Re: election (was: Re: [asa] Neo-Darwinism and God's action)

Hi Douglas,

From Polkinghorne's "Science & Christian Belief" ("Faith of a Physicist" in
the US) - page 171:

It is well known that the NT seems sometimes to speak in universalist terms
> (eg. Rom 11:32, 1 Cor 15:22) and sometimes in terms of some who will be lost
> (eg. Matt 25:46, Rom 2:6-11). I cannot believe that God will ever
> foreclose on his loving offer of mercy, but equally I do not believe he will
> override the human freedom to refuse. If there is a hell, its doors are
> locked on the inside. Those who are there are there by choice. It is
> not a place of torment, but rather a place of exquisite boredom, for it has
> all the emptiness of life without God.
>

I think he is echoing CS Lewis here. Also, for clarity I believe JP should
probably use the term "universal salvation" above (ie. belief that all will
eventually be saved) rather than the generic universalism which can also be
interpreted as "All ways lead to God". The latter is (I strongly believe)
incompatible with Christianity - the former can be, as JP notes, defended
biblically.

thanks,

On Sat, Feb 23, 2008 at 9:17 AM, Douglas Hayworth <haythere.doug@gmail.com>
wrote:

> Sorry for forgetting to delete the thread of previous posts in my message.
> If you respond to my post, please don't make my mistake and forget to delete
> the previous posts in the text body!
>
> Doug
>
>

-- 
-- 
Steve Martin (CSCA)
http://evanevodialogue.blogspot.com
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