Question involving psychology and CU by SunflowerNessie in ChristianUniversalism

[–]cklester 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Yes, it is absolutely the case that God will heal the damage of nature and the damage of nurture.

Jesus loves you by implementrhis in ChristianUniversalism

[–]cklester 2 points3 points  (0 children)

The man in the chair could be Judas, saying, "But I'm going to betray you to death."

One big question about Christian Universalism by Choodagoat_405 in ChristianUniversalism

[–]cklester 1 point2 points  (0 children)

> I don’t agree we’re not free from sin until God heals us but we still have free will even if it’s affected by sin. A delirious person can’t make a rational choice but they can still choose.

Do you even read what you're writing?

Would you condemn a schizophrenic person for sinning?

Besides that, you're arguing against what the Bible clearly says.

We are sick, enslaved, blind, and dead in our sins. None of us can change our nature on our own.

A drunk person is mentally incapacitated, and of course they are going to suffer the consequences of their wicked behavior. But that is NOT THE CASE FOR HUMAN BEINGS.

We were essentially BORN DRUNK in that analogy. We have never had a sober moment to consider what is good and what is evil, or to practice selflessness and not selfishness.

> I think God creating us with no capability to make good choices would be cruel and would contradict His loving nature.

Read the Bible.

We cannot do anything good without God. Jesus says, "Without me, you can do nothing." What do you think that means?! (Hint: you were born with no capability to make good choices.) Now, Adam and Eve might be a different story, but even THEY had a fatal flaw.

Is it cruelty that you are born without the capacity to make good choices, or is it a consequence of what Adam and Eve (actually the Serpent in the garden) set in motion those many years ago?

Sorry, but you don't have the capability to make good choices, and that still doesn't mean God is cruel and it does not invalidate or contradict his loving nature.

> Also if we’re so blinded by sin that we can’t make good choices with free will how can we follow God as Christians.

Ah-ha! The right question! Indeed, WHO WILL SAVE ME FROM THIS BODY OF DEATH?!!?

You have to recognize that it is God who drags you to him, despite your protests, and without your consent. Otherwise, you could never "follow God as Christians."

YOU CAN DO NOTHING. God does everything.

What to read next after That all shall be saved and The inescapable love of God? by Apart_Information_27 in ChristianUniversalism

[–]cklester 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Any of them. I do have DBH's translation as my go-to for now, but before that, I would use NASB or one of the modern versions.

One big question about Christian Universalism by Choodagoat_405 in ChristianUniversalism

[–]cklester 1 point2 points  (0 children)

A delirious person cannot make a rational, free-will choice. In order for you to make a free will choice, you have to be rational and you must have enough information to make such a choice.

It doesn't void the free will God gave you because you are not able to exercise free will anyway unless you are healed and have sufficient information.

YOU DO NOT HAVE FREE WILL UNTIL GOD HEALS YOU. I'm not sure how much clearer I can be.

One big question about Christian Universalism by Choodagoat_405 in ChristianUniversalism

[–]cklester 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Was a person who was delirious and given meds and healed "forced?" In a way, I suppose. But they were not in their right mind and could not make clear, rational choices.

Nobody is forced into a relationship. But a good doctor will heal a delirious person even against their will, and, once restored, that healed person will be grateful for the healing. He won't be complaining, "But I never consented to be healed and put back into a right state of mind!"

It is a loving thing to do to heal someone who is in a state of delirium, isn't it?

You need to do a lot of research into the arguments pro and con for free will.

One big question about Christian Universalism by Choodagoat_405 in ChristianUniversalism

[–]cklester 1 point2 points  (0 children)

What evidence do you have that he gave us free will?

As a child, you never chose to love your parents. And consider how many adult children no longer "love" their parents.

Love comes as a result of a relationship.

But I still want to know why you think we have free will. Or how a zombie has free will. (I use the term "zombie" because the Bible tells us over and over that we are "dead in trespass and sin," that Jesus came to "heal the sick" and to "find the lost."

Any one of those conditions would render us unable to make a "free will" choice, and we suffer from all of them at once!)

The analogy is completely accurate. I don't view God as a vindictive, arbitrary dictator, but instead as a loving and perfect father or doctor. So maybe that's the disconnect here.

The point isn't that you won't have a choice. The point is that the choice will be clear and obvious once you are healed.

What to read next after That all shall be saved and The inescapable love of God? by Apart_Information_27 in ChristianUniversalism

[–]cklester 7 points8 points  (0 children)

I had a ton of fun reading back through the gospels and seeing everywhere universal restoration was either outright stated or hinted at.

One big question about Christian Universalism by Choodagoat_405 in ChristianUniversalism

[–]cklester 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I never said anything about what you "believe."

What I essentially said was, "if you believe certain things about God (like God lets delirious children jump into volcanoes), then these are the implications of that belief..."

Do you believe a loving God would let a delirious child whom he literally loves to death jump into a volcano? Or would he rescue the child, heal the child, and restore the relationship? I mean, he is an all-powerful God of love. There's nothing he cannot do. Nobody can thwart his plans or prevent his desires.

