My Emails to Dr. Hany Mina - 5

Email: 5
From: me
To: Dr. Hany

Sent: Wednesday, November 08, 2007 5:13 PM

Dear Hany,

I am very happy with your reply.

I hope you don't get dissapointed at me later, for I am not yet as well educated as you think me to be.

Now I completely agree with what you said about what we can teach publicly on the pulpit & what we can't, at least now. But this may be temporary, after all, one day the official stance of the school of Alexandria was Universal Salvation. (note in editing, the link above no longer claims that. Here's Wikipedia for you)

I also agree that as a temporary economy, the Doctrine of Reserve can be adopted, but in a form of hiding rather than denying certain beliefs. I mean that regardless of the basis of my beliefs, I cannot preach anything opposite to them, for then I would be shedding my Faith & adopting another's & also betraying my integrity, but I can refrain from going into details into things that may harm a listener
 A good example is how Jesus taught using Parables, they teach sometimes in church that he did this to illustrate to simple people, but actually  when his disciples asked him he said he did so for the opposite reason, that is that not all people would understand immediately all what he means, lest they don't understand & be shocked & lose what little Faith they already have.

So I completely understand that there are things we can teach openly & things we can't, regardless of political correctness.

& yes I understand this has nothing to do with truth & lies... but ultimately, it is still God's Truth that will truly ever set a man free, regardless of how it was revealed to him, whether in something he heard or read or thought of in a moment of inspiration. I mean to say that the Doctrine of Reserve (regardless of its form) cannot set people free.

Also, about how we do not have enough documented Biblical support. I agree we don't have enough, & I agree that those with predisposed minds to refuse the ideas in the verses will find a way out, although I have to add that it'll be rather contrived.

Having said that, there are a couple of points I'd like to dwell on here,

1- As was mentioned in the essay I linked to in the last email, "We intuitively hope universalism is true", because it is out of our personal experience of a God who loves us all. "There is something intuitive about our desire to expand redemption beyond orthodox (meaning classic) boundaries. This is significant." & although anybody can argue that nobody can establish a doctrine based on intuition, the essay drew my attention to a doctrine that is based on just that:

"there is one example of a doctrine that Christians have embraced on the basis of intuition, not the Bible. It's the belief that all who die in infancy are saved. The near unanimous voice of the Church has shouted down centuries of belief in infant damnation. And this without a line of Scripture. The basis is our inner conviction. The concept of babies in hell is abhorrent to our sensibilities. The Church has, accordingly, applied universal redemption to those dying below "the age of accountability.""

2- Eternal Hell is a logical problem as was illustrated in the definition linked to in the last email. And that logical problem has to be faced by every person who thinks in a logical mode of thought (not many, I know). Now Saints Like Clement of Alexandria, Origen, Gregory of Nyssa and Isaac the Syrian solved it by adopting Universal Salvation, St. Augustine solved it (although he neglected God's Omnibenevolence in the process) by adopting Double Predestination, which is an ugly elitist doctrine that -Thank God- cannot be accepted in our "public" church, but my point is he recognised the issue & had to deal with it somehow. (Please correct me if you know any more about St. Augustine that I don't & can explain what he wrote differently).
Now one of the problems we are facing in our church now is a general decline in the appreciation of logic & logical thinking. I cannot count the times I have been told -sometimes by close friends- to not think too much lest I "mess up"... it is not a refused practice, but frowned upon!

I know this is a general problem present in egyptian mentality these days, & it is something promoted by all totalitarian & authoritarian leaders. But if we are to get anywhere, we have to teach the respect of logic & encourage people that it is safe to think. (I know you'll think this is easy for me to say, being unscarred yet by any serious point of authority)

3- Our current teaching is lacking in respect for God's caring Providence & its effect in our lives. & that teaching is -like the intellectual wave that is sweeping the world now- cynical. I read the next bit in the beginning of a long manuscript (that I am just starting to read) about some of St. Gregory of Nyssa's views on Universal Restoration:

"many contemporary opinions concerning the human person stem from a fractured, cynical viewpoint. These views have various, complex sources but share a common trait: disappearance of faith in a divine reality which effectively intervenes in human affairs . The reflections of Gregory of Nyssa are valuable here in that they echo across sixteen centuries with a refreshing modern insight into God's union with human nature through the person of Jesus Christ."

What I mean to say is, we have effectively stopped trusting in the idea that "Everything will be ok... God is here!", just like the rest of the world, we now find any Hope hard to believe in, let alone a Greater Hope. This cannot be right... can it?!

4- "Good thelogoy is good spirituality" as a friend & teacher told me lately. & this thelogy has serious consequences on people's spirituality, meaning that if the belief that God doesn't punish for vengeance promotes mercy & love (which it does of course), the belief in a heaven that ultimately includes everybody just renders self-righteous hatred obsolete. And this is a very important accomplishment. I mean you can no longer look at an enemy & think "yeah when I'll be in heaven where will you be?!" or tell somebody to go to hell! You cannot fall back on eternal hell as a justification of your hatred & a mental method of resolution for your personal vendettas.

I believe it is imperative to promote a better God than us, & the consequences will only be refused by those who hang on to certain dark aspects of themselves that they wish to justify by attributing it to the Divine. & this cannot really be acceptable, can it? I mean I understand why it happens, but for it to become a matter of fact that cannot be resisted is another thing. Plus I believe that it is the nature of light to eventually disperse darkness regardless of how much of the place is hidden in it, & I believe we are not alone & therefore shouldn't worry too much.

One last thing, I know the current state of our church clergy is regretable, to say the least. I understand that many have been wounded & confused by it, & it became as bad as the government in some aspects of it. But believe me not everybody is a mental slave, & I doubt half of our clergy really approve with the authoritarian measures taken against the children of Christ within the church, a change will come & God will take care of that if it is a part of His Light... me & my friends are living proof of that, even if it seems hopeless sometimes.

But our clergy are not above the need for education, if we are to preach a better Life in a better God our clergy are also a target of such teaching. & we are part of the training process of the world & the clergy are also part of the same training process, I trust in God's Providence & Light.

Sincerely & Lovingly Yours

Peter