You stated in your article that: 
the religion he spun out was evil — pure and simple; and it kept him and his followers from God, their final end.As a Universalist-Unitarian, I can assure you that our church values and respects all religious teachings.  The sources of our faith are derived primarily from Judeo-Christian and Humanist teachings; but include a variety of other sources as well.  As a Universalist-Unitarian, although I may not agree with what you are saying, I will always defend your right to say it – and believe it.  Not only that, but I will not dismiss your views simply because I do not share them.  I will open my mind to try to understand you.  Like all human beings, I have a curious mind; and finding sense, “truth;” and meaning in my life is very important to me.  Further, if you have found a spiritual home somewhere, I’ll say, “That’s wonderful.  I’m genuinely glad you’ve found a faith community that meets your spiritual or religious needs.”  I would NEVER call you “evil” because you don’t share my views.  Nor would any Universalist-Unitarian - because we “affirm and promote the inherent worth and dignity of every person,” and a “free and responsible search for truth and meaning.”And finally, as I’m sure you know, Hosea Ballou blieved that a truly loving God would never condemn any of those he promised to love to an eternity of damnation. That is the question Hosea Ballou asked:  How could an all-loving God force even one of his children to suffer  damnation for all of eternity?  And that’s what got Ballou into trouble.  Apparently there were others who shared your belief that his question was “evil.”As a follower of the teachings of Jesus Christ, are you not obliged to “love your neighbour as yourself?”  I also understand that Christians are expected to love each other as Jesus does.  Is this not true?  Please help me to learn more about your beliefs….. I have one major obstacle with my understanding of the way Jesus promises to love his followers.  Is it true that Jesus loves you only if you obey him completely, and think exactly as he does?  Does a person’s disagreement with him or failure to obey him give him cause to turn his back on you entirely? I seem to recall a story in the New Testament where Jesus told his disciples that they were all like branches on a vine – intertwined and one with him.  But he also said that if any of them chose to disagree with him, he would cut their particular branch from the vine, and they would soon wither and die.  If that is the case, I find that difficult to accept.  My parents, I know, have always loved me unequivocally.  I did not have to earn their love; they give it profusely and unconditionally.  There is nothing  I could do which would cause them to stop loving me.  They know that I am a valuable yet imperfect human being who will make mistakes, yet nevertheless, is deserving of unconditional love and respect..  Despite the mistakes I made (or the few times I may have disobeyed them in my youth), they never turned their backs on my.  They did not require me to do penitence and earn my place back in our home.  Au contraire.  They loved me all the more, and took their roles as teachers and parents very seriously, guiding me in my development into a responsible and caring human being.  If my understanding is correct, I regret that you believe your God’s love to be less generous than that of my mortal parents.  Hosea Ballou believed that God loved us all equally – despite our imperfect humanity –  and barred no one from “coming home…”So, tell me, please: Is your God`s love less generous than that of my mere mortal parents?  If that is the case, it seems to me as if many Christians must live in constant fear that they may unintentionally displease Him someday, and risk eternal damnation.  I guess that’s one way to promote obeisance and discourage divergent thinking!Universalists believe that there’s room in Heaven for everyone.In closing, I’m asking you to please refrain from denigrating other people’s views.  You’ll note that, despite my disagreeing with many of your statements, I did not say you were wrong.  I did not call you names because of your beliefs.  I did not put you down.  I merely stated my disagreement, attempted to explain my own position, and seek further explanation from you.  I believe that diverse thinking, investigating and teaching is a thing to cherish.  I respect your right to freedom of expression, without denigration.  All I ask in return is for you to respect mine, too.Thank you.David B.Retired TeacherUniversalist-Unitarian

Thank God.

The article was not an “unbiased news report,” and was not a “news report” at all. It is not that genre of writing.

Happy new year to you, too, Mr Ballou.

You yourself have made a false claim in asserting that “Rev. Hosea Ballou & his followers are condemned & judged to have never reached our Father’s Eternal Banquet.” No such judgment or condemnation was issued. We believe, as our Faith teaches, that there is no salvation outside the Catholic Church, but we do not judge individual souls when they enter eternity. THAT is the prerogative of Jesus Christ, the just Judge.

What you call “personal commentary” that strays from “objective presentation” is commentary based on a world view animated by the Catholic Faith. This was an article that appeared originally in a Catholic journal and now on a Catholic web site. It does not claim to be an unbiased news report.

You identify yourself as a Catholic, yet you favorably cite the pagan Ghandi on a religious matter. His statement is in opposition to the Catholic Church’s infallible teaching — see http://catholicism.org/category/outside-the-church-there-is-no-salvation . That’s a problem.

Lastly, it appears that you did not find any “factual errors” in the article, since you did not identify them when I asked you. This would make your admonition to do “honest documented research” misleading at best. It seems that you perceive a need, not for better research, but for a different doctrinal adherence on the part of the author.

Were there any factual errors about the