Bishop Carlton Pearson of Tulsa, Oklahoma, under heavy fire from his clerical colleagues for his "Gospel of Inclusion."
While many evangelical clergy believe that only a personal confession that Jesus is savior gives a person entrance to heaven, Bishop Pearson believes in universal salvation: Jesus saves everyone, unbelievers as well as believers.
"If I am judged for perceiving Christ or Christianity in error, I'd rather be wrong for overestimating the love of God than underestimating it," Pearson said.
He continued, "I'd rather err on the goodness, greatness, and graciousness of God than the opposite."
I completely agree.
The Pentecostal Bishops' congress, in its March 29, 2004, report, issued a scathing assessment of Pearson's beliefs and preachings:
"Because of our concern for the many people who could be influenced to adopt this heresy and in so doing put to risk the eternal destiny of their souls, we are compelled to declare Bishop Pearson a heretic."
Torquemada could not have said it better.
Responded Pearson, "That they felt it important to publicly denounce me as a heretic, fearing I will lead people astray or even to hell, shows how little confidence they have in the overriding and finished work of the cross."
Pearson said he feels like a victim of religious persecution, mostly from fellow Christians rather than non-Christians, some of whom have welcomed his views.
Article comments
— go to most recent comments1 - cjones
Deep
2 - jack e. jett
the deepest.
jack
3 - boomcrashbaby
I grew up in Tulsa Oklahoma. My disillusionment with the church stems from there.
I completely understand Bishop Pearson being branded a heretic for a difference of scripture interpretation.
Just within the last 5 days, here at Blogcritics, I talked about how I left the church, because I interpret the scripture differently. The response was a lengthy diatribe about how I do not have the luxury of interpreting the scripture (hello? I'm not a member of your church, I'm no more bound by your interpretation of the scripture than a Wiccan or a Moonie) and how my problem is with God and not the Church. What a heretic I am.
This need to punish those who love God differently can be correlated to all the problems in the world today, from the Middle East turmoil and terrorism, to delegating groups of people to second class citizenship, to the rampant spread of disease in developing countries (abstinence only programs kill), to denying women a choice over their own bodies, ad nauseum.
It promotes suffering (via trapped marriages or a 'sex is shameful' mentality, just to name a few) as a virtue. Blech.
4 - Nick Jones
Friedrich Nietzsche wrote somewhere that "the only true Christian died on the cross". Bishop Pearson is one of the few people I've heard of that refutes that notion.
5 - Al Barger
Bishop Pearson sounds like a real swell fellow. Not a Bible believing Christian, but probably a nice guy.
Sounds like he's making up his own nicey-nice version of Jesus- as opposed to the guy in the BIBLE who said "No man cometh unto the father but by me."
By the way, according to the Pearson version of Jesus, does Hitler get into heaven, too?
6 - RJ Elliott
Look, either you believe in the Bible, or you aren't a Christian.
"Bishop Carlton Pearson of Tulsa, Oklahoma" sounds like a real nice guy, who has either never read the Bible, or disagrees with the Word of God.
Either way, he's not really a Christian.
Sorry. But if you are a Christian, either you follow the Bible or you don't. Either you believe in God, or you roast. (This is one of the reasons why I am not a Christian.)
I think it is completely unjust that an otherwise decent man would burn in hell forever because he wasn't a Christian. But that is what the Bible says.
Sorry. You can't argue with the Word of God. Take it or leave it.
7 - Eric Olsen
I am not necessarily disagreeing with Al and RJ's basic premise, but it isn't as cut and dried as they say either: only fanatics take the Bible literally literally, and once you start interpreting this and that who's to say where you draw the line? Interesting also that neither Al nor RJ are Christians: perhaps they have rejected a dogmatism that most don't share.
8 - bhw
I actually think Al and RJ have it right. It thought most, if not all, mainstream Christian denominations believe that you have to accept Jesus as the Savior to be saved yourself. Being a good person -- aka, good deeds -- doesn't cut it. Believing in and following Jesus is the only way to make it to Paradise.
