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July 05, 2022, 04:16:32 AM

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Atheism to ET to Annihlation to UR

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Online Song

Jnr

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The LORD is my strength and song Exodus 15:2

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Atheism to ET to Annihlation to UR

« on: July 03, 2022, 10:35:27 PM »

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Hi everyone. Here's the story on how I found the this site, the truth that God will save everyone. From Atheism to Man Made Religions to Eternal Torment to Annihilationism to Universalism

I was born into a Christian household. We were in an extremely fundamentalist legalistic church, but we escaped. After going to a few churches, we settled on a regular one that we now still go to.

Even though I attended church, at that time I did not truly know about God. I would read atheism blogs and study Nihilism by Friedrich Nietzsche. Eventually, I realized these were lies. There is no way that life is meaningless. We must have a purpose. I then started researching other religions Buddhism, Hinduism even Zoroastrianism. The problem with all of them is they required special works. Meditating for a long time, doing specific good deeds, mandatory pilgrimages. It was all man made, fake.

Then I looked back at Christianity. I was never told how to be saved, so I searched online looking for answers. I came across the extremely fundamentalist site Jesus-is-savior.com by Eternal Torment believer David J. Stewart. I don't go to that site anymore, I do not recommend any fellow Universalist to go there, but it's there where I learned a lot about the Bible and how to be saved.

These were the steps of my prayer. I saw myself as a sinner, believed with faith alone that the only way to Heaven was to accept Christ's free gift of salvation. He died on the cross, was resurrected three days later and His blood, by grace, saves me. Afterwards, I felt this wonderful feeling, my head got lighter and I felt a huge wave of relief. That was the moment when I was born again.

However, that was not the end of my journey. Looking more on that site, I could not believe that a loving God would send people to be tormented forever. Looking back at the exChristian sites I was at before, a big reason people rejected Christianity is they thought God would be torturing people in Hell.

Then, I found Annihilationism through rethinkinghell.com, the belief that, instead of torturing people forever, God would simply keep them dead forever. (Similarly, I do not recommend any fellow Universalists go to this site). While better than Eternal Torment, it was not good enough. It felt like a waste. Why would God create people with so much potential, just to destroy them? Logically, God is good, God loves us and would want all of us to be saved, is what I began to think.

Then I found the Tentmaker site, the truth, Christian Universalism, that God will save everyone through Jesus Christ, He will bring everyone to Heaven for happiness because He wills it. And when reading through the site the first time, I felt a similar relief to when I was first saved. Except, even now, when looking through here and all the Bible verses that prove this as the truth, that feeling of happiness stays there.

All this time, I would go on sites by man-made authors, telling me what to believe. I never actually really read the Bible without someone else's interpretation. So I read through it, all the hundreds of verses supporting Universal Reconciliation and it was true. This whole time, the truth was right in front of me, plainly written. I believed myself to by smart and wise to search online, always looking for a man made answer or tradition, but all I needed was to believe like a child, the simple truth, that God loves everyone and will save everyone.

Right now, my Christian parents both still believe in Eternal Torment. Even though they escaped fundamentalism, like I did, they could not escape from man-made views. And even when I tell them about Universalism, they do not believe it. They are both saved, at least. But I also feel relief knowing, eventually, they will understand the truth like I do. All people will in Heaven.

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Titus 2:11 For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people,

Ephesians 1:10 As a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.

Psalm 30:5 For his anger is but for a moment, and his favor is for a lifetime. Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning.

1 Corinthians 15:22-28 All will be made alive in Christ, but each in his own turn and ultimately Christ will subdue all his enemies, eliminate death and God will be all in all.

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- Harold Samson(g)

I will praise the name of God with song Psalm 69:30

Offline Lazarus Short

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Re: Atheism to ET to Annihlation to UR

« Reply #1 on: July 04, 2022, 05:14:03 PM »

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Yes, what you say about reading the Bible while avoiding the interpretation of others, reminds me of something I read back in my SDA days. Seems "Sister White," the official prophetess of the SDA church, told a group of delegates at an SDA convention, "If you had read your Bibles, you wouldn't need me."

I went through something like the same process you did - I was an atheist for some years, and then God made His presence known to me. I had been raised in the Southern Baptist church, so I knew about "hell." Later, as a member of the SDA church, I learned about annihilation. At some point, UR appeared on my radar. A few years ago, I decided to read the source...and decide. I spent over two years in an ordinary KJV, failed to find annihilation, rejected ECT and confirmed UR. My notes grew into a book, and besides UR, another big takeaway was finding (I think the Holy Spirit prompted me) that "hellfire" is a lie - all supernatural fire in the Bible is what I call Godfire.

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Socrates taught Plato. Plato taught Aristotle. Aristotle tutored the son of Philip of Macedon. This boy grew up to become Alexander the Great, largely by slaughtering a lot of people. That's philosophy.

Jesus spoke the Truth. He blessed the poor. He healed the sick. He even raised the dead. He died on a cross for us, lived again, and came back long enough to tell us to love one another. That's religion.

YHVH = Behold the Nail, Behold the Hand = Jesus

Offline FineLinen

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Re: Atheism to ET to Annihlation to UR

« Reply #2 on: July 04, 2022, 08:46:21 PM »

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Harold, we are glad you are part of this glad union with the Lord. Keep on singing.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qii32GRhVXY

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Are our broadest hopes broad enough? Shall there be a nook or abyss, in all the universe of God, finally unlightened by the Cross? Shall there be a sin, or sorrow, or pain unhealed? Is the very universe, is creation in all its extent, a field wide enough for the Son of God?

Offline Ross

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Re: Atheism to ET to Annihlation to UR

« Reply #3 on: Today at 03:45:57 AM »

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I. M. O those experiences are all part of learning.

There are so many religions which give supposed life yet not one of them is the real McCoy. They all literally boil down to be about personal efforts/work.

This was highlighted by Isaiah who made the point when asking how could the pot say to the potter why it had been made.

We are in society which is not yet being corrected in full-but that will happen.

True love is undeniably completely flawless and will succeed in the establishment of the nations for a future of glorious system enhancement which flows from our Father and Christ above our current ability to comprehend.

Awesome

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Online Song

Jnr

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The LORD is my strength and song Exodus 15:2

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Re: Atheism to ET to Annihlation to UR

« Reply #4 on: Today at 04:15:02 AM »

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@Lazarus Short

That is a good quote. If only I read the Bible myself at the beginning, it would have saved me a lot of heartache. Then again, as you mention, it may have been a prompt by the Holy Spirit, God?s way of leading me to the truth.

I was inside a church similar to the Southern Baptist church. I can not say it's actual name due to the sheer fury of it's followers, but it was one of those "Independent-Evangelical-Fundamentalist-Baptist-KGB" Churches. (Whew, talk about a mouthful of name).

I?m not sure how to say this, but it?s ?comforting? to know you went through the same process I did. Comforting, in terms of being relatable. Less so the suffering of not knowing UR. As sometimes I look back at old journal entries I made before UR and wonder "How could I have possibly believed that?".

Looking at your signature about philosophy, I can say it rings true. Before as an atheist, I was deeply into all sorts of man made philosophies; existentialism, agnosticism, secular humanitarianism. I, like other humans, believed themselves wise, and attempted to assign their own meaning to life. When in reality, God already showed us life's meaning since the beginning.

@FineLinen

Thanks for posting the great music! Definitely going to add that song to my workout playlist.

@Ross

I was about to send my reply to Lazarus Short and FineLinen and then I saw a notification showing that you replied! I?m truly grateful for all this out flowing support!

Anyways, thanks for the supportive response. Sometimes, I feel I am too hard on myself, in terms of guilt and regret for my beliefs in my past, wishing I had learned the truth sooner. But I can not do anything about the past now, for it is God?s grace alone that not only am I saved, but that He has revealed the truth for me. I am at least grateful He has shown me while I am still alive, so whenever I die, I can die in peace not worrying about the fate of humanity.

For me, what makes Christianity separate from other religions is it?s salvation by faith alone and universal reconciliation. From all the religions I used to look through, they always required you to perform special works now to escape from an eternally horrible fate.

With society, I am looking forward to when all of humanity knows God and His universal salvation. Even though I fully believe in UR, it still displeases me to see articles criticizing Universalism Though, like you mentioned, it is a long learning process. So I am in no position to judge those who do not know the truth, for I used to be one of them.

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- Harold Samson(g)

I will praise the name of God with song Psalm 69:30

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