[zeek]

While we await ZNP's answers, I will introduce another proposition where Christianity may have become poor for the consideration of our readers. That is: Christianity became "poor poor" when it began to teach the doctrine of eternal perdition.

There is no documentation that the church councils of the first four centuries embraced the doctrine of "eternal punishment." The church councils at Nice in A.D. 325, at Constantinople in A.D.381, at Ephesus in A.D.431 and at Chalcedon in A.D.451 never embraced this doctrine. In contrast, there is documented evidence that many church leaders and teachers of the first centuries A.D. wrote acclaiming the doctrine of "universal salvation" or "ultimate reconciliation", none of whom were censored. It was not until 553 A.D. that the Roman Catholic Church denounced the teaching of ultimate reconciliation as heresy. http://www.auburn.edu/~allenkc/etpunish.html