A man pursues to understand more fully the mystery of God. The prominent church where he is the senior pastor is unsettled. The church's denomination, Evangelical Presbyterian Church, investigates and finds the man's view extremely harmful and this view should be denounced.

The debate hinges on who is saved (goes to heaven) and who is not saved (goes to hell). It is a weighty matter that divides the 'have' and 'have nots'

The document referenced is the Westminster Confession of Faith written in 1646 to bring reformation to the English Church. It is considered a worthy document within the Presbyterian denomination and their standard of doctrine subordinate to the Bible. Meaning what is written in the expansive Bible is summed up neatly in the Westminster Confession of Faith. The two paragraphs being argued are Chapter 3 paragraph 7 and chapter 10 paragraph 4. Below they are quoted.

"The rest of mankind God was pleased, according to the unsearchable counsel of His own will, whereby He extends or withholds mercy, as He pleases, for the glory of His sovereign power over His creatures, to pass by; and to ordain them to dishonor and wrath for their sin, to the praised of His glorious justice."

"Others, not elected, although they may be called by the ministry of the Word, and may have some common operations of the Spirit, yet they never truly come unto Christ, and therefore cannot be saved: much less can men, not professing the Christian religion, be saved in any other way whatsoever, be they never so diligent to frame their lives according to the light of nature, and the laws of that religion they do profess. And to assert and maintain that they may, is very pernicious, and to be detested."

The debate between the man and the Evangelical Presbyterian Church has been going on for many months. The scholarly weapons of reason, logic, semantics, hermeneutics, translation, original texts of Greek and Hebrew are wielded back and forth. No one moves. No one balks in their stance. The man only really wanting to have his freedom to possibly believe God loves and would save everyone. But the Presbytery believes his freedom of thought is harmful or even more abruptly stated by the Westminster Confession of Faith to be 'pernicious, and to be detested', at least with them.

As a Denver Seminary graduate I find the discussion at first fascinating from a scholarly perspective, but eventually what teased me intellectually became somewhat silly and sad.

I began to form a picture in my head of two lawyers arguing about who and what God's like while God sits quietly between them. The well spoken lawyers extrapolating in expansive detail who God really is and what God really can and won't do. It's obvious by just looking at God sitting between them that God is far more superior in stature and intellect than the two boobies chattering away with such authority.

God was showing extreme patience throughout the proceedings although terribly annoyed. As if biting the lip before the words, "Shut up!" came blaring out. "I can speak for myself very well, thank you. And by the way you only know an inkling of who I am! And you can't even get most of that right!"

In 1992 my second son was born, and soon after, I found out he would not live long. In those precious days of holding him with every moment a gift - my life and beliefs temporarily lost their unnatural clothing.

One moment I vividly remember -I was alone with Caleb in my arms. I gazed at my son who I barely knew, and rather amazed at the love and affinity I had for him. I wanted him to be as comfortable, cared for and loved as possible. And I wanted to take his suffering and pain away. I thought of heaven and hell, and in the doctrines I was taught...there could be the possibility that Caleb might not go to heaven?

Tears fell from my eyes as I spoke more honestly than ever, "God, if Caleb goes to hell I want to go with him. I don't want him to be alone. I don't want to be in heaven if Caleb is in hell. I don't want him suffering alone." There was anger and determination in my words. Anger that I may be forced to choose. Determination that I meant what I said.

A stiff silence...and then I felt a presence just behind me, over me, as if holding my shoulders and gazing down at Caleb as well. And these words enveloped me, "That is what I did for my son."