On the “Drawing” of Men: An Attempt at Understanding

August 30, 2026August 30, 2026 Roger MitchellLeave a comment

A long, long time ago, fifty years +/-, my father and a Mennonite pastor were discussing certain aspects of the Christian faith, which I was listening to. Eventually, the conversation turned to the sacrificial and atoning death of Jesus Christ as payment for humanity’s sins and my father asked the question. “What about all the people who lived before this, never heard the Gospel, and never had a chance nor opportunity to accept Christ as their Savior and be reconciled to God through this experience?”

He wasn’t quite that voluble nor elaborate in his wording and I confess that I have dressed it up a little, but the meaning is the same. I repeat the question. What about the billions upon billions of human souls who have lived and died without ever hearing the Good News that Jesus died to save them and never were given the opportunity to beg forgiveness and ask to be saved? Are they doomed to Hell forever through no fault of their own, but solely at the mercy of what might be called a bureaucratic “glitch”?

The pastor on the other side of this question gave an answer which was quite revealing and, again, I am expressing this from memory so it won’t be an exact quote. “I believe that in some way, God has revealed Himself to them in such a way that they could have received His saving grace if they wanted to.” In other words, I don’t know and can’t give you a good explanation. To be quite honest, as far as I know, Christianity and its individual churches and members still haven’t come up with a good answer to that question, reasonable though it is, although some might say that the apostle Paul addressed this in Romans 1:20.

“For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse.”

They are without excuse, even though they have never walked down a sawdust trail nor been baptized in the Name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost. Obviously then, the Mennonite preacher had some idea of the truth but had never worked it out to its logical conclusion. I can’t say that I have either, but I may be one step further along than he was. Maybe not. I’ve learned (hopefully) not to place too much significance in my own knowledge and I never stop questioning what I do “know”.

Probably the first place to start to unravel this thorny question is to determine what Hell is. We all know the popular image of an eternal lake of fire into which unrepentant individuals are thrown, which doctrine is drawn from verses such as Revelation 20:15, which says quite plainly,

“And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.”

Dante’s “Inferno“ builds on this and the art world is chock full of paintings which depict the scene, complete with ghoulish demons performing various diabolical acts on suffering human beings who have no chance at all of escaping. You know what I mean. There is no need to describe this further. Further, Revelation 14:11 describes the final result of their predicament as “…the smoke of their torment [which] ascends forever and ever [without] rest…” This “smoke” can be contrasted with the smoke which rises to God’s nostrils as a “sweet aroma” from the sacrifices offered up to Him in worship, adoration, and obedience. (See Genesis 8:21, Leviticus 1:9, Ephesians 5:2, and Philippians 4:18.) Obviously, this is a metaphorical reference to lives lived, either in submitted accordance with God’s law or in defiant rebellion to it. The “smoke” cannot be taken literally and, in fact, virtually all of Revelation is symbolic and metaphorical, so it is possible to believe, by extension of reason, that people really are NOT thrown physically into a literal lake of fire, which casts doubt on the existence of a literal lake of fire at all.

A better explanation for this, in my opinion, is that Hell is an eternal spiritual separation from God. Submission to God’s Spirit produces results which are shown in Galatians 5:22-23–“…love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control…” On the other hand, Hell is inhabited by people who practice absolute selfishness and indifference to others with all the attendant attributes–lust, rage, murder, theft, jealousy, envy, greed, etc., without any restraint at all because the Spirit of God has been withdrawn from them. They run wild in their own rebellion, each of them attempting to grasp the fruit of the desires which drive them, but are unable to achieve any success in their selfish pursuit, creating an atmosphere of complete frustration which builds continually, goading them on to greater and greater effort, all the while failing miserably. Forever. Hell is an all-out war of everyone against everyone else, without any hope of achieving victory over anyone. Hell is a total absence of love–love toward God, toward oneself, and toward other people. It is pure selfishness in action.

