Universalism in the World has Permeated the Church
by Sandy Simpson, 10/12/07
The current fad of interfaith solidarity and unity is simply a thin guise of inclusivism, Universalism and pluralism.
Universalism is defined by Dictionary.com as:
The doctrine that emphasizes the universal fatherhood of God and the final salvation of all souls. (http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/universalism) Universalism is a religion and theology that generally holds all persons and creatures are related to God or the divine and will be reconciled to God. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Universalism)
Pluralism is defined as:
The doctrine that reality is composed of many ultimate substances. … The belief that no single explanatory system or view of reality can account for all the phenomena of life. (American Heritage Dictionary, http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/pluralism)
"Inclusivism posits that even though the work of
Christ is the only means of salvation, it does not follow that explicit
knowledge of Christ is necessary in order for one to be saved. In contrast to pluralism,
inclusivism agrees with exclusivism in affirming the particularity of
salvation in Jesus Christ. But unlike exclusivism, inclusivism holds that an
implicit faith response to general revelation can be salvific. God expects from
man a response proportional to the light given. Saving faith is not
characterized so much by its cognitive content as it is by its reverent
quality." (Ken Keathley, None Dare Call It Treason: Is an Inclusivist a Paul Revere or a
Benedict Arnold? (Ken Keathley, Assistant Professor of Theology and Philosophy New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary,
http://baptistcenter.com/Journal%20Articles/Spr%202004/08%20Corporate%20Inclucivism.pdf)
"I believe that all the world, whether they be Muslim, Christian,
or any other religion, prays to the same God. That's what I believe. … See, I believe
there is a universal God. I believe the God that the Muslim prays to is
the same God that I pray to. After all, we all came from Abraham. I
believe in that universality." (Interview of the President by Al Arabiya, Oval Office, White
House, October 4, 2007, http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2007/10/20071005-5.html)
"Americans of many faiths and traditions share a common belief
that God hears the prayers of His children and shows grace to those who seek
Him. ... There is a power in these prayers [to various gods].... I ask the
citizens of our Nation to give thanks, each according to his or her own faith,
for the freedoms and blessings we have received and for God's continued
guidance, comfort, and protection." (President George
W. Bush, National Day of Prayer, 2007: A Proclamation
by the President of the United States of America,
http://www.ndptf.org/press_room/Index.cfm?Entity=4&Department=4&Dept_Order=1&This_TopicOrder=8&This_SubtopicOrder=1#3)
President Bush hosted an
Islamic celebration at the White House on October 4. He welcomed his guests
with these words,
"Laura
and I are pleased to have you here for our seventh Iftaar dinner. Tonight we
celebrate traditions of Islamic faith, which brings hope and comfort to more
than a billion people. For Muslims around the world, the holy month of Ramadan
is... a time to celebrate Islam's learned and vibrant culture, which has
enriched civilization for centuries.... Ramadan is also a good time for
Americans of all faiths to reflect on the values we hold in common -- including
love of family, gratitude to the Almighty....” ("President Bush
[speaks at Islamic] Dinner at the White House," 10-4-07, http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2007/10/print/20071004-9.html)
Islam is bringing “hope and comfort”?
What world do they live in?
Certainly not the world where there are over 100 wars going on in
various places and most of them are wars involving the Muslims. “Has enriched civilization for centuries”? More like has attacked the civilizations of
the world since it’s inception. But Bush is not the only “Christian” making
these kinds of statements. Of course we
expect Universalism in the world. We know that the United Religions Initiative
of the United Nations, which Bush supports, is promoting Universalism.
“We believe that the wisdom of our religious and spiritual traditions should be shared for the health and well being of all. Therefore, as communities of faith and interdependent people rooted in our faith, we now unite for the sake of peace and healing among religions, peoples and nations, and for the benefit of the earth and all living beings.” We believe that all religions derive their wisdom from that ultimate Source. Therefore, the world's faith traditions share in common wisdom, which can be obscured by differences in religious concepts and practices. ... The United Religions promotes dialogue. A theology of acceptance will help the world's people explore common ground. Our awareness of unity within religious diversity promotes ever-increasing kinship” (quoted in SCP JOURNAL 22:4-23:1 By Lee Penn.)
