In contrast we have Christian Universalism which teaches universal salvation instead of eternal damnation -- accounts of 18th/19th century converts from "fire and brimstone"-ism cited the incompatiblility of eternal damnation with an all-loving God. The American branch was established in 1793 and came to be called the Universalist Church of America. By 1961, they and the American Unitarian Association had come close enough into agreement that they merged to form the Unitarian-Universalist Association (UUA). While they still differed in the 19th century, Thomas Starr King (who had been a Unitarian minister; also used to have his statue in Congress for having been credited by Lincoln for having kept California in the Union during the Civil War -- sadly, he was replaced in 2006 by Ronald Reagan) is quoted as having said:
quote:
Universalists believe that God is too good to damn anybody to eternal damnation. Unitarians believe that they are too good to be damned.
In one sermon, our minister (UU) described Universalism's influence in turning mainstream Christian denominations away from preaching damnation and more towards God's love. He maintained that Universalism's great success was also its downfall, since there was little else to differentiate it from the newly saved mainstream denominations. Thus declining membership had helped them to merge with the Unitarians in 1961.
{to borrow from Arlo Gutherie} But that's not what I came here to talk to you about. How believers in Eternal Damnation view their beliefs is only a small part of the picture. How then do they view other people in light of that belief?
All us "unsaved" have encountered fundamentalist proselytizers -- in the days of the 1970 "Jesus Freaks", it was almost a constant barrage. We even encounter it in "creation/evolution" discussions, where the creationist has absolutely no interest in discussing his claims, but rather only wants to convert you -- Calypsis4 is a prime example of that. As a last resort, they will deploy the "Christian Death Threat" in which they give you the bottom line that if you don't convert then you face eternal damnation. They tell you that they are acting purely out of love. In fact, they are going to such extreme efforts to convert you and all the unsaved, purely out of love for you. Or so they say.
What about their fellow Christians who stumble and are acting in direct opposition to God's Laws? If they have so much love for us "unsaved" whom they have never met before and so much concern for our souls, then what about their fellow Christians whom they know
and whom they identify as their personal friends? I had an encounter which says that they don't give a damn about their fellow Christians' souls.
Around 1990, I carried on an extensive email correspondence with a local creationist activist, Bill -- the slimeball makes Calypsis look like a pussycat in comparison. I came into contact with another fundamentalist who said he knew Bill personally and considered him a friend. I then proved conclusively that Bill was deliberately lying, so conclusively that this friend had to admit to that fact. Thinking that getting his peers to talk to him about what he was doing could pressure Bill to play more honestly, I asked his friend to talk with him. The friend refused. I pointed out that Bill's soul was hanging in the balance. The friend told me that
that was absolutely none of his business, that talking to Bill about it would even be against Christian doctrine.
So the souls of the "unsaved" are of all-consuming importance, yet the souls of their Christian friends are strictly off-limits? Whiskey-Tango-Foxtrot, Oscar?
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