Tag Archives: universalism

One Way

I became a Christian during the Jesus Movement of the early 1970’s.  I look back with a fond nostalgia to that time.  It was an exciting time to be alive, to be a believer in Jesus.  Yes, there were many troubling things happening in our country, in the world.  Yet despite the troubles God was moving in mighty and dramatic ways.  How many thousands, if not millions, of young people came to Christ during that time?  Some of the excitement of that era is captured in the film Woodlawn.  (If you haven’t seen it, you should check it out.)  At the climax of the movie emphasis is placed on an iconic image from the Jesus Movement—the “One Way” symbol.  It was a common emblem in those days.  Young believers would hold up their hand with the index finger extended.  You would see posters emblazoned with a picture of a hand with one finger raised, boldly proclaiming “One Way.”  (I used to draw that symbol on the back of my school notebooks.)  It was a simple yet effective statement of faith in Jesus.  We all were declaring, “Jesus is the only way!” Continue reading

The Unitarian Universalist Church

The roots of the Unitarian Universalist Association are somewhat varied. Early in the history of the Reformation there arose a move toward heretical teachings about the nature of Jesus Christ, especially regarding his deity. Faustus Socinus (1539-1604) was an Italian who moved to Poland and there became the spokesman for a Unitarian view of God. That is to say, he rejected the idea of the Trinity and the deity of Christ. Socinus and his “Polish Brethren” considered themselves the defenders of the true Christian faith. Continue reading

Is Hell Temporary or Eternal?

Note: This posting is somewhat lengthier than most of those dealing with cultic groups and false teachings. However, the nature of the subject warrants a more in-depth consideration than normal.

There is a growing trend in some Christian circles to question whether hell is truly eternal, or only temporary. Generally it is asserted that a loving God would not condemn anyone to an eternal punishment. This is a serious enough issue that it needs to be addressed.

The first point that must be made is that we have only one genuine and reliable authority for deciding this issue. This is the Bible, the Word of God.

Second, it is obvious that much of real issue concerns the terms used in the Scriptures for hell and eternal destruction. Much of this study will concern the meaning of these terms and how to properly understand them. Continue reading