We also know that false religions like Bahai have been promoting Universalism for years (when they are really trying to get people to worship Bahaullah).
“Many
names in many religions are used to describe the same God. … Be aware that all major religions promote
the belief in one God and one mankind, and that God is the source of Truth and
Guidance. … In other words, God creates all religions. …
The source of all
religions is one.
Truth is One. God is One.” (http://72.14.203.104/search?q=cache:j2PHu49peN0J:www.sfu.ca/~cabs/Kerns/1-Unity.doc+mungu+attributes&hl=en&gl=us&ct=clnk&cd=15)
“Although we may have different concepts of God's nature, although we may pray to Him in different languages and call Him by different names--Allah or Yahweh, God or Brahma--nevertheless, we are speaking about the same unique Being” (The Bahá'í Concept of God http://info.bahai.org/article-1-4-0-2.html)
It looks like the coming Maitreya will be revealed using this Universalist mantra.
According to esoteric teachings, Maitreya is
the awaited Fifth Buddha. He is also known as the Christ, World Teacher, Imam
Mahdi, Messiah, & Kalki Avatar. The word 'Christ' is not the name of an
individual, but the title of an office or function within the Spiritual
Hierarchy of Masters. The Leader of all the Masters for our planet's Spiritual
Hierarchy is known to many in the west as the Christ and as the Bodhissatva in
the east. The Hierarchy is known to some as the 'Great White Brotherhood'.
Without infringing upon our freewill, Maitreya and his disciples, the Masters
of Wisdom will guide humanity into a future which will be much lovelier than
most of our better futurists currently imagine. …Preferring to be known simply
as 'the Teacher', Maitreya has not come as a religious leader or to found a
new religion, but as teacher and guide for people of every religion and those
of no religion. He has come "like a thief in the night," (Peter 3:10)
when least expected. He is returning for the good of everyone, both the
religious and non-religious alike. (http://www.deceptioninthechurch.com/maitreya5.html)
But let’s look at Universalist statements by other
“Christians” and “Christian” organizations. When they make these statements
they are denying the core doctrine of salvation by grace alone through faith alone
in CHRIST alone, thereby teaching heresy.
WYCLIFFE
(Bible Translation Mission): (Regarding Bible translation) “From the outset one
has to deal with identifying the name for the Supreme Being, God. This can be
difficult and potentially divisive. However, each language and culture appears
to have within it a ‘ “homing instinct” for God – deeply buried by the sin and
corruption that affects all cultures, yet still there’ (Williams, 2004: n.p.). Each religion has a
different understanding of deity that is based upon how the Supreme Being is
defined (Thomas, 2001: 305). The characteristics of the local deity must be
identified so that it can be determined how these will impact the understanding
of God. Is it possible for any language to totally explain the meaning of
God? Or is there a need to add further definition or explanation? The
challenge is to identify what intrinsic capacity exists within the language
that helps provide the meaning of God. (Theological and Cultural issues in Bible
Translation, A lay person's guide to a basic understanding of what is
important, Article by Kirk Franklin, Executive Director Wycliffe Australia, http://www.wycliffe.org.au/html/missiological_articles/missiological_article007.htm)
“Is it possible for any language to totally explain the meaning of God?” Well, apparently Hebrew and Greek are fine with God as those are the original languages of the Bible and they explain everything we need to know about God. In fact, since the English and other translations are based on those languages we have everything we need to live in the Bible. (2 Tim. 3:14-17) Wycliffe and other SBL partners are looking for the names of local deities to put in the Bible for God? That has NEVER been then modus operandi for Bible societies up until the present because “local deities” are clearly not the true YHWH of Scripture that Christians worship. If these local deities can “help provide the meaning of God” then how is it that the Bible clearly states that Gentiles “do no know God” (1 Cor. 1:20, Ga. 4:8, 2 Thes. 1:8-9) and are “without God and without hope in the world” (Eph. 2:11-13) apart from the Gospel being preached to them (Rom. 10:14-15)?