But, then, this brings us back to the original question. What about all those people who never heard the message that God is love? Are they doomed forever to inhabit this place? Without reservation, I believe that they are not, solely because each person who has ever lived (or will live) experiences God’s love while here on Earth and has the opportunity to share that love with those around them. The spirit which “draws all men to Myself” (John 12:32) works in the lives of everyone, regardless of who they are, when and where they live, even those who died long, long before Jesus Christ ever walked on this planet. In some way or another, the Spirit of God has drawn them, so that they are without excuse if they fail to respond to it positively. How they respond to that drawing (tug, pull, attraction) within their hearts determines how they live while on Earth and how they will live eternally, whether in Heaven experiencing the full presence of God or in Hell experiencing His complete absence.

Side note. The common interpretation of John 12:32 does not (again, my opinion) spend enough time on the meaning of this phrase, “will draw”. It implies that there is a constant and unrelenting pull on the hearts of men to surrender to the Spirit of God, to come home, to come in from the cold, so to speak. The parable of the Prodigal Son illustrates this concept quite well. That drawing is universal and applies to everyone without exception and those who accept it and embrace it are the ones who see Heaven. Those who reject it and rebel against it experience Hell, both while on Earth and in eternity. We are drawn to it irresistibly, coming ever closer to God’s perfect love, or we deliberately and stubbornly harden ourselves against it, continually moving further and further away from it. It’s either one or the other. There is no neutrality.

The New Testament proclaims that God is love. This is not the same as saying that God loves, but that God IS love. The very nature and character of God is love and the resulting consequence of that attribute is that God loves. First the being, then the action. God loves because God IS love and cannot be nor exhibit anything else.

If this is true, if God is love, if Jesus draws all men, then it must be concluded that everyone, every person has “heard the gospel” in his own life, even if that message was not written in the language of King James, which, for the vast majority of mankind, it was not. Yet, they all heard it. Everyone has felt the draw of the Spirit of God and everyone has responded to it in one way or another. People do not have to sit through an emotional, thundering sermon on the topic of “fire and brimstone” which only the blood of Jesus can quench. All they have to do is hear the still, small voice within their soul and respond to it in a spirit of surrender and obedience.

If God is love and, if Jesus is God, then it logically follows that Jesus is love. If humans are created in the image of God and, if Jesus is God, then that means we are created in the image of love, pure and unconditional love, and those who emulate the example Jesus lived while on Earth are those who have the greatest chance of entering Heaven. Those who don’t risk hearing those dreadful words, “I don’t know you. Get out!”

I have no problem believing that people, all imperfect, all flawed, all conceived and born under a sin nature, from the beginning of time have experienced the “drawing” of the Christ in their souls and that many of them have responded to it positively, thereby ensuring that they have, at the very least, a chance of entering into Heaven, whether they said the “sinner’s prayer” or not. To my way of thinking, following the example of Jesus’ interaction with other people out of a spirit of love, would bring to life what the apostle Paul wrote in Galatians 5:14.

For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”

This is not a defense nor endorsement of the doctrine known as universalism, i.e., that everyone will be saved. I don’t believe that at all. Some people deserve Hell and I have no doubt that a righteous judge, The Righteous Judge, can and will make the correct call on that score. That is beyond my pay grade and, as such, not worth any speculation on my part. However, I do believe that there will be many, many people in Heaven who have been written off by others because they did not go through the demanded ritual of “salvation”, yet somehow, the love of God got through to them and they flowered because of it.

I’m looking forward to meeting them.

Golden Rule. Platinum Rule. Ho-hum!

August 9, 2026August 9, 2026 Roger Mitchell1 Comment

Recently, I was involved in a “debate” on the Unz Review concerning the Golden Rule and its (supposedly better, certainly more modern) re-interpretation, the Platinum Rule. This was sparked by a comment I made at an article by one, Caitlin Johnstone, a popular blogger, who is not afraid to blast what she sees as unjust, immoral, and wrong. I salute her for the well-meaning intent, but take issue with some of her stances. Our philosophical differences have no bearing on the current subject. If you read this article and scroll down through the links, you will find my initial comment as #5, from which you can read replies by other commenters and my own replies to them.

https://www.unz.com/cjohnstone/im-not-political-just-means-i-support-the-status-quo

During the course of this “conversation”, someone brought up the idea that the Platinum Rule was superior to the Golden Rule with respect to the relationship between people. I had to admit that I had never heard of the Platinum Rule before and, more than likely, you may not have either. There is an enormous amount of information on the Internet about it. Just type the key words, platinum rule, into your browser. However, for those who can’t be bothered, the tension between the Golden Rule and the Platinum Rule reads like this:

Golden Rule: “Treat others as you want them to treat you.”
Platinum Rule: “Treat others as they want to be treated.”

