The Evangelical Universalist Forum

Universalism: Forms and Fallacies

Evangelical Universalism Arguments against Evangelical Universalism
#1

christinyou.net/pages/universalism.html

Have ya’ll read this. I’m particularly interested in his take on God’s love.

#2

I like a lot of what I’ve read of Fowler (admittedly, not much). But I have to say I’m surprised by this. I didn’t expect him to come out arguing that UR is a heresy. Oh well.

When he says, “the church has long recognized that the teaching of universalism impinges upon the major doctrines of Christianity, and has determined that universalistic teaching is contrary to the core foundation of Christian orthodoxy, and is therefore heretical,” he misses it w-i-d-e of the mark.

Tom

#3

That’s a big claim to be making. Maybe we should invite him along here to flesh it out more or debate with Robin or Talbott or anyone else who feels up to it?

#4

I would absolutely love to have a discussion with him about what major doctrines (plural) of Christianity (per se) I am supposed to be impinging on. (Considering that I finally arrived at universalism as a necessary corollary to trinitarian orthodoxy!)

Invite him over, or for a series of post exchanges.

#5
#6

I especially don’t understand how an apostle can say that it is impossible for God to lie if in fact the Apostle is restricting God from doing what his divine freedom demands - namely anything.

I also don’t really get from the text what Arminians nor Calvinists get from the text. Calvinists insert “God want’s only some to be saved” while Arminains assert “God has a deeper desire than his wanting all to be saved”. His DEEP desire is that God want’s only those who freely get saved to be saved and those who are freely lost to stay lost.

So good shepherds actaully do stop looking for their 1 lost sheep in order to return to the 99 good sheep who never left???

I’m going to ask him to back up this paper but I’d like to offer Tom the first crack at him in a closed dialogue.

Aug

#7

I’ve been working up a paper in reply to that myself, in what passes for my spare time in recent days… :laughing:

At the moment it’s a notesheet prep in case I have the opportunity to dialogue with him. But I hope to post it up eventually. (As usual I go as far as possible in agreeing with him where I can.)