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article Psychiatrist M. Scott Peck is a popular speaker and writer. M. Scott Peck People of the Lie and The Road Less Traveled have appeared on a leading "evangelical" magazine's Book of the Year list. He claims "salvation" is available to people of all religious faiths denying that there is an exclusive way of salvation (Acts 4:12). In 1988, Peck endorsed a "Cosmic New Age Christ" book by Matthew Fox, who is a mystical New Age Catholic priest. A wider view of grace has always been part of a minority of the church from its inception. Even Billy Graham who has preached the gospel to more people on earth than probably any man in history has said as far back as 1978, in McCall's magazine: "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." This becomes a problem to honestly preach the gospel of Christ being the only way if one holds to this wider view. This doesn't mean he believes everyone will be saved but he does hold a view that believing in God keeps one from hell. Rom.1 explains to us that one can know there is a God from nature, but this does not mean it is salvation to the individual who believes this. Graham has made other similar statements that have leaned more to universalism, some do not carry any weight in them as they are ambiguous, but then there are statement such as those in "the nonbelieving world"-they are members of the Body of Christ.(on Robert Schuller's Hour of Power television program, June 8, 1997). Explaining "God is doing today, He's calling people out of the world for His name, whether they come from the Muslim world, or the Buddhist world, or the Christian world, or the non-believing world, they are members of the Body of Christ because they've been called by God. They 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 that they are saved, and that they're going to be with us in heaven." (May 31, 1997 Interview of Billy Graham by Robert Schuller) Evangelists often have a big heart and want to see people saved, but holding to a view like this lowers the standard the apostles gave; that there is no other name to be saved by. One cannot be saved and not know the name that saved them. I can only come to the conclusion that as Graham continues to preach the gospel, he seems to hold this as his personal opinion. Unitarian Universalist Association of Congregations in North America holds the belief that no one will be eternally condemned. They deny the existence of hell, claiming it is unreasonable for a loving God to send people to a place of eternal torment. They believe that we suffer the consequences of sin in this life only. Unitarian Universalism broadens its appeal to those who are looking for a non-judgmental view with a dab of Christianity. They want to have their cake and eat it too. We can see the universalist view espoused even on G rated TV shows. On the influential program touched by an angel this teaching of universalism is seen as a little girl tells about her goldfish who died and was flushed down the toilet and said it went to heaven. The mother was disturbed by this, Tess the character played by Della Reese on touched by an angel said to her, "that's all right there's a lot of ways to heaven." This too is her personal view, not just the script. Recently on the Phil Donahue (2003) program on MSNBC he attacked the issue of Christ being the only way. And had a number of people on one program, 2 Christians, a rabbi and a universalist. On another program a few days later he had Jerry Falwell. He did all he could to discredit the revelation from Christ as the only way to God and heaven showing his liberal agenda. To think people will be ok or even part of the universal body of believers because they live good lives or believe in a God is utter nonsense. Whether one is sincere has good intentions or lives in ignorance of the truth they are following the god of this world, living in their fallen nature and they will not be approved by God at the end unless they receive God's offer of being pardoned. (Job.26:6-711:7-9; Ps.139:8; Prov.7:27 9:16-18 15:11 27:20; Isa.5:13) The World council of churches is the only non-Catholic ecumenism used for unity among liberal non-Catholic congregations. "Only the recognition on a worldwide scale of the oneness of creation can provide the critical global consciousness necessary to chart a -new course for a sustainable future"(World Council of Church) WCC's Seventh General Assembly that took place in Canberra, Australia Korean professor Chung Hyun-Kyung, who exalted pagan concepts of God. 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." She claimed the Holy Spirit was the same as the "image of Kwan In," an Asian goddess of compassion and wisdom. Chung went even further in her blasphemy when she said, "Perhaps this might also be a feminine image of the Christ who is the first born among us, one who goes before and brings others with her." Chung received a standing ovation from the WCC delegates! The World Conference President for many years was a Catholic Archbishop from India. The Third World Conference, held in Princeton, in 1978, concluded "with a worship service at [New York's] Saint Patrick's Cathedral, where Cardinal Terence Cooke [was] the host"(Our Sunday Visitor, December 31, 1978. "To members of dozens of religions 'worshiping" together. This has been going on for some time but is now really coming together with the added complications of terrorism and the concern of religions starting wars. A Christian Conference of Asia (CCA), which meets every two years, held January, 1988, in Chiang Mai, Thailand. The speaker "Mr. Wells said one's religion was not the measure of one's goodness or value as a creature of God. `We all have fallen into sin, into the brokenness of life, every religion and every person. People who say the way to salvation is Jesus Christ alone have to think about it carefully.' "Cautiously Mr. Wells said he believed God was bigger than our concept through one religion. He knew God was revealed through Jesus Christ but that did not necessarily mean 'we have it and they don't.' "People who believe in Jesus Christ are still in the midst of brokenness,' he said, adding that he believed God was working through Buddhism..." (CCA News, January/February, 1988, pages 18-19; Christian Conference of Asia) The Pope's 1986 gathering for prayer at Assisi proved him to be a universalist as well as a promoter of interfaith. "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." This becomes a basic concept to unite different religious systems, certainly no better common ground could be found but Universalism! Because it offers acceptance of all. If one does not claim Christianity, they hold to the validity of all religions believing there is worth and truth in each one. If one claims to be a Christian universalist they use certain Scriptures and ignore others to justify their unbiblical belief. This Universalism refers to the work of Christ as the basis for our salvation but you don't need to know this and personally believe it. Christ's work extends to all people regardless who they are and what they practice as their religion. Then the preacher and the missionary are passé, they only need to tell people they are already saved and keep on practicing whatever religion they are holding to. If everyone is going to be saved, through Islam, Catholicism, Mormonism, Buddhism, Hinduism, etc. then no religion sends people to hell and every religion sends them to heaven. If all religions accept the idea of universalism, then all religions are valid (the good ones) and there is no error. As universalism teaches then each could look at the other as being valid only a different perspective. Like Rosicrucianism affirms, they are all like petals on a flower, none have the whole truth. While they may agree with this for peace and unity it does not change reality. they know there are differences even though for a time they may overlook them to form a one world religion that encompasses all. Go to part 3 Carlton Pearson's Universalism Or go back to Universalism Main Page |
