Losing my Religion? Part 1

This video is about some of the challenges to my faith I have had to deal with over the past few years. Particularly in the light of losing my son. The reason I have decided to make this video is to try and provide some hope and encouragement to others who have lost a loved one. Particularly Christians who have lost a son or daughter whose salvation they are not sure of. Some of the conclusions I have come to will not go down well with a lot of Christians, but I have tried to be biblical in all that I believe.

One thing that has struck me is how often Christians accept things because they have been taught they are biblical without ever giving their beliefs any real thought, or without at least checking whether what they believe is really taught in the scriptures or is the only way of interpreting scripture. Sometimes it takes a major crisis like the one I have endured to make you stop and think and re-evaluate what you have been taught.

I am unable to go into great detail in this video so here are some links to some resources that will take you deeper into this subject, and explain things better than I can. Some of them are quite scholarly and long. The first link is to a free ebook that is written for people who want a basic biblical over view.

http://www.hopebeyondhell.net/ This free ebook looks at what the bible says about death and eternity. It challenges the traditional view and looks at what the bible actually teaches


http://www.tentmaker.org/articles/hell_test.html A test to determine one's knowledge of Hell. If Salvation is deliverance from Hell or Eternal Death, then it is vitally important the reader find out what your beliefs are based upon for your own sake and for the sake of your loved ones. Are you willing to test your understanding of salvation and Hell? Are your church leaders willing to try to answer the questions contained in this book? This may be the most important test you will ever take. These questions were prepared by a conservative Christian who has spent thousands of hours researching this most important subject.

http://www.tentmaker.org/books/Prevailing.html Printed in 1899, this book gives conclusive evidence that Christian Universalism was a prevalent doctrine in early Christian history.

http://richardwaynegarganta.com/universalsalvation.htm A free site where one can learn all there is to know about Universal Salvation! This is biblical Universalism which is far removed from liberal universalism.

http://www.tentmaker.org/books/Aion_lim.html It is a prevalent idea that the words "Eternal, Everlasting, Forever," etc., in the English Bible, signify endless duration. This essay aims to prove the popular impression erroneous. The inquiry will be pursued in a manner that shall be satisfactory to the scholar, and also enable the ordinary reader to apprehend the facts, so that both the learned and the unlearned may be able to see the subject in a light that shall relieve the Scriptures of seeming to teach a doctrine that blackens the character of God, and plunges a deadly sting into the believing heart.

Category:

People & Blogs

Tags:

• loss
• bereavement
• eternal punishment
• death
• ultimate reconciliation
• gospel
• christian
• loss of a child

[ticobassie]

Good luck on your journey Paul. I'm glad you have the courage to sail on your inner morality-compass. Regardless which way you swing from there, your stance is so much more humane, more so than the Christians who feel compelled, or even at ease, to justify Gods decision to send unbelievers to Hell for eternity.

[kaazoom]

Thank you. I have always had a problem with the whole concept of eternal damnation, it just goes against all that the bible teaches about the love and mercy of God. I cannot believe God created humankind knowing that the vast majority would spend eternity being tormented in hell. There is no justice in infinite punishemnt for finite crimes. Unfortunately many Christians who would criticise me for saying such things, most have never thought it through.

[kaazoom]

their teaching is unwittingly based on the miss translation of a couple of words and the influence of ancient greek and egyptian religions, that did have a concept of etenal damnation. It was used to keep the common people sudserviant.

[boomac62]

Thank you for sharing this, i could not agree with you more. Peace.

I believe scripture does teach universal salvation.

[doctorh2005]

@Cutie9326

/// t was condemned as heresy by a bunch of cowards who chose not to stand up to Justinian and Augustine ///

Actually, if you read Church history books and not some bogus website, Justinian (as all the emperors did) was simply MAKEING OFFICIAL what the CHURCH had concluded after much debate at the Church Council. There was no cowardace at all. Justinian had his own weird beliefs but did not impose them onto the Church.

[Cutie9326]

@doctorh2005 It was condemned as heresy by a bunch of cowards who chose not to stand up to Justinian and Augustine. People who believe that God created most of mankind just to torture them forever are sick...

[motibi]

1Timothy 4:10 "This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance. For to this end we both labor and suffer reproach,because we trust in the living God, who is the Savior of ALL men, ESPECIALLY of those believing. These things command and teach.

Romans 5:18"For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous" In the end ALL ALL ALL AAAAAAAAALLLLL WILL BE SAVED

[doctorh2005]

Dude... Universalism has been condemned as Heresy by God's church throughout the ages.

It contradicts so many verses of Scripture - I'm currently doing some videos about it.

[DrStevenz]

Interesting.

[porolita22]

Very interesting video. Thank you for sharing your thoughts. I am very sorry for the loss of your son. I have a similar thing going on and it strikes me the coldness with which people answer "he's going to hell" whenever anybody even questions anything, it's disturbing! This by far would make more sense than the usual belief of eternal hell and torment. I hope you have found peace within yourself and wish you the best!

[1created1]

@ticobassie Most Christians are aware of hell & that God is love with no contradiction! God NEVER condemns eternally. It isn't His Nature- it was man's interpretation of God during ancient times. You are stereotyping. NOBODY is magically transformed by whatever their faith, however, sin DOES go against His Laws, yet within the consequence is the key or the fact those Laws purge the sin or correct the error & after that the soul progresses.

You might enjoy The Padgett Messages. Peace : )

[moonshoes1000]

Hand over your money or your going to hell. Mad is Ant It

[potooth]

@potooth to the listeners who the unknown god was. He said; "And the times of this ignorance God winked at but now commands all men everywhere to repent." God doesn't judge us for what we don't know. But once we know to do good and willingly choose not to we're in essence rejecting Jesus. Keep studying. We all have so much more to learn and understand.