The Evangelical Universalist Forum

Simple Syllogisms for UR

Simple Syllogisms for UR

While I love the complex and theological and profound defenses of Universal Reconciliation that are put forward by GM, and Tom, and Jason Pratt, and the rest of you, I still retain a real love and appreciation for the simple syllogisms that can serve as simple summaries of why Universalism makes sense to me.

If you have any of your own, I’d love to hear them!
Here are a couple of my recent ones to get started…

A) Jesus says He came to seek and Save the lost,
B) The bible seems to assert that Jesus wins a Total Victory by His life, death, and resurrection,
C) therefore UR

or this

A) Love always desires what is best for the other; what is best for the other is always union with God (they may be in states where they themselves do not yet recognize/accept/understand this)
B) God is love
C) therefore UR

or this (this one is trickier for me…)

A) our freedom is not so vast that we can chose to be born,
B) neither is our freedom so vast that we can chose NOT to exist,
C) therefore our choice involves not existence versus nonexistence, but rather involves the pathway to our union with God. (ie repentance now, or after the purifying “fires” of a redemptive – not punitive – hell)

What do you think??

Total Victory
Bobx3

I’m not so sure these really work as syllogisms but they’re great as discussion starters - each of them causes you to reflect on the nature of God. So the first one isn’t really a concrete ‘argument’ so much as a gentle nudge that says - “What kind of victory does God win if so much of his creation suffers everlasting torment?”. There’s a great passage towards the end of TEU along these lines:

You are quite right of course Chris; discussion starting points. Not for formal defense of UR.

And thanks for reminding me of this much shared quote of GM – now known as RP…

Bobx3
TotalVictory