SOCIETY OF BIBLICAL LITERATURE (Bible Translation Society) “There is an unwarranted skepticism towards
the heathens' possession, if at all, of a very limited and low knowledge of the
divine from the so-called “natural/native religion.” The adoption of a local
name for the universal God will facilitate mutual transformation of both
Christianity and the native religion and culture.” (God's Asian Names: Rendering the Biblical God
in Chinese, Archie C. C. Lee, SBL Web Site,
http://www.sbl-site.org/Article.aspx?ArticleId=456)
LEON SIU (Aloha Ke Akua): “So these are clues that we felt God had left
(the Hawaiian people) and evidence that He’s left as well as processes He has
left in which our Hawaiian people can respond in a very natural way to God and
really set things right between them and God. … A few years ago some friends and I were contemplating how we would be
able to reach indigenous peoples and we thought that what was prevalent at that
time was a misconception among, within the church of God's presence here in
the islands. The misconceptions that, as was expressed earlier, was that
God didn't arrive until the missionaries arrived. You know, and so when
we started to look at this we started to look into our culture and see what
things within our culture what God had originally intended for this particular
group of people, Hawaiians.” (Leon Siu, Aloha Ke Akua, Word to the World
with host Danny Lehmann, KLHT, 2001, show #544)
“God didn’t
arrive till the missionaries arrived?”
That is simply not the truth.
The only way many Hawaiians were saved was by hearing the Gospel from missionaries. They had no saving knowledge of God, had no
way to be reconciled to God, were worshipping a number of false gods, were deep
into idolatry and pagan rituals of all kinds, and were imprisoned by the
enemy. They may have acknowledged that
some “god” created the universe, but that is only general revelation that there
is a God, not specific revelation that can “really set things right between
them and God”.
TERRY LEBLANC (World
Vision Canada): “There’s a myth that we have labored under for centuries in
indigenous communities and the myth is that we are a godless heathen people. …
“And yet all brings glory to God in its own special way, and that’s true of
human beings and cultures as well. …“God is now calling forth from among the
indigenous communities of the world that good deposit which He has made in them
of their cultures, their languages, their musical expressions and all that sort
of thing ... as an expression of praise and worship unto Himself.”
” (Terry LeBlanc, World Vision Canada, Word
to the World with host Danny Lehmann, KLHT, 2001, show #542)
It is no myth that Gentiles are “godless,
heathen people”. It is Biblical fact.
(Eph. 2:11-12) The word for heathen or
pagans in the Bible, ethnikos
In Greek and gowy in Hebrew means Gentiles. Cultures are not made by God but by men, and the Bible is not
real enthusiastic about the traditions of men. (Mark 7:4, 8-9)
RICHARD TWISS (President of
Wiconi International), keynote speaker at the 2001 conference, said
the land restitution is “the fruit of following traditional indigenous
protocol in presenting the redemptive message of faith and hope in Jesus Christ
as Healer, Great Spirit and Chief Shepherd of all tribes and nations.”
(Richard Twiss, Charisma
Magazine, October 2004, http://www.charismamag.com/a.php?ArticleID=9744)
Richard Twiss was on the 700 Club show with Gordon Robertson (Pat Robertson’s
son) and in an interview he told Gordon that the Great Spirit of the Indians
is the same as the Holy Spirit. Robertson heartily agreed. The problem with
this idea is that the Great Spirit has no son, and without the son there is no
redemption. The Great Spirit required human sacrifices and other atrocities.(
http://www.deceptioninthechurch.com/lehmann2.html)
Twiss claims that Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit are the Great Spirit on separate occasions. The Great Spirit is clearly not God if you know about Indian culture. The Great Spirit required a number of pagan rituals including body mutilation and even suicide. See this article for more information.
