God’s terrible mistake

On the third day of creation, God made a mistake so extreme that the world still hasn’t fully recovered. I know, it’s hard to believe, but after two days of creating a whole universe you’d have trouble maintaining perfection too. The physics involved in creating gravity alone would be enough to drive a mere mortal… Continue reading God’s terrible mistake

We are all innocent

Those who know me well know that I don’t believe in “free will,” or at least that I think it’s the biggest misnomer there is, philosophically and theologically speaking. Every person alive is a victim of their genetics and past experiences. In other words, every choice we make is predetermined by a combination of our… Continue reading We are all innocent

Do Universalists need Jesus?

Someone I know recently said that if Universalism is true then we don’t need Jesus and, since I’ve heard this statement too many times from too many traditionalists, I felt a need to give a short response to it here. As a Universalist, I like to respond to assertions like this one with a parable… Continue reading Do Universalists need Jesus?

TULIP for Universalists

Believe it or not, I find that there is a little bit in Calvinism to agree with, particularly their take on the sovereignty of God. There are some points where we disagree, though, what with me being a Universalist and all, so I thought I’d give my Universalist take on TULIP: 1. Total Mortality and… Continue reading TULIP for Universalists

You are already a heretic

It doesn’t matter what your theological views are, nor does it matter what denomination your church is; no matter who you are, you are considered a heretic by some other group of Christians out there. What most people don’t realize is that the definition of “heresy” isn’t “false teaching,” just as the word “orthodoxy” doesn’t… Continue reading You are already a heretic

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If you were a Universalist

I was recently reminded of a great old (possibly apocryphal) story about the 19th-century Universalist, Hosea Ballou: Ballou was riding the circuit in the New Hampshire hills with a Baptist minister one day, arguing theology as they traveled. At one point, the Baptist looked over and said, “Brother Ballou, if I were a Universalist and… Continue reading If you were a Universalist

Just because it’s “orthodox” doesn’t mean it’s true

Always remember, just because something is labelled “orthodox” doesn’t mean it’s true. Heresy is often just the rejection of commonly accepted error. This is the essence of my life philosophy, along with, “Question everything… even this.” As most people do, I began life accepting that most of the standard “orthodox” beliefs were true, be they… Continue reading Just because it’s “orthodox” doesn’t mean it’s true