What is Inclusion?
Inclusion is just a religious doctrine held by a growing number of Christians. The term comes from the idea that the love of God includes everyone.

The term "Inclusion" was originally coined by Carlton Pearson, Bishop of the Azusa Conference and Pastor of Higher Dimensions Family Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

This doctrine has been called "Universalism" or "Universal Reconciliation" by others. Pearson came up with "Inclusion" because many people associate or confuse Universalism with Unitarianism, which is something completely different.

What does Inclusion believe?
Inclusion believes that all people will eventually be reunited with God.

This one core point sets it apart from other Christian religions or denominations, which believe that only some people will be reunited with God (saved, redeemed, go to Heaven) and everyone else will be forever separated from God (lost, unredeemed, go to Hell) with no hope or possibility of redemption.

So Inclusion believes everyone goes to Heaven?
Please don't just read the next line and stop there. Inclusion does believe that everyone will go to Heaven...eventually. But to define Inclusion as "everyone goes to heaven" or "they don't believe in hell" is a gross oversimplification.

Inclusion doesn't believe in Hell?
WRONG. Inclusion does believe in Hell; but NOT the mythological Hell of people burning in pits of fire and brimstone for all of eternity.

Why does Inclusion reject the classical definition of Hell?
We reject the classical version of Hell for several reasons and for a full discussion of this please look to the theology section of this website. But for the format of an FAQ page we would state that Inclusion rejects the classic version of Hell for two main reasons;

1. It is completely out of character with what we know about God.
2. The classic version of Hell didn't originate with Christianity or even Judaism; but with pagan religions, including Zorasterism and Greek mythology.
   

What is Hell in the Inclusion scheme of things?
For some people Hell is simply the consequences of their actions here on earth.

A person who spends every day getting drunk, will ruin their health, marriage, family and career; they will make their lives a living Hell. But that still falls far short of the chronic alcoholic being condemned by a just God to literally burn in Hell forever and ever.

For others it may very well be that the punishment merited by their sins is greater than what they receive in this life. For those people perhaps there will be some kind of punishment after death, but we believe that it will be remedial and corrective rather than just punishment for punishment's sake. Exactly what that will be and how long it will last we don't know. Will Hell for some people last 10 minutes or 10 million years...we don't know. But this we do know; Hell will not last for eternity; it will not be endless.

But doesn't the Bible teach an eternal Hell?
The Bible translations most people read do speak of an everlasting, endless, or forever and ever punishment; but almost all of these words are the translation of two Greek words: Aion and Aionias. There is considerable evidence that Aion and Aionias do not mean eternal, in the way you and I use the word eternal.

How could that be mistranslated?
It's not simple. For a complete explanation of these terms we would refer you to J.W. Hansen's Aion and Aionios, which can be downloaded from www.tentmaker.org.

But briefly, Aion and Aionias are relative, rather than specific terms.

Such as our word "big". If you were told of a big car and a big house, you would not think the car and the house are the same size even though both were described as big. The car is big, compared to other cars and the house is big for a house.

When the word Aion is referring to God who really is eternal, it does mean eternal. But from the context, from the etymology and the usage, Aion and Aionias, in reference to punishment doesn't mean eternal.

Where does the Bible mention Inclusion?
We believe the entire Bible is about Inclusion. We believe the underlying message of the Bible is about an all-powerful God reaching out in love to the undeserving, sinful human race; not because of anything we have done, but in spite of all we have done. But of course what you are looking for are specific Bible references. Here's just a few brief ones....

I Timothy 4:10 ...we have put our hope in the living God, who is the Savior of all men, and especially of those who believe.

I John 2: 2 He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.

John 12:47 As for the person who hears my words but does not keep them, I do not judge him. For I did not come to judge the world, but to save it.

John 3:17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.

There are many others, but that should get you started. But these are individual verses which, you might argue, may be out of context. The longer, more in-depth passages which are the scriptural foundation for Inclusion would be the book of Romans, specifically chapters 5 and 11. Also I Corinthians 15. and II Corinthians 5.

Please also see the Scriptures portion of this website.

But if Inclusion is so, this would mean that rapists murderers, atheist, homosexuals, pornographers, pedophiles, Satanists and Nazis will all be saved?
Yes, it does. God will eventually reunite everyone, with him.

But that would mean that God loves everyone?
Yes, it does. God does love everyone.

That means I can do anything I want and still go to heaven?
Yes, it does, but Inclusion is not a license to sin.

Sin will cost you. Sin is still Sin, still wrong, still a bad idea and not what you want to do. Sin will destroy you, your family, your finances, your health and more.Don't sin. You will regret it.

Sin separates us from God. But where Sin abounds, the Grace of God much more abounds. God will overcome sin. Don't sin. Be reunited with God now, rather than after you have put yourself (and those you love) through Hell.

But that means people don't have to change to become Christians.
It has never been that people change then God loves them, but that God loves people first and then his love causes people to change. As Paul puts it, "While we were still sinners, Christ died for us".

This a very different way of looking at things.
Yes, it is a very different way.

It has been our experience that Inclusion is a better way of looking at the world, a better way of looking at day-to-day life, a better way of looking at people who don't know Christ, a better way of looking at people of other religions or faiths.

Inclusion is not saying that we are right and everyone else is wrong, but we do believe that just maybe, Inclusion is a little closer to what God originally meant all along.

Thank you for asking questions and seeking answers. Please keep asking, keep seeking.
May God bless you.