DANIEL KIKAWA (Aloha Ke
Akua): So by finding the native name of God which in, in Japan we
found that name Ameno mi-naka-nushi which means the God in the glorious center
of heaven and he is their creator God who created everything. And so we found
this name of this creator God there, and it immediately says he’s a Japanese
God and he loves them.” (Word to the World interview with Daniel Kikawa,
Feb. 16, 2006 #9) It is time that Christians reclaimed the many beautiful
names of the One Creator God in native languages instead of falling into
Satan's trap and destroying them. We should reclaim those names and wash
the dung of corruption off of them instead of giving them up to Satan. We must
cast off the corruption that Satan has thrown on the many beautiful names of
God in native languages.” … “Instead of destroying and ridiculing the native
names of the Creator God, we should help preserve them as a legacy for these
peoples. It is their legacy of God's enduring interest, involvement and care
for their culture and people! Christians should cease representing Jesus as
the Son of the foreign God of a foreign people, especially if these foreigners
had never shown concern for nor had any involvement in the lives or culture of
the natives. We should instead introduce Jesus as the Son of their creator God.
God lovingly created them in the beginning never left them without a witness
and, in his great love for them, even sent His only begotten Son, Jesus, to die
for them! (Daniel Kikawa, Perpetuated In Righteousness, pp.26-27 4th ed.)
Actually Ameno mi-naka-nushi was the god of the Polestar in the middle of the sky, not the “God in the glorious center of heaven”. See our book “Idolatry In Their Hearts” for verification. In other words, they were worshipping the stars. But Ameno was also not the highest god of Japan. The highest and oldest were a mother and father combo names Izanumi and Izanagi who then spawned a plethora of other gods including Ameno. Is God a “Japanese God”? No, God is God. He is YWHW as self-revealed in the Bible. But we cannot deny that Jesus Christ was born a Jew into a people called “God’s people” from which anyone who believes in Him as a Gentile is grafted in. Gentile gods had many sons and daughters but NEVER the one and only Son of God.
BILLY GRAHAM (Billy Graham
Evangelism Association): They (the heathen) may not even know the name of Jesus
but they know in their hearts that they need something that they don't have,
and they turn to the only light that they have, and I think they are saved, and
that they're going to be with us in heaven" (Billy Graham,
Straightway, September, 1997. The entire article may be received from the
author upon request, http://www.foundations.edu/online_material/straightway/1997/vol25_no9.htm).
“I used to think that pagans in far-off countries were lost--were going to
hell--if they did not have the Gospel of Jesus Christ preached to them. I no
longer believe that. ... I believe there are other ways of recognizing the
existence of God--through nature, for instance--and plenty of other
opportunities, therefore, of saying yes to God.” (Billy Graham, McCall’s
Magazine, 1978)
You can read my open letter to Billy Graham sent to the BGEA on 8/27/00. I know they received the letter because it was sent certified mail. They have never responded to any of the questions I had for them in that letter.
RICK WARREN (Saddleback Church):
(Talking about Catholics, Methodists, Mormons, Jews and ordained women whom he
trains in his seminars) "I'm not going to get into a debate over the
non-essentials. I won't try to change other denominations. Why be
divisive?" he asks, citing as his model Billy Graham, "a
statesman for Christ ministering across barriers." (Rick Warren in
"This evangelist has a 'Purpose'", by Cathy Lynn Grossman, USA
TODAY, 7/21/2003, http://www.usatoday.com/life/2003-07-21-rick-warren_x.htm)
“God accepts us unconditionally.” (Rick Warren, Learn to Love Yourself,
Ladies Home Journal, March 2005, 36.) Warren cites Henri Nouwen, though
the quote does not present anything to be uneasy about, he is not a good source
to quote. We find Nouwen is a promoter of contemplative prayer and is a
universalist (Purpose Driven Life page 269). On his website “My wife,
Kay, recommends this book! In it, Nouwen divides the life of ministry into
five categories: teaching, preaching, pastoral care, organizing, and
celebrating” (Henri Nouwen, Sabbatical Journey Creative Ministry, http://www.letusreason.org/Popteac23.htm) Rick Warren told an interfaith audience
at the 2005 UN Prayer Breakfast that God didn't care what religion they
were, they just needed to add Jesus to their lives, what he meant was that
you can stay Hindu, or Buddhist, or Muslim, but you need Jesus. It's called the
New Missiology. It promotes the following ideas: 1. You can keep your own
religion - Buddhism, Islam, Hinduism, Mormonism - you just need to add Jesus to
the equation. Then you become complete. You become a Buddhist with Jesus, a
Hindu with Jesus, a Muslim with Jesus and so on. 2. You can throw out the
term Christianity and still be a follower of Jesus. 3. In fact, you can
throw out the term Christian too. In some countries, you could be
persecuted for calling yourself a Christian, and there is no need for that.