Apparently, the main sticking point in the Golden Rule for some people is that they read it as selfish and self-centered. It is a manipulative system in which you give others what you desire for yourself and you expect to receive it as compensation for your “giving”. Honestly speaking, this is no different than the attitude and belief that many Christians have when they drop cash in the “offering” plate at their weekly gathering on Sunday morning. I don’t see it that way and I am quite certain that Jesus didn’t mean it as such. See more on that below.

On the other hand, treating others as they want to be treated can lead to disaster. Ask yourself, how would someone like Benjamin Netanyahu want to be treated, and the problem becomes immediately clear. How does Donald Trump want to be treated? How does an abusive, philandering husband or a perpetually victimized wife want to be treated? Giving someone everything that they wish for is a recipe for disaster and must be avoided religiously, at all costs, because there are times when people like that need a good, swift kick in the ass and a reprimand, which is most definitely NOT what they want.

The main problem I find with the Platinum Rule is that it is nothing more than a cleaned up, sanitized, and more professional version of the Golden Rule. The Platinum Rule appeals to “educated” people–psychologists, group leaders, human resource administrators, politicians, etc., and others who specialize in molding and directing people into their own mode of thinking. In reality, it is a clinical take on what Jesus taught 2000 years ago, but is no different in essence, as long as it is not self-seeking.

Eventually, after some give and take in the discussion, I posted this response which has not been answered nor challenged. In fact, there is no good rebuttal to the main thrust of my argument. Sometimes, silence speaks louder than words.

“After some reading on this subject, I have decided that there really is no substantial difference between the Golden Rule and the Platinum Rule. They are flip sides of the same coin. The wording is different but the principle behind them is the same. The whole argument is one of semantics and arguing over which one is better only muddies the water.”

“Whether one treats others from the perspective of the Golden Rule or approaches from the Platinum Rule, the core issue remains and can be phrased by this question. At the most basic level, what is the one desire which everyone has? Answer: to be loved. Ultimately, we are all crying out for the same thing, that someone love us for who we are in spite of our very obvious failings. This need is the same in Donald Trump as it is in the lowest homeless beggar in the worst slum of the largest city on Earth and everyone manifests that need in different ways, even though they are asking for the same thing–“Love me.” It is our responsibility to find a way to do just that for others while also understanding that we are looking for the same thing within ourselves. It is the practice of loving others that teaches us our own need and we satisfy our need, paradoxically, by self-sacrificial giving so that the need in others is also satisfied.”

“Incidentally, just because someone wants something does not mean that we are obligated to give it to them. Fulfilling their wants may not be beneficial to them, but may very well increase their demands. “Give me more!” Sometimes, the best thing we could do for others like this is to give them a good, swift kick in the pants and the directive to grow up.”

“This is not a matter of bowling balls and cheeseburgers. In fact, the entire concept transcends the physical world (which is nothing more than a collection of “things”). It rises above the emotional state which reflects the broken aspects of ourselves. It IS a matter of spirit, the spirit of love, and when that is correct and proper, all other parts of our psyche and makeup are healed.”

“How do I want to be treated? With love. How do you want to be treated? With love. How should we treat others and how should they treat us? With love. Both the Golden Rule and the Platinum Rule are methods of teaching that principle to people who learn by doing, making mistakes along the way, but correcting them when they are recognized.”

“God is love. We are created in the image of God. We are also human, therefore flawed and imperfect, yet we can become like God, through the deliberate and conscious choice to surrender the desires we selfishly hold in the interests of showing love to others, so that they too can become like God.”

“This is as simple an explanation as I can make and, while I fall short at times, the end goal of perfection, perfect love, is always within my sight.”