Unless you're Catholic, in which case you can do some good deeds and spend some time in Pergatory to make up for all the bad stuff you do.
9 - boomcrashbaby
only fanatics take the Bible literally
It's my experience that fanatics DON'T take the Bible any more literally than anybody else. With references to cannibalism, killing your disobedient children, etc. They don't do this stuff, so they do pick and choose like everybody else. It's just that they are far far more intolerant of those who didn't pick and choose the exact same interpretations.
It's crazy. Andrea Yates thought she was working on Satan's behalf when she killed her children. Clearly insane. This religious society finds her guilty.
A Tyler Texas woman stones her children saying that God told her too. A religious society finds her not guilty!
The Bible says: "Happy shall he be, that taketh and dasheth thy little ones against the stones." But she was crying when they read her Not Guilty verdict. She clearly wasn't a Happy Camper.
:-o
Seriously though, I think this shows us that while nobody knows with 100% certaintity, the exact interpretation that will determine the best afterlife - interpretation (and not necessarily your own) clearly determines what you will get handed here on earth.
10 - Mark Saleski
best religion-related graffiti ever seen...on the wall of the men's room of the 'old' 3-Dollar Dewey's, portland, maine:
"When you die, you're dead"
11 - Sandra Smallson
BHW, you are NOT Catholic so I will excuse your ignorance. RJ, you are spot on. I have said the same before in a previous discussion. People can have whatever problems they have about how the Bible is being interpreted but if you are a Christian, you believe in the Bible as the word of God. It's simple.
Bishop Pearson is just another strange one. These people who have issues give off the impression that church goers believe uf you don't go to church you won't go to heaven. Or if you are an unbeliever and I, a believer, I am somehow automatically going to heaven while you are not. The simple fact is, we are not here to judge. If I am a believer and a sinner, being a believer isn't going to save me if Jesus were to arrive this very second. I am still a sinner.
I would love to believe in a purgatory. I hope one exists:) People just can never be satisfied. When the Catholic church applies the rules strictly, they say the Church is out of date. When the Catholic Church tries to take assessment of modern times and circumstances and some in it claim the existense of a purgatory to exhibit some sort of fairness in the pubishment of sins, some who know no better, make silly comments like the one BHW made.
The Catholic Church firmly believes that you can not get to heaven except through Jesus Christ. If you prefer to spew nonsense about the Church and it's beliefs just to suit your own belief of what path YOU are on, then carry on. All of you who blame almost every relgious falling out on the Catholic Church just come off like head cases. You don't like the Catholic Church and you are not catholic. We do not care. There are a 100 diff denominations of christianity that wandered off from the Catholic Church whether it be because they desired polygamy or hating the honouring of the Virgin Mary, or whatever reasons you have all come up with. Join one of those. I am sure you will find one that interpretes the Bible just as you like it:) Afterall, that is the main reason the initial breakaway started, and many have followed afterwards. You don't like what these people are saying the Bible said, so I'll start my own Church. Go to it, by all means. Happy worshipping!
The Bible clearly can not be taken literally. However, the main problem here is a lot of you are troubling your heads over non-existent contradictions. Boomcrash, you keep quoting the most ridiculous passages from the Bible as some sort of example as to why the Bible can't be taken literally. Are you sure you are alright?!
12 - boomcrashbaby
Boomcrash, you keep quoting the most ridiculous passages from the Bible as some sort of example as to why the Bible can't be taken literally. Are you sure you are alright?!
Yes, Sandra, I'm alright. That paragraph was meant as humorous, hence the emoticon. Although I am serious about interpretation.
Remember though, my disillusionment isn't with the Catholic Church or Christianity as much as it is with organized religion as a whole and it's attempt to influence society. ANY religion punishes those that don't conform, whether that was the original intent of the religion or not. So as long as a religion to which I do not belong, pushes me, I will push back. It's really just that simple.
