached which when believed can lead the hearer on the path to hell. Stuff like the belief that God ‘sent himself to die on the cross’ when Jesus is the ‘WORD OF GOD’. He also said ‘the Father is greater than I.’ And he said I and my Father are One. When two people love each other as themselves they become one in spirit as with David and Jonathan. There are also certain people who preach that certain meat should be abstained from when all should be received in thanksgiving. There are people that preach that if you believe Jesus existed and live as a sinner you go to heaven, which undermines and treads over his blood, and the principle ‘repent or perish’. There are churches that have leaders with a ‘believe what you want’ approach which is foolish altogether because the Truth is narrow. There are people that are possessed by spirits and blabber thinking they speak in a tongue. There are soothsayers thinking they are filled with the Holy Spirit, when in reality it is not so and that can be seen in their conduct and mannerisms, and by anyone who has the gift to discern which is given by God Almighty through the Holy Spirit. There are some that believe that as long as you say it it is real. I.e. I proclaim this blessing etc. and its theirs, fooling themselves and believing the tongue is a primary source of faith in a man, when faith is genuine from the heart, and the confession is to be subsequent from faith because ‘What is in you will come out of you.’ There are some that believe you must have polygamy to enter the kingdom of heaven, or abstain from marriage, when both are optional. There are certain people who preach Godliness to be a way to financial blessing, when it is spiritual, and covet money and luxury, and by doing this have desired money and fame which are worldly, and the love of such is at enmity with the love of God. There are certain people that believe Sodomy as acceptable, when it is sexual immorality, and certain people that believe in the judge not as a means to not rebuke anyone for bad behavior, of course rebuke should not be confused with condemn. There are many disgusting doctrine in the institutions and/or congregations of the so called church. Take the narrow way whoever you are. The deceived are many.