Just ask Jesus into your heart, you don't have to identify yourself as a
Christian. (Rick Warren, UN Interfaith Prayer Breakfast, referenced http://simplyagape.blogspot.com/2007_06_01_archive.html)
Notice that Warren is teaching church growth techniques to false
religions. Is this helping the spread
of the Gospel? The term “Christian”
means follower of Christ. Also we don’t
add Jesus to our false religions. We
abandon our false religions and believe on Him alone.
HENRY NOUWEN (Christian/New Age author)
“Today I personally believe that while Jesus came to open the door to God's house,
all human beings can walk through that door, whether they know about Jesus or
not. Today I see it as my call to help every person claim his or her own way to
God” (Henri Nouwen's last book p.51, Sabbatical Journey Crossroad
publishing Co., New York, 1998, Quoted in a Time of Departing by Ray Yungen, http://www.letusreason.org/Popteac23.htm)
This is the guy that the Warrens endorse.
TONY CAMPOLO (The Evangelical
Association for the Promotion of Education): On a recent edition of
CNN's Crossfire, Tony Campolo refused to say Jesus is the only way to
heaven. The panel was discussing events at the Southern Baptist Convention
in Atlanta. Campolo would not answer the question directly but said, "The
Apostle Paul says that there are people who have light that is not Christian
light, and they will be judged on that basis." In an earlier
appearance on PBS's Charlie Rose, Campolo muddied theological waters by
stating, "I am saying that there is no salvation apart from Jesus;
that's my evangelical mindset. However, I am not convinced that Jesus only
lives in Christians" (National Liberty Journal, 8/99). CNV News
Service, http://www.deceptioninthechurch.com/campolo.html) “We want to convince the whole human race
that there is a God who established the infinite value of every person, who
mystically dwells in each person ...” (A Reasonable Faith: Responding to
Secularism, p. 59). “I do not mean that others represent Jesus for us. I
mean that Jesus actually is present in each other person” (ibid. p. 192).
Without believing in Jesus Christ as our Savior and His substitutional death on the cross to pay our penalty of sin we will be in the Great White throne judgment and will be judged by our works. Can our works save us? (Eph. 2:8-9) What Campolo is advocating here is to leave the Gentiles to their own devices. The Holy Spirit only indwells believers. This is absolute false teaching.
YWAM (Youth With A Mission):
The Charisma article noted: "Messianic Muslims, who continue to read
the Koran, visit the mosque and say their daily prayers but accept Christ as
their Savior, are the products of the strategy which is being tried in several
countries." A YWAM staff writer wrote: "They continue a life of
following the Islamic requirements, including mosque attendance, fasting and
Koranic reading, besides getting together as a fellowship of Muslims who
acknowledge Christ as the source of God's mercy for them... YWAM is also adopting
this approach in India, where a team is working with a Hindu holy man."
(YWAM in Foundation, May/June 2000, p. 39)
When you worship in a Mosque you pray to Allah. Allah is not YHWH. Islam is a quasi-monotheistic religion. But Hinduism? They have millions of gods.
VICTOR KAZANIIAN JR
(Episcopal priest): He wrote
in Episcopal life Forum, “ We walk side by side, fellow travelers on life's
pathways. I speak of being awakened to the wonder and mystery of the world,
using words that reflect my window to the divine, the one whom I call my Lord
and my God, Jesus, the Risen Christ. You, too, speak of being awakened to
the wonder and mystery of the world, using words that reflect your window, to
the divine through the teachings of the Buddha, of Baha'u'llah, of Lord
Mahavir, of Muhammad, teachings from the Torah, the Guru Granth Sahib and the
Vedas. As I hear you speak and as I look into your eyes, I see God. I feel
God. I experience God in you, not just a partial reflection of my Christian
God, but the creator, the divine spirit in wham we all live and move and have
our being. How magnificent is this divine force that it should appear across
the Earth like the flowers of a garden in so many different shapes and hues.”