If somebody took the Bible literally, they would pretty much be like a terrorist today, right? With all the biblical talk of killing children, marrying brothers widows, etc.. Don't terrorists who think they are going to be martyrs have their own scriptural interpretation of their own religious texts, as crazy as it may seem to you or I? So where is the line drawn? When it affects others? When it harms others? The Catholic Church and Christianity have as many atrocities under their belt as any other religion. Methods might be different, result is the same.
13 - sheri
Comment 6:
GASP!! You mean someone who appears to be from the Right, is NOT A CHRISTIAN??? Dang...this is gonna mess things up... (reporting back to headquarters)
14 - Rodney Welch
Well, well -- isn't this depressingly typical? Here we have an article about Carlton Pearson and his "Gospel of Inclusion" and it draws one superficial, emotional comment after the next, most -- not all -- from people whose knowledge of the Bible is a dim memory. Where were these theological geniuses the other day when Kiernan posted his thoughtful comments -- Are All Saved? -- regarding John Neuhaus, who posits views markedly similar to Pearson's, and delivers them with considerably more intellectual heft? Was Neuhaus' article too long and intelligent to draw easy commentary?
Not saying I fully endorse the views of Neuhaus or Pearson -- just that they deserve a more coherent, respectful and less off-the-cuff response than they're getting.
15 - Chris Kent
Rodney,
Maybe you should write a blog/post about it......
16 - boomcrashbaby
One should just consider all perspectives. Not everybody on the web majored in journalism, or mastered how to eloquently speak but that shouldn't negate their voice as trivial.
Talking about religion will always bring an emotional response. Calling it superficial though shows an unwillingness to look beyond the emotional speak. My daughter will never get to know her grandparents because of religious differences. The foundation of my family is important to me and it is definitely not superficial.
17 - bhw
Sandra, as always, thank you for lobbing the softballs right over home plate.
BHW, you are NOT Catholic so I will excuse your ignorance.
Wrong on both counts. I was raised and confirmed Catholic and walked away from the Church as a young adult. My reasons were many and they were based on what I finally began to KNOW and understand about the Church: that it adds another layer of religious doctrine that is unsupported by the Bible. I didn't just stop practicing because I tired of church on Sunday.
Now let's look at you.
I would love to believe in a purgatory. I hope one exists:)
Surprise! It exists if you're actually a Catholic! Read the Catechism lately?
When the Catholic Church tries to take assessment of modern times and circumstances and some in it claim the existense of a purgatory to exhibit some sort of fairness in the pubishment of sins
Note that the doctrine of Purgatory has been around for since the 1500s. Are those the "modern times and circumstances" you allude to?
Have you ever asked yourself why the Catholic church would invent such a concept as Purgatory? Even the most devout Catholics have to pass through Purgatory to get to heaven -- everyone except saints. [Which raises a funny question, since you can't become a saint until well after you're dead; so if you died and went to purgatory, does it retroactively get erased when you're declared a saint? Or does God know you're going to be canonized, so he just lets you skip pergatory in the first place? Tough questions.]
The Catholic Church firmly believes that you can not get to heaven except through Jesus Christ.
And through Purgatory, apparently. And also through works. "Not by faith alone...." Catholics DO believe that you need baptism, faith, AND works.
The Bible clearly can not be taken literally.
Clearly it can, and IS, by some. The vast majority, however, take only certain passages literally when they suit their world view. All that stuff about homosexuality comes to mind. But then change the subject, and that same person will probably tell you that you need to interpret the scriptures.
Boomcrash, you keep quoting the most ridiculous passages from the Bible as some sort of example as to why the Bible can't be taken literally.
I thought the Bible was at the very least inspired by God. Some people believe it is the actual word of God, written by men. Are you saying God wrote or inspired ridiculous passages?
18 - RJ Elliott
GASP!! You mean someone who appears to be from the Right, is NOT A CHRISTIAN??? Dang...this is gonna mess things up... (reporting back to headquarters)
Heh.
Yes, believe it or not, not every Bush-supporter is a Christian. In fact, not every Bush-supporter is even a self-indentified "conservative" or "right-winger."
When asked about my political affiliations, I say I am a registered independent (or "No Party Affiliation" as it is called here in Florida...).