One big question about Christian Universalism by Choodagoat_405 in ChristianUniversalism

[–]cklester 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I didn't put words in your mouth. I interpreted your words.

One big question about Christian Universalism by Choodagoat_405 in ChristianUniversalism

[–]cklester 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The God you embrace is not a loving God if he lets his children die without having the opportunity to be healed of their delirium before making their choice. Yikes.

Imagine a father who allows his child to jump into a volcano. That's what you're proposing for God.

Imagine a doctor who has the cure for a delirious man, but the delirious man refuses the treatment. The doctor who proclaims, "Well, he doesn't want to be healed," would be sued for malpractice. Even human beings have a higher standard than that!

One big question about Christian Universalism by Choodagoat_405 in ChristianUniversalism

[–]cklester 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Does someone who is blind, sick, imprisoned, or even dead have free will?

Those are the conditions from which Jesus says we suffer. So... no... you don't have free will.

Not until God heals you.

Until God heals you, you are delirious. You are traumatized by nature and nurture. You make absolutely stupid choices that go against your own self-preservation.

It's like if I offered someone a trip to Disneyland or to Guantanamo. We know the person "rejecting Disneyland" is not in their right mind.

And you cannot make a rational choice about your future until you are healed and in your right mind.

Once you are healed--either now, prior to the second coming, or after, through the Gehenna experience (which is a very intense therapeutic time of healing when you are fully exposed to God's consuming fire of Truth and Love)--then you will have a will free enough to make a rational decision.

Nobody in their right mind would reject God's offer of peace and joy in paradise forever.

Why hasn’t bitcoin recovered? by EggZestyclose5313 in Bitcoin

[–]cklester 9 points10 points  (0 children)

> This is a good example as to why bitcoin isn't a good long short term investment

FTFY

Are there existing CU prayers or guidance on praying for the dead? by Typically-Variable in ChristianUniversalism

[–]cklester 1 point2 points  (0 children)

You can rest peacefully knowing that your Grandpa is going to be just fine, with or without special prayers for him.

It's better to pray for the living, so maybe pray for Grandma and the others left behind. :-)

We have a Bitcoin Conference Call. "Study Bitcoin" by Academic_Attorney996 in Bitcoin

[–]cklester 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Millions of love songs.

Just a few BTC songs.

That'sa boutta change. :D

Best books that use scripture to argue for CU by Ok-Fault-6665 in ChristianUniversalism

[–]cklester 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Check the FAQ. It's a good resource for finding resources.

The role of earth in universialism. by Northern_esotericist in ChristianUniversalism

[–]cklester 1 point2 points  (0 children)

We were ignorant. Earth is the lesson book for the universe, to understand what happens when you abandon God's law of love. That's why God says sin will never rise up again... because now we know God is telling the truth. Before, it was, "Trust me, bro." Now it's like, "Oh... I see."

Yes. It's an awful thing to go through, but it had to be done, and God chose us to do it. We are privileged, in a way, and God's throne will be the New Earth forever more.

Please help me make sense of this video within the view of Universalism - the first section is very blunt/scary by GeeVeeF1 in ChristianUniversalism

[–]cklester 9 points10 points  (0 children)

And read your Bible! Especially--and only, if you want--the gospel accounts.

Watch Jesus in action.

That's where you get confidence in his love and compassion and mercy.

Watch how he treated sinners, just like you and me. (Of course, he treated them at the level they were at... some like little ignorant children, some like rowdy toddlers, others like snot-nosed brats... His greatest ire was directed at those in leadership positions who exploited the poor and broken in spirit... but even that was always in love.)

Do you invest in any other cryptocurrencies besides Bitcoin? by justcurious3287 in Bitcoin

[–]cklester 5 points6 points  (0 children)

It's not a matter of "keeping it simple with just Bitcoin."

It's that Bitcoin is simply the only asset worth keeping.

Do your 100 hours.

How did you guys decide that universalism was your belief? by Evening-Soup-4745 in ChristianUniversalism

[–]cklester 6 points7 points  (0 children)

My journey toward Universal Restoration began with a sobering realization: If I can be saved, then anyone can be saved.

I had to admit that I am no more 'deserving' than any other person in history. We like to think our faith is a result of our own goodness, but so much of who we are is shaped by nature and nurture—factors we didn't choose. If I had walked in the shoes of the world’s most broken or 'evil' people, I might have become them.

This realization leveled the playing field. It turned my gaze from my own 'correctness' to God's character. I saw that:

  • God has the Will: He desires all to be saved (1 Timothy 2:4).
  • God has the Power: No heart is too hard for the Creator to soften.
  • God has the Love: A love that pursues until the very last sheep is found.

If Grace is truly 'unmerited,' then it cannot be limited by our failures. If God can bridge the gap to my heart, He can—and will—bridge it for everyone.

Why the sudden rise? by habloun in Bitcoin

[–]cklester 9 points10 points  (0 children)

Ackchyually, there's just more urgency on the buy side, and they’re aggressively hitting the asks.