I would like to say hello to everyone on this forum. I am a new member and haven't a clue why I didn't join a while back. Iv'e been studying and researching most of the topics on this site for roughly a year now. Bible-truths came up as one of the sites when I was researching these topics. I am impressed with how well put together and sensible Ray's views on the Scriptures are. I wish to be able to conversate with others on this forum to discuss and learn THE TRUTH! I quit going to the church I was attending not quite a year a ago and I actually feel things make a lot more sense now. My mother and my brother still attend this Wesleyan church. I've talked about most of these topics quite a bit to both of them. My mother seems to not want to believe them and only believe what the pastor says. On the other hand my brother happens to agree with some of the things I have noticed. My mom did actually stop her tithing back in November, and I don't know if it is what I have said to her or what. When I learn these things in the scriptures I want to talk to someone else about them and I haven't been able to do so very much, so I'm glad this forum is here. The reason I started looking doctrines up such as the hell doctrine and so on seems to me have been a gradual thing. God most certaintly isn't finished with me yet and my spiritual life sometimes is rollercoaster ride. Around a year ago one day I was extremely down in the dirt. I was questioning my salvation, Christian doctrines, and most importantly the HELL LIE. I remember trying to come up with answers to attempt to justify this HEATHEN DOCTRINE but it seemed impossible. I couldn't stop thinking of all the people in the world that didn't know Christ and were "being cast into HELL" practically every second. This got to me deeply and I was the most frightened, defeated, lost, hopeless I have ever been. Then I started researching the internet and found the doctrine of Universal Reconciliation and then eventually Ray's site. Several months had passed and my mom had mentioned it to her pastor about the HELL LIE. He said with great certainty that "I will give him(me) some theological explanations of the doctrine, and oh by the way tell him that there is most definantly a Hell." The next Sunday I was there and he handed me some papers about Hell and patted me on the back and walked off, such if I was questioning Jesus as the Messiah or something. Ofcourse I went home and read them. They were totally nonsrcriptural contradicting trash that preachers throw in the face of millions. Anyway thats a little about me and I am anxious to keep learning the TRUTH!
MATT