If I truly love someone, I will do what is best for them regardless what it costs me, regardless of what I might gain from them, regardless of what they want me to do for them.

The Practice of Politics: Round Three

October 26, 2024 Roger Mitchell6 Comments

In just a few days, the citizens (citoyens, comrades) of the United States will decide (rubberstamp) a Dear Leader for the next four years, which selection will have enormous implications for, not only the country itself, but the world at large. Whoever is “elected” will shape American policy, both domestic and foreign, for years to come and will largely determine what happens within the next decade.

The choice is yours. Choose well. Or refuse to participate in the process at all.

Should Christians be involved in politics? This is the burning question which I have tried to answer recently in two blog posts, see here and here. Even though my answer has been a resounding “No!”, I think that I have explained my position badly and fallen short of the real reason why I believe as I do. This is an attempt to clear the air a little, although, it is certain that this will not be sufficient for the task. It is an ongoing “enlightenment” and it will continue until I pass through the gate to an eternal home where I can see clearly through the fog that I experience now.

I have described politics as far more than just government-oriented. Politics, the practice of manipulating and the use of others to benefit oneself at their expense, is widespread throughout society. Unfortunately, this description does not resonate with the general public at all and is completely ignored by virtually everyone. I am, indeed, a voice crying in the wilderness.

So, let’s abandon “politics” for a little while and contemplate what it means to be Christian. Of course, first and foremost, is the belief that Man (both male and female) is flawed and sinful, which renders us unable to meet, know, and understand God on our own. This defect was resolved forever by the appearance of Jesus the Christ into history, Who showed by His life, death, and resurrection from death into life, that it is entirely possible for flawed, sinful Man to become like God, under certain, clearly spelled-out rules:

You shall love the LORD, your God, with all your heart, soul, and mind, AND,
You shall love your neighbor in the same manner that you love yourself.

End of argument. Except that we are not willing to accept this as truth, preferring instead to substitute ritual, emotion, and irrationality as our own version of the truth, which we practice faithfully, certain that this will procure a ticket into the very presence of God Himself.

We are pretty good at “loving” the LORD, our God, with all our heart, soul, and mind, but what does it really mean to love our neighbor as we love ourselves? This is the existential question and it must be clearly understood if we are ever to understand what it means to love God. These two demands go hand in hand, they cannot be separated. It is impossible to love God fully and completely UNLESS we love our neighbor fully and completely.

“If someone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen?” –1 John 4:20, emphasis mine.

Well, all right, you might say, but WTF does this have to do with politics, government, and voting to influence the direction America (or any other nation) travels? After all, if Christians do not influence the government in a positive direction, the direction we deem to be true, right, and holy, then we are all “doomed” to live under a regime with which we do not agree, one in which we find ourselves in opposition against. Hell on earth, in other words, AND we MUST oppose that by voting for the “lesser of two evils”. Which, of course, does nothing to eliminate the evil, but actually exacerbates it since evil, to one extent of another, always wins.

The main problem with this is that it is easy to love government which solves all our problems with our neighbor by brute force and violence, but it is not so easy to love our neighbor through the application of self-sacrifice, good will, and service. Jesus did not say, “Love your neighbor by passing a law which he must obey, whether he wants to or not, and which you must pay for through taxation and regulation, even if you don’t like the extent to which you are taxed or regulated.” Instead, He said quite simply that we are to live with our neighbors, as if they (and their needs) were as important as our own, whether we like them or not.

Here is the dividing line, the distinction. Love for neighbors is voluntary. It comes out of the depths of our hearts. It does not care what it costs us personally. In our own personal relationship with our neighbors, we look out for their good. It does not matter what it costs, even if it costs everything we have, what we consider to be ours and which we are determined to hold onto at all costs, even if we have to pinch our noses as we enter the voting booth and pull the lever, signifying our belief in the “pot of message” which our favored candidate professes.