“It is not simply so-called “religious fundamentalists” who practice this
exclusivism. No, there is a kind of tolerance of difference preached by liberal
church folk, which still clings to a Christocentric world view and becomes
apparent when we proclaim our faith using language that devalues the faith of
others.” “There is no place for religious exclusivism in Christianity.
It has been arguably the single greatest source of human misery during the past
two millenniums. It must be replaced by an understanding of the interwovenness
of all life, of all religious traditions” (Episcopal life Forum p.20, June
1998)
RODNEY R. ROMNEY (Pastor of
Seattle’s First Baptist Church): “He [Jesus] meant to establish a
world religion that would embrace every soul and synthesize every creed, and
his work will not be consummated until he has done just that.” (Rodney R.
Romney Pastor of Seattle's First Baptist Church. Romney Journey, p. 31.)
Many will follow the broad road to hell. Only a few will find the narrow road. (Matt. 7:13-14)
MOTHER THERESA (Deceased
missionary to India): “I love all religions. ... If people become
better Hindus, better Muslims, better Buddhists by our acts of love, then there
is something else growing there.” She upheld that there are many ways to
God': “All is God--Buddists, Hindus, Christians, etc., all have access to
the same God.” (12/4/89 Time, pp. 11, 13)
PETER KREEFT (professor of philosophy at Boston College):
“We can and should investigate and learn from the wisdom in other religions”
(Peter Kreeft Ecumenical Jihad p.79). “Allah is not another God...we worship
the same God”(Peter Kreeft Ecumenical Jihad p.30). “The same God! The
very same God we worship in Christ is the God the Jews-and the
Muslims-worship.” (Ibid. p. 160)
ROBERT SCHULLER (Crystal
Cathedral): “We know the things the major faiths can agree on. We try to focus
on those without offending those with different viewpoints, or without
compromising the integrity of my own Christian commitment” (USA
Today, March 23, 1989.) “It's time for Protestants to go to the shepherd
[Pope]. Schuller has stated “if he came back in 100 years and found his
descendants Muslims, it wouldn't bother him....” (Robert Schuller, comments on the Papal
visit, LA, 1987) "The Christ Spirit dwells in every human being,
whether the person knows it or not." (Robert Schuller, Possibilities
Magazine, Summer 1986, pg.12)
If the Holy Spirit dwells in every human being then God is a pantheistic god.
CHUNG HYUN-KYUNG (World
Council of Churches leader): She exalted pagan concepts of God (at
the WCC Assembly). Of the Holy Spirit Chung said, “Don't bother the Spirit
by calling her all the time. She is working hard with us.” Eighteen times
Chung summoned the spirits of the dead who have suffered injustices in the past
and claimed that “without hearing the cries of these spirits, we cannot hear
the voice of the Holy Spirit.” After calling on the spirits of the dead,
Chung said, “I hope the presence of all our ancestors' spirits here with us
shall not make you uncomfortable.” She also summoned “the spirit of Earth, Air,
and Water.” (WCC's Seventh General Assembly that took place in Canberra)
She summons the dead, forbidden by Scripture (De. 18:10-11), and tells people they cannot hear the voice of the Holy Spirit without the dead.
POPE JOHN PAUL II (Deceased pope of the RCC):
“He welcomed snake worshipers, fire worshipers, spiritists, animists,
Buddhists, Hindus, Muslims, and shamans, was supported and attended by
representatives of the World Council of Churches and even evangelicals.
Represented there were the YWCA and YMCA, the Mennonite World Conference, the
Baptist World Alliance (which includes the Southern Baptist Convention), the
World Alliance of Reformed Churches, and the Lutheran World Federation.” (1986
Gathering For Prayer At Assisi, http://www.deceptioninthechurch.com/jp2.htm)
Notice that many “evangelical” organizations where present at this meeting. Go here to see a picture of Bhudda on the altar at Assisi during this event and here for a list of those attending.
