Luna,
PLEASE dont feel bad about explaining what you believe. I find it good that we can discuss these things. Does not the Bible say to "let us reason?" We are not mad that you are explaining your beliefs, we only ask that you explain from scripture why you believe what you believe. So far, you havent proved from scripture that all will go to Heaven.
Later,
Silas
Hi Silas,
Don't worry, I don't feel bad in any way, but I take it seriously to heart when someone suggests I'm throwing stumbling blocks. Not that that can be avoided...we all do that all the time. But when some tells me that what I say is causing problems for others I wish to proceed with great consideration. I am not ashamed of my beliefs, but just as Paul taught, even when we know that it's OK to eat meat sacrificed to idols, if the eating of that meat causes others problems it is better to refrain. God cares about the way we relate to others.
You say, "Let us reason together," and we could stay in dialogue and do that if that were your approach. But you ask me to support my views with Scripture, then you berate me for it...it's a mug's game. My faith is not based upon Scripture alone, but on Scripture, Tradition and Reason, all these three gifts from God to draw us closer to Him and to each other.
By Scipture alone and the logic I've seen used here to dismiss the idea of universal salvation (the passage about the unforgivable sin), you could never accept the doctrine of the Trinity (God is one), and we could never have Biblical proof that Christ was the Messiah (ask Bananabrain). It's not my bag to do theology, but I know other faithful and intelligent theologians have also seen universal salvation as a theme of the Bible. They are no less qualified to express doctrine than Martin Luther, who relied upon his own reason (and also Tradition) when he elucidated the doctrine of sola fide, and they are no less inspired than Calvin when he elaborated on Augustine's doctrine of predetermination. Karl Barth, a conservative theologian, turned predetermination on it's head when he reasoned that it was Jesus who was predetermined to die--for all.
Faith alone is sufficient, sure, but you seem to want to put a lot of special qualifications on that faith, and I don't buy it. I think it is a distortion of Scripture and not reflective of the good news related by the first follwers of Christ in the Gospels. We also each have our experience of knowing God, as those early Christians did, experience you also belittle and dismiss. What good is having the Bible if we are not to let it be living to us, a place of access for Christ to each of us? Protestants did not like Rome telling them how to interpret scripture, yet now you turn right around and tell everyone else the only true way to interpret scripture. Ironic, no?
The 'salvation' you preach is not good news--and your own uneasiness with this is evident in your judgement of others because in effect you are judging yourself and God, and it a harsh judgement, not the easy yoke and light burden of Jesus.
You are starting to convince me of one thing though--perhaps you are right that fear is the only way to get the attention of some. By your testimony it is the only way Christ could reach you. But fear and hate seem like a terrible way of approaching our life with God and each other. I could not do it. And undermining the faith of others who approach Christ in innocence and love, like children, seems contrary to the Jesus I've met in the Bible, and in my heart.
We become what we worship. What is the character of your God?