When asked about my ideology, I call myself a "moderate libertarian" (a bit of an oxymoron, I'll admit...).
When asked who I generally vote for, I respond "pretty much anyone except Democrats."
(I probably agree with Nader on more issues than I do with Kerry. And I think Nader is a communist!) ;-]
19 - Nick Jones
"...does Hitler get into heaven, too?"
I have bad news for you. The prison chaplain who was counseling Jeffrey Dahmer said that shortly before he was murdered, Dahmer had admitted his sins and had asked God for forgiveness. Unless his karma ran over the wrong dogma, you might see at least one unexpected familiar face beyond the Pearly Gates...
20 - Nick Jones
Favorite Heaven joke:
A man goes to Heaven and is welcomed in by Saint Peter, who gives him the standard tour. When they come to a part of Heaven that seems to be walled off from the rest, Peter turns to the new arrival and whispers, "We have to be very quiet around this wall, because of the people on the other side."
"Who's on the other side?"
"The [insert name of religious group here]."
"Why do we have to be quiet?"
"They think they're the only ones here."
21 - Sandra Smallson
The difference b/w you and I BHW, is that I am not carrying any baggage from my childhood because I was raised Catholic. I am confident of/in my faith and I have no questions on what is being preached. I am proud to be a Catholic. I would rather be a pagan than be any Christian denomination other than Catholic. This is my view and not the view of all catholics, before the lynch mob jump in here and start telling us how all Catholics would rather be pagans than protestants.
Now, I am more than aware of the Catholic Doctrines. I won't waste my time responding to your criticism of them until you enumerate which Catholic doctrines you believe are unsupported both implicitly and explicitly by the Bible.
In my opinion, you have nobody to blame for your general confusion and disillusionment but yourself. You must have been going through a period of rebellion to have come out of Cathechism class with such total lack of understanding of what you were being told. Even then, as you became this young adult, you were still unable to connect the dots.
Purgatory. Roman Catholics believe in a state of being called "purgatory" IT IS NOT A PLACE or an intermediate b/w heaven and hell as critics of the Church will have the world believe. It is believed to be a continuing process of purgation of the human soul after death.
Purgatory is a sign of God's mercy on those who have honestly sought to know God and to do His will in this life and yet die in some degree of bondage to sin or the effects of sin.
The Church has only two official teachings concerning purgatory: 1)it exists, and
2)our prayers help the souls in purgatory. God is revealed as perfect interior holiness. (Catholicapologetic.org)
In simple terms, purgatory is a state of spiritual being that Catholics believe is the spiritual state of those who have died in God's grace and friendship but still not perfectly purified 1.e: not entirely free from venial faults, or have not fully paid the satisfaction due to their transgressions. We pray for the dead so they may achieve the necessary holiness to enter the kingdom of heaven.
This idea that it is possible to pray for the sins of the dead or that there might be an existense or a state of being outside our natural life is an idea derived from scripture. No, Purgatory is not mentioned explicitly in the Bible. However, in scripture Jesus talks of sins that can be forgiven in this age or in the age TO COME. Another part of scripture which has led Catholics to believe in this state of being they call "Purgatory" is inspired by when Judas Maccabeus made atonement for the dead, that they might be delivered from their sin. Also, in scripture, Jobs sons were purified by their father's sacrifice. This is why you find Catholics praying for the souls in purgatory.
We do not say it is a stop on the way to heaven or hell. It is a state of being..it is a continuing process on the way to heaven before one can come face to face with God.
22 - Sandra Smallson
It is a Catholic doctrine. The catholic church teaches the existense of Purgatory. Now, they hope their students understand what they are teaching:) If they do not, they ofcourse go the way of BHW. Fair enough. If they do understand and believe, even better. If they do understand but hope..not a problem. I said I hope it exists. The fact that I am not going to argue about the concept of Purgatory as I do the existense of God, does not make me a lesser catholic.