Love for neighbor cannot be achieved through a political process. It cannot be forced or violent. It must be voluntary. It is personally costly. It is self-sacrificial. We must die to ourselves so that our neighbor can live. This is the message of Christ and the Gospels and it is also that which we resist so strenuously that we have created a different, better way to “love” our neighbor: government, the application of law, and forceful action to back it up. As an example of this, it is quite easy to find a Christian church which steers a young, single mother to a government agency for “help” rather than taking her in and supporting her directly. After all, the government has plenty of money while we are struggling to pay the mortgage on our building, which is really owned by The Bank. Let’s be realistic about this.

Why? Is it not because we are afraid of our neighbor? Do we not fear what he might do to us? If this is the case, then it is better to do to him BEFORE he does to us, which principle is directly opposed to the teachings of Christ, Whom we profess to follow? Does this not create cognitive dissonance in our own minds, causing us to make excuses for all our behaviors, in spite of the irregularities and inconsistencies of our own philosophical and religious arguments? Do we create government, that is, legislation and the giving of “authority” to others, so that we can be secure and safe in our own environment? Do we accept government so that we do not have to be afraid? Yet, Jesus, in His capacity as God, asks us to completely trust Him and to accept no other as a safe haven in the storm. To be unafraid.

“And it makes me wonder.” — Led Zeppelin, “Stairway to Heaven”

In eternity, which I live in presently and will enter permanently within the next twenty years or so, the only question I have to answer is this: How do I love my neighbor? Do I love him from the depths of my heart, wishing, hoping, and working for his best even if that means I have to suffer loss, or do I try to control him through the office known as government, so that I can feel safe, even if that means that both he and I will suffer loss? Is my love for him real and lasting or is it just a face put on so that I can remain secure in my own world? Should I love my neighbor for his benefit or should I seek to control him so that I can benefit?

Politics!

Voting, whether you want to admit it or not, is just a mechanism of control. Nothing more. It is something which we use to indirectly affect how our neighbor will live or die if they refuse to behave the way we want them to. (If you click the link, notice the reference to Matthew 19:19) We can say that we love our neighbor, but if we advocate for a policy which degrades him, hobbles his ability to prosper, or restricts his behavior so that we can feel good about ourselves, then where is the consistency?

Where is the love, indeed?

There is only one reason for resorting to government as opposed to trusting God: we are afraid. We are fearful. We think about what MIGHT happen in the future and we take steps to make sure that doesn’t occur, because it might cause us harm. The actions we take are defensive in nature, yet God calls us to trust Him completely, which compels us to abandon any defensive measures and tactics, even those political in nature. Voting is such a defensive measure and, while it may serve as a feel-good, self-congratulatory action at the moment, it does nothing at all to solve the problem, which is spiritual in nature and which cannot be solved or corrected by pulling a lever in a voting booth.

Love of Control and the Antidote

September 2, 2023 Roger MitchellLeave a comment

This article was first posted at https://westernmt.news/voices/.

“Governments of every stripe are nothing more than gangs of terrorists. All government is organized crime, and relies on force and propaganda in order to subdue the human herd. The criminals at the top care nothing about any of you, and will always find the common man to be expendable, especially those who stand in the way of the State’s efforts to achieve totalitarian rule.” — Gary Barnett

Don’t let anyone fool you. Don’t fool yourself. Government which relies on force and violence to achieve its ends CANNOT be reformed and made into something which it is not. This is why the appeals to “conservatism”, “going back to the Constitution”, and “small(er) government”, always fail. The goal is NEVER to eliminate forceful, violent government, instead, it is about gaining control and power over everyone else at the expense of anyone–no matter who they are. Voting for a proxy government is nothing more than a way of exercising your own personal, deep-seated desire for control.

The main argument of government apologists everywhere can be reduced to one common theme, i.e., “If they disagree with me, then they need to be controlled.” Unfortunately for this attitude, those who seek to control others usually end up being controlled. Only a very few, all fabulously wealthy and extremely powerful, can escape this control in any measurable fashion, but they trade that privilege for their own peculiar set of problems, all of which have costs imposed and exacted.

“Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.” — Luke 6:38 (KJV)

This passage of Scripture, spoken by Jesus, especially the emphasized part, applies equally across the board. You want control? You will be controlled. The alternative, the cure for this mindset, also spoken by Jesus, is this: