“Universalism is not a Christian Doctrine”

An individual recently asked me if I knew of any heresies which denied the existence of hell. Although it is only a heresy if Christians hold to it, the answer is something called “universalism.” Universalism holds that in the end of time, ALL human beings will be “saved” and join God in heavenly bliss. Since none are excluded, the implication is that there is no hell, since there would be no one to populate it.

Universalism, however, is only a heresy for Christians, for the understanding of “heresy” is that it is a deviation from the norms of the Faith, and only Christians can deviate from those norms. Non-Christians who hold to universalism are not guilty of straying from Christian doctrine, since they don’t claim to profess Christianity.

What makes universalism a heresy for Christians? The answer is simple: Jesus did not teach universalism. We Americans like to view Jesus as the loveable fellow who never turned others away, who condemned judgmentalism, and who unconditionally accepted the most notorious members of society. Jesus is portrayed today as Mr. Nice Guy, who accepts everyone exactly as he is, no expectations applied. This is a quaint portrayal; however, it is not correct.

Throughout the Gospel accounts, Jesus regularly mentions eternal separation from God. He calls it “Gehenna,” which we translate “hell” in English. He defines it as a place away from God, where there will be “weeping and gnashing of teeth” [Matt. 8;12, 25:41] He describes the pathway to hell as wide and traveled by many, while the pathway to eternal life with God is narrow and few choose to travel it [Matt. 7;13-14]. He notes that those who deny Him on this earth will be denied by Him on Judgment Day [Matt. 10:33], and that even some of those who acknowledge Him as Lord will be cast out [Matt. 7;21-23]. In His description of Judgment Day in Matthew 25, He speaks of the scenario as one in which there will be a separation of “sheep” and “goats.” The “goats”, are those who are rejected for not obeying Him, and they are ordered to “depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels...” [vs. 41]

Without belaboring the subject, it is obvious that Jesus believed in and taught a doctrine about the existence of hell and eternal separation from God. Since He so clearly taught and believed such a doctrine, then universalism is not consistent with His obvious instruction. Thus, for those who call themselves “Christians,” i.e., followers of Christ’s teaching, universalism is a doctrinal deviation, obviously not acceptable in Christian circles.

I mentioned above that only Christians can be guilty of heresy; non-Christians are not guilty of heresy when they espouse universalism. Because they are not Christians, they don’t claim to be followers of the teaching of Christ. That does not, however, imply that universalism, even for them, is correct. There are sufficient reasons to reject the notion.

Most people who espouse universalism do so because they cannot reconcile condemnation and hell with the notion of a loving God. However, consider the implications of the belief that ALL people are going to heaven. This means that the most notorious sinners of history, the worst mass murderers, the most vile rapists, the most unrepentant child molesters, etc., are going to be given access to heaven without need for repentance or remorse on their part. For all practical purposes, they are going to be rewarded for their actions. The question must be posed: Is that an act of love on God’s part?

On the other hand, if we make an exception to the rule, and decide that the worst of humanity CAN be consigned to a place of separation, then we HAVE acknowledged hell, and we don’t hold to universalism. Salvation is no longer for all; it is selective, which is what Jesus taught.

If universalism is believed, then it also negates any purpose to this life. Most believers in universalism claim that we experience this life in order to learn something relevant to our expectant life in eternity. However, if we have determined that all are saved, then the notion of learning something relevant to eternity is itself rendered irrelevant, since everyone is rewarded regardless of whether he learned. Thus, there is no purpose to our life experiences, and our joys and accomplishments, our suffering and struggles, even our deaths, have no ultimate meaning. Having established this point, and speaking from this perspective, we have to ask, how can a God of love allow such meaninglessness in this life? Universalism is intended to reconcile the notion of a loving God with the concept of eternity, but instead it simply introduces additional challenges to the notion of the love of God.

Jesus’ correct teaching, on the other hand, bears closer examination. He taught that hell and eternal separation from God are realities, yet He did not think that they were antithetical to the notion of a loving God. IF He was right, then they are not mutually exclusive and there is no need of trying to reconcile the love of God with the existence of punishment and hell. Under these terms, then, universalism must be unacceptable to Christians, as it denies what Christ taught, and it should be considered suspect to non-Christians, since it does not accomplish their philosophical ends.

HOME