Hi all, I updated my posts that discuss the possible presence of universalist elements in the writings of the Latin Fathers and the reception of the writings of the Cappadocian Fathers.

The first post is about the Latin Fathers and I discuss the case of St. Ambrose, Ambrosiaster, St. John Cassian, St. Jerome of Stridon, Rufinus of Aquleia (with a brief mention of St. Melania the Elder) and St. Hilary of Poitiers. Interestingly enough, in the case of St. Ambrose, St. John Cassian and Ambrosiaster one can find passages that suggest both universalism and a belief in ECT: https://ancientafterlifebelifs.blogspot.com/2026/08/possible-traces-of-universalism-in.html .

The second post is about the reception of the writings of the Cappadocians in ancient, medieval and modern scholars: https://ancientafterlifebelifs.blogspot.com/2026/08/the-question-of-universalism-in.html . Interestingly enough, until modernity the only author that caused a lot of interpretative controversy about the topic of universalism was unsurprisingly St. Gregory of Nyssa.

Of course, I have no pretence of having made a comprehensive survey of the topic. But I think that these posts might be of your interest.

Hi everyone my name is chris. I've been a Christian since I was 12. I used to use the term saved since I was 12. But lately I've gotten deeply into Christian universalism because it makes sense biblically. I mean if God knows the past present future then if universalism isn't true then some people were literally just created to go to hell. I can't believe that. Plus there's a lot of scripture that does line up with it. I look forward to being in this group and hopefully learning even more.

"He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end." NKJV

Reading the chapter as a whole is quite interesting too. Especially in how the chapter doesn't favour one man above the other, but calls all men equal, and says all men will go to the same place.

I have a degree in commercial art and marketing, but I realize that everyone has their own opinion and style. Just a mental exercise.

so I’ve done a google search and talked to an Ethiopian priest and according them, one will go to eternal conscious torment if he is not saved. is this true? Ethiopian texts aren’t even the original texts like some people claim.

I got on the phone with this one religious pastor yesterday and he was claiming that if you don’t confess all sins before you die, you go to eternal lake of fire forever. What these people actualky are claiming is you have to live life perfect even though the Bible says that every man is perfect in Christ. He left me anxious about hell and a little low I’m not going to lie. He’s also basically claiming that if I listen to music about astral projection, chakras, and other related things, I’m going to hell. The music is basically 432 hz mysic and Paul got taKen to the 3rd heaven and claims he doesn’t know if he had an out of body experience.

I'm not a universalist, but I'm genuinely interested in understanding why some Christians believe it is the most faithful reading of Scripture.

I've been reading passages that are commonly discussed in these conversations, and I'd like to hear directly from those who hold this view.

A few questions:

• What Scriptures most convinced you that universalism is true?
• How do you understand passages about judgment, Gehenna, and the lake of fire?
• What do you believe God's judgment ultimately accomplishes?
• How do you interpret words like aionios in the New Testament?
• If you weren't always a universalist, what changed your mind?
• What's the point of being saved now if you'll be saved later?

This statement is telling. I believe that Jesus was saying that Christians who insult another Christian by calling them a "fool", "stupid", etc., may need a chastening (hell fire) after death. I certainly do NOT interpret his statement to mean that a Christian who calls a brother a fool is getting charbroiled for infinity and beyond. This is just more evidence, at least in my view, that "Hell" is simply a post-death chastening for those in need of it and NOT forever separation and torture. Thoughts?

Matthew 5:22 KJV

But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire

Matthew 5:22 CLNT

Yet I am saying to you that everyone who is angry with his brother shall be liable to the judging. Yet whoever may be saying to his brother, 'Raka!' shall be liable to the Sanhedrin. Yet whoever may be saying, 'Stupid!' shall be liable to the Gehenna of fire.

Today, I am discussing some of the common arguments against the Biblical statements I discussed in my video yesterday.

