Over the years of discussing the topic of Universalism I’ve been told time and again that Universalism takes away our freedom to choose, that if God saves everybody then He’s ignoring our free will. While any Universalist who has studied the topic is quite aware that this isn’t the case I find myself constantly having to explain why this isn’t true to people who feel free to make such unfounded assertions without even bothering to actually study the topic at all (and who generally don’t even know what they themselves mean when using the term “free will,” but that’s another issue altogether).

Universal Reconciliation does not at all remove our ability (or responsibility) to choose, it simply reveals that the choices are different from what most Christians assume they are. According to evangelical Christianity our choice is enjoying life forever in heaven vs. suffering torment forever in hell. With traditional Christian Universalism our choice simply shifts over to choosing to be resurrected for the age (or ages) to come vs. spending the ages in “hell” until the final resurrection and consumation of the ages when death and hell are defeated and God becomes all in all (see 1 Corinthians 15), or with a more metaphorical version of Universalism (which I personally lean more towards) it comes down to a choice of living life here on earth, and possibly in the afterlife as well, under the power of religion (hell) vs. living free from the power of religion in Christ (heaven). With the latter take on Universalism one is in hell right from the beginning and only when they choose to leave it behind do they enter heaven, either in this life or the next. This version even allows for loss of “salvation” if one needs that in their theology since one can always put themselves back under the authority and power of religion again if they so choose. Either way, though, it is quite clear that Universalism doesn’t remove our ability to choose, it simply changes what we believe our choices are.