You have convinced yourself into thinking that the Catholic Church has set rules and if you do not follow them you are ostracised. I'm sure some parishes are stricter than others so I don't doubt that such acts may be carried out. However, I have never encountered any problems from my parish priests or bishops. I haven't been to confession in over 10 years. it does not make me a lesser catholic. Only the deluded believe the Catholic church INSISTS that without the Priests, God will not hear your confessions. They encourage that a practising Catholic MUST go to confession but never ever have they stated that without confession to Priests, Jesus will not hear your pleas in your own quiet prayers. Trust rebels without causes to blow such doctrines out of proportion.
I think from the above and my post before this, you can see that I do not need to ask myself any irrelevant questions as to why the Catholic Church invented the concept of "purgatory". It is you, who needs to ask yourself how you could have misunderstood something so simple all these years.
Ofcourse you need to be baptised in the holy spirit and be born again. That confusion of yours is not based in the Catholic Church. You are fighting with the Bible. I do not see how repeating what scripture says about being born again and baptised as JESUS himself was, somehow contradicts the belief that you can not get to heaven except through Christ. It is a process, BHW. It is not about knocking on the door and having St peter call the good Lord to let you in. Baptism is Baptism in Christ. it's all one and the same thing. This level of confusion calls for professionals, both in the psychological and religious fields, honestly. I mean that in a good way.
I do not know the exact reference but I think it's in Acts..I'll try and find out but THERE IS NOTHING to be INTERPRETED about homosexuals. It's disapproval in the eyes of God is written in plain english simple and clear. The idea that there may be another meaning to it is wishful thinking.
I shan't be commenting on interpretations of the Bible as I have commented on that several times already. My position has not changed and I have nothing new to add re: interpretations.
What I am saying dear BHW, is that there are indeed ridiculous passages in the Bible. "Happy are those who taketh and dasheth away young ones.."..Now, if that is read as is without any context from where it was extracted, that is clearly a ridiculous comment.
If in your convoluted thinking you take that as me implying that God inspired ridiculous passages..so be it. I am not going to get into a silly argument about that because let's hope for your sake you understood precisely what I meant by my comment. If not, I suggest you join the nuns at their retreat. I think you may need some quiet time with tthe Lord and no words spoken for atleast 2 days;)
references for both posts: catholicapologetics.org & second spring.co.uk
23 - bhw
You have convinced yourself into thinking that the Catholic Church has set rules and if you do not follow them you are ostracised.
This may not have made the news in the UK, Sandra, but Rome just handed down instructions to priests not to administer the Eucharist to pro-choice Catholic politicians. We heard about it here because John Kerry is a pro-choice Catholic.
It's the Church's way or the highway, babe. I don't know why you don't seem to understand your religion very well.
It is you, who needs to ask yourself how you could have misunderstood something so simple all these years.
Ah yes, me and all those Protestants!
This level of confusion calls for professionals, both in the psychological and religious fields, honestly. I mean that in a good way.
Thanks for your concern.
And good for you for finally doing a little research on what your religion teaches.
24 - Eric Olsen
Re the above two comments: "it depends on what your definition of 'is' is"
25 - Sandra Smallson
BHW, my long lost fellow catholic, even I am pro choice. Still, I take the holy communion. It's the same thing in life. We sin, we do, we live. The Pope is not omnipotent. He can only apply scripture and the churches teachings irrespective of even his own personal opinion. Get over it!
I understand my religion very well. I just refuse to be swayed by the uninformed comments of the nay sayers especially when I know what I know.
I don't think you should flatter yourself by lumping yourself with the protestants. I think a fair majority of them even have a better understanding of the Catholic faith than you have or have ever had as a former catholic.
I hate research. It's why I am the only one at work with two paralegals. It didn't take too much work:) I have had those sites bookmarked for a long while. I hope to continue to learn more about my religion and I am not afraid to find out:) Unlike others who once they hear something they don't like, they throw wild unfounded accusations at the Church, blame the church for their misfortune and then run around trying explaining to anyone that would listen why it is exactly they no longer believe the Catholic faith.
No need to thank me for my concern:) Scripture says, love thy neighbour..I try my damndest.