GEORGE OTIS, JR. (The Sentinel Group –
Transformations) “If
we accept the premise that Jesus literally purchased, that He literally
purchased our salvation with His blood... and He paid the Father... then this
approach, first of all portrays God the Father as being vindictive and
bloodthirsty and totally incompatible with biblical forgiveness. It also
presents another grave difficulty. If Jesus literally paid for our sins with
His blood, and a paid debt is no longer a debt, and He died for the sins of the
whole world, then we can only come to one conclusion and the theological word
for that is Universalism – which means that everybody will be saved”
(George Otis Jr., Lecture to YWAM DTS, 1981:lecture 4).
Jesus died for the sins of the world and paid the debt of sin. But we appropriate that gift to ourselves by
repenting and believing. All men will
NOT be saved. Only those who believe.
BRIAN MCLAREN (Emerging
Church leader): "Jesus seems to say, 'The kingdom of God
doesn’t need to wait until something else happens. No, it is available and
among you now.... Invite people of all nations, races, classes, and religions
to participate in this network of dynamic, interactive relationships
with God and all God’s creation!" ... the kingdom of God will be radically,
scandalously inclusive. As we’ve seen, Jesus enjoys table fellowship
with prostitutes and drunks.... He affirms and responds to the
faith of Gentiles—Romans and Syrophonecians and Samaritans." (Brian McLaren, The Secret Message of Jesus: Uncovering the Truth that could change
everything (Nashville: Thomas Nelson's W Publishing Group, 1006), page 74 &
94).) “Universalism is not as bankrupt of biblical
support as some suggest,” (Brian McLaren, The Last Word and the Word
After That, ( San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 2003), pp. 103 (cf. pp. 182-183) But
without question McLaren does hold to the doctrine of inclusivism which teaches
that while salvation has been made possible by Jesus Christ, it is not
necessary to know who Jesus is or the precise nature of what He has done.
(Brian McLaren, The Last Word and the Word After That, ( San Francisco:
Jossey-Bass, 2003), pp. 103 (cf. pp. 182-183) "It may be advisable in many (not all!) circumstances to help people
become followers of Jesus and remain within their Buddhist, Hindu, or Jewish
contexts,"… "Is our religion the only one that understands the true
meaning of life? Or does God place his truth in others too? ... The gospel is
not our gospel, but the gospel of the kingdom of God, and what belongs to the
kingdom of God cannot be hijacked by Christianity" (p. 194). (Brian McLaren, An Emergent
Manifesto, Baker Books, referenced http://simplyagape.blogspot.com/2007_06_01_archive.html)
God is not inclusive He is exclusive.
(Acts 4:12, John 14:6) Jesus even noted
that His coming would bring division. (Luke 12:51) The division is between those who believe and those who do not. “Is our religion the only one that
understands the true meaning of life?
Yes. No other religion
understands God or has the Holy Bible as their guide. The Word is Truth. (John 17:17)
BISHOP SPONG (retired Bishop
of the Episcopal
Diocese of Newark): He is against evangelism and missionary enterprises, the latter being "base-born,
rejecting, negative, and yes, I would even say evil" (p. 178). This
shocking redefinition of missions as "evil" is associated with his
universalism and epistemology that "we possess neither certainty nor
eternal truth" (p. 179). (John Shelby Spong,
A New Christianity for a New World: Why Traditional Faith Is Dying and How a
New Faith Is Being Born, San Francisco: Harper San Francisco, 2001)
Why
bother then! Let the heathen die in
their sins.
REV. JAMES MORTON (former dean of the Cathedral of St. John
the Divine in New York City and founder of the Interfaith Center of New York) Mr. Morton, who described
himself as ``anti-boundaries,'' urged the audience to be “the best Muslim,
Jew, Buddhist that you can be,'' but
to explore other religions and cultures as they might explore foreign cuisines.
They won't lose their identities, he said, but “become
richer.” (http://www.apologeticsindex.org/an990301.html#26)
Just be the best you can be. Be the best pagan, the best witch, the best Satan worshipper you can be.
JOHN HICKS (former teacher of
philosophy at the University of Birmingham) “I now no longer find it possible to
proceed as a Christian theologian as though Christianity were the only religion
in the world. Surely our
thinking must be undertaken, in the “one world” of today and tomorrow, on a more
open and global basis” (John
Hicks, God and the Universe of Faiths, p. 102.)
WILLIAM SHANNON (Author or Silence On Fire) "[T]here is
a oneness in God that unites all women and men ... The goal of all true
spirituality is to achieve an awareness of our oneness with God and with all of
God's creation." (A Time of Departing, p. 87)
No. We must achieve an awareness of
our position before God in sin to be a true believer.
ALAN JONES (Author of Reimagining
Christianity) "The Church's fixation on the death of Jesus as the
universal saving act must end, and the place of the cross must be reimagined in
Christian faith. Why? Because of the cult of suffering and the vindictive God
behind it" (Alan Jones, Reimaging Christianity, p. 132).
NEALE DONALD WALSCH
(Christian/New Age author) “There is only one message that can
change the course of human history forever, end the torture, and bring you back
to God. That message is The New Gospel: WE ARE ALL ONE.” (Neale Donald
Walsch, Friendship with God, an uncommon dialogue, 1999 p. 373) “There
are a thousand paths to God, and every one gets you there” (Neale
Donald Walsch, Friendship with God, an uncommon dialogue 1999, p. 357)
This is the guy that Robert Schuller likes. Rick Warren also based his P.E.A.C.E. plan on a similar one of Walsch.
WILLIAM BARCLEY (Christian
Universalist) “I am a convinced universalist. I believe that in
the end all men will be gathered into the love of God.” (William Barcley, I
Am A Convinced Universalist, http://www.tentmaker.org/biographies/barclay.htm)
GREGORY MACDONALD (Author of
"The Evangelical Universalist?") “Can an evangelical be a
universalist?” In other words, could someone be an evangelical and also believe
that one day all people will be saved? If I asked that question of almost
any evangelical I know the answer would be a clear and unequivocal, “No!” … So it is with some fear and trepidation
that I choose to turn my little fishy nose against the stream and head off in
the opposite direction from the majority of my fellow evangeli-fish. I will suggest
that the answer to my opening question is actually, “Yes! It is possible to be
an evangelical universalist.” Oh, “and would you like to be my friend?”
LEONARD SWEET (Author of
Quantum Spirituality and Emerging Church leader) Sweet calls this the Theory of Everything.
This theory not only says that all creation is connected but that it is all
inhabited with Divinity (God). (Leonard Sweet, Quantum Spirituality,
comment by Tim Wirth, http://simplyagape.blogspot.com/2007_06_01_archive.html)
Leanord Sweet and
others such as Dan Kimbal are making the cricuit of Christian colleges in the
US with this type of teaching. This is
pantheism. It is also the first lie of
Satan from the garden of Eden claiming that we can be gods.
There are many more quotes that could be added to this article and I intend to continue to update it as I discover more. Suffice it to say that Universalism is taking over the churches through movements like the World Gathering on Indigenous People and many leaders in Christianity today.
It is simple to put the notion that Jesus Christ is going to save Jews or Gentiles because they pray to some supreme being to rest according to Scripture. Those who have never known God have no way to have a relationship with Him and cannot be saved unless the Gospel is preached to them. The Bible is clear that Gentiles do not know God, are without God and without hope, are on their way to eternal destruction, and cannot know God until the Gospel is preached to them.
Ac 4:12 Salvation is found in no-one else, for
there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be
saved."
Joh 14:6 Jesus answered, "I am the way and
the truth and the life. No-one comes to the Father except through me.
1Co 1:21 For since, in the wisdom of God, the world through
wisdom did not know God, it pleased God through the foolishness of the
message preached to save those who believe.
Ga 4:8 But then, indeed, when you did not know God, you
served those which by nature are not gods.
2 Thes. 1:8-9: “ He will punish those who do not know God and
do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. They will be punished with
everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the
majesty of his power.”
Eph. 2:11-13: “Therefore, remember that formerly you who are
Gentiles by birth and called "uncircumcised" by those who call
themselves "the circumcision" (that done in the body by the hands of
men)—remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from
citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without
hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once
were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ.”
Rom. 10:14-15: “How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written, "How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!"