The Gospel of Inclusion – Bishop Carlton Pearson
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Paperback: 320 pages
Publisher: Atria (March 10, 2009) Language: English ISBN-10: 1416547932 ISBN-13: 978-1416547938
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Review
Bishop Carlton Pearson. A man who gave up a powerful position within the church due to his beliefs. Growing up he always felt that anyone who sinned and didn’t accept Christ for his savior was in Hell. One day he had a revelation that changed his outlook. This revelation is that due to Christ’s dying for man’s sins, we’ve already been saved. Christ’s mission he argues wasn’t to form a new religion. It wasn’t to force people to accept strict rules. For a Christian, the only way is to accept him, but due to his sacrifice Buddhists, Agnostics, Athiests, etc. are also saved, whether they acknowledge that or not.
He seems to have some sorrow that he lost the respect of some of his fellow ministers (Rex Humbard). But states in the book, that while he could say that he’s been wrong, and was blinded, that he wouldn’t be true to himself. This Gospel he teaches, is from his view, and from what I’ve been able to find, the views of the Christian church for the first 500 years. The idea is called Universal Reconciliation. Many have apparently taught this, among them, Clement of Alexandria, St. Gregory, and St. Isaac.
As part of this gospel is the idea that there is no Hell. Hell is reportedly a man created concept for the most part, and for many of the world’s inhabitants are where they are currently. Children being abused, Wives/Husbands being beaten, someone wondering where their next meal is coming from, people dying from disease or poverty, all of these people are living in hell. When addressing the ideas of people like Hitler, Biship Pearson says that people with that much hatred in their hearts are already in hell.
While I support some of the aspects of this idea, there are some that I have trouble wrapping my mind around. The idea that Hitler could be in Heaven I find as strange as the idea that Ghandi couldn’t be. Bishop Pearson however doesn’t negate a punishment post death. This punishment he states would be along the idea of the Catholic purgatory. In this scenario someone like Hitler is sent their, punished for 100/200/1000 years, and eventually learn their lesson at which time they are reconciled to God. So hell is not an eternal place. I’ve always had trouble with the ideas that people are sentenced to an eternity in Hell due to the fact that they never heard about Christ, or heard and ignored it. Also, there always appeared to be contradictions in things like fundamental Jews don’t believe in the trinity, yet are God’s chosen people. So it’s never made sense to me how his Chosen people could be condemned to an eternity of torment.
I wish that everyone would read this book, and consider the ideas behind it. However, I know that there are many who won’t. If you question the right/wrong of things, I’d say get this book, read it and see what you think. If your the type who doesn’t beleive in questioning, then this book is probably not for you, but might be if you’d give it the chance.
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