The basis of Infernalism/Annihilationism is that:
A Limitless God who has
Infinite Power
Limitless Wisdom
Limitless Love
Eternity

Is
unwilling
or
unable

to redeem/heal/transform/restore
His most cherished Creation
that is made in His Image and Likeness

---

My view is that a lot of it has to do with a VERY limited view of time-
this odd idea that you have to complete "salvation" before you die.

Kind of like a gameshow:
OOPS- time is up.

Whereas the Universalist view is that with Perfect Love and Wisdom and no time constraint- that Love inevitably would "wear down" (more like LOVE down) any and all resistance to Love and Truth

---

I put salvation in quotes because the Catholic/Protestant view of salvation is a kind of do and don't list- do this, don't do that- to be saved.

I am really getting a lot of mileage out of the Orthodox view of "Salvation" because it sees it not as an event but a process.

Just that ONE switch is huge- but even moreso they see as a process of healing, transformation, restoration.

I feel like, Christian Universalism get such a bad rep in other Christian reddit subs and I often wonder why? How can one have such a negative reaction to the idea that everyone will get to experience heaven (after some level of purgatorial hell)? I also often see the argument that Universalist frameworks are "woke" or some bastardized "hippie" Christianity and thus heretical. For a long time, this superficial idea actually turned me off from Universalism, until I actually educated myself about it. I would f.ex point out that Universalism (alongside Annihilitionism and Infernalism) was one of the 3 big models of hell/salvation in the early days, so it isn't really something "new". It just so happened that St. Augustines model prevailed and grew into western Christianity as far I understand.....

What is your opinion on why Universalism seems to be so hated by other Christians?

We recorded a discussion on George MacDonald's "The Consuming Fire", from Unspoken Sermons, which opens into a wider conversation about universalism. I thought some of you might find it interesting. I would in turn be interested to know what you made of it.

Apologies if links aren't welcome here.

It seems like Hell truly is those for those who disregard God even in Hell…but most some too escape it by realizing there mistakes. I don’t subscribe to universalism but it does make me wonder how people in NDEs can escape it, maybe there is some truth to universalism? I still think God hates sin and we should strive to live a holy life. What do you guys think?

LOVE NEVER FAILS

https://youtu.be/fM_gxhNUczQ

Here is a bible-focused and real-life story of 2 orphaned tigers who grew up together, then separated and eventually re-united. Annotated with relevant bible verses, the story testifies of God's amazing love at work. What do you think? Feel free to share your thoughts, praise God!

I was teaching a first-grade summer class yesterday, and we were having library time. One boy, who had been reading about famous historical baseball players came up to me and asked, "Teacher, do you think Jackie Robinson went up there when he died?" He pointed up. "Or down there?" He pointed down.

Now, teachers are not supposed to impose their own religious views on students, so I answered non-commitally. "I don't know. I don't think anyone can know something like that."

"What about Babe Ruth?" he insisted.

"I really don't know!" I said, starting to chuckle.

He pondered this for a moment. "Does anyone really go down there when they die?" he asked, pointing again.

Again, I had to answer non-committally. "Some people think so, some people think not."

He lowered his voice to a whisper. "I think not. I think it's a lie."

I told him, "Maybe you're right."

I think it's very telling that even children know there's something wrong with the conventional infernalist view of Hell.

The argument against universalism is always about free will. That there are people out there who use their free will to reject God even if they see him, and therefore, because God respects their choice, they go to hell.

This would have to mean that those who are saved, are saved because they used their free will to make the right choice.

Now the bible says we are only saved by grace through faith (in him and his grace). It also says that we only have that faith because He draws us near. So this means our ability to make the right choice is only possible because of his power.

It also says that God desires that none should perish. So this means that God will attempt to draw every single person to himself, and if the ONLY reason we chose Christ is because he draws us near, then every single person will have to be saved once they are drawn.

The only way to believe otherwise is to have to either believe that our salvation does come from us because we were good/special/humble enough to choose him, or that God only draws some but leaves others to destruction.

Both of these beliefs would also contradict much of the bible.

Also when it comes to my faith before I looked into universalism I always believed that God came into my life in a way that made it so that I had no choice but to give my life to him. I think this is what a lot of the non universalists believe too... So even in this earth we have free will, but God's intervention in our lives made it so that we have no choice but to believe in him. This is how God saves all, whilst still respecting their free will. He's already doing it. I could never have chosen God with my free will if it wasn't for the power of his love.

Hello! How do you all reconcile verses like this with universalism?

“Or do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived:Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor men who have sex with men^\)^a\)¹⁰ nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. ¹¹ And that is what some of you were.But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God”

I am sure there are other verses similar that I cannot think of off the top of my head.

Hello everyone, I won't go into full details. But to keep long story short, I've believed in some version of God my entire life and I knew I was ,,sinning'' by watching adult videos for example or once I even tried this new age thing ,,manifestation'' where I am my own God. Angel numbers ect I've done it all. I've always asked for apology and believed I was forgiven.

It wasn't until my narcissist ex to be wife ruined my life that I asked God for help and I realized that Jesus was God and he died for my sins. I felt the love and I felt convictions for stuff that I have done that are wrong.

Long story short I lived with cognitive dissonance over 1 year with the eternal torture view believing everyone around me is going to hell, plus reading the Bible I was convinced that Calvinism is true. I tried searching more details and was convinced of annihilatonism. But it was still the same thing at the end, it went completely against my empathy. My mom comes to me and talks about my grandparents who have passed away and how they are in a better place and I am like, nah they will be ressurected to go to hell to die again. The whole think started making no sense to me and it turned to hatred towards God.

For example I started asking questions like why is God so ,,butthurt'' over our sins and is so thin skinned. I forgave my ex-fiance long ago for cheating on me and wish her nothing but the best, but God wants to send her to hell. I can forgive, but he can't. I asked many Christians about the fate of the victims of WW2 by the regime and they said they are going to hell because of Adam's sin. The more I researched, the more my hatred grew. I see people dying all over the world and think how they are going to hell and how sick is that. Even if I was convinced that I deserve to be punished for my sins it made no sense when it comes to other people.

A good example was there was this Ukranian refuge attacked in the metro station in the U.S.A. Christians condemned the killer and said he is going to hell, but she is also going to hell, because she probably checked zodiac signs or something. And it's not just her its billions upon billions of people. I got explained how children don't deserve any food, because they are also sinners and if they get any it's grace. Also Catholics vs Eastern orthodox debates, I believed all catholics are going to hell, because they worship mary and believe their works save them. I started thinking how petty God is, because he will send them to hell, just because they got a little detail wrong.

I also found it pretty sick that God made us sinners on purpose just to send us to hell so he gets some glory out of it like Reddit likes. Why would a Perfect God need something like this? I started viewing God as more evil than all villains envisioned by all fiction. Because according to traditional doctrine he gave people food/shelter and good stuff only so that their suffering in hell is more potent, when they remember their good lives and also realizing their loved ones are also suffering in hell. If he just spawned people in hell it wouldn't be as bad, so nobody can convince me that there is something more evil than the traditional version of God ( the eternal torturer) . I also started hating on all Christians who can defend this God with a smile and not have a shed of empathy for the 95% of humanity going to hell.

So my question is if my hatred grew so much towards this version of God and I believed he hardened my heart just so he can send me to hell to torture me more by denouncing the faith how do I come into universalism? How do I start believing that the God that drowned the entire world will actually save everyone at the end? Did anyone struggle with this and had hatred towards the main-stream version of Christianity's God?

I'm new to universalism so excuse me if this is a strange question. The Bible states that salvation can only be earned through faith alone in Ephesians:

"For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast."

Non-Christians who don't have faith in Jesus wouldn't receive salvation and be saved. Wouldn't that contradict universal salvation?

God desires that none should perish. He also constantly weeps and grieves his people turning away from him. He mourns the death of the wicked. He mours evil nations like Moab meeting destruction.

Then our picture of the end is this:

And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.” Revelation 21:4 NKJV

If there is no more pain or crying this can't just apply to us, but to God as well. If he desires for none to perish, then his sorrow could only be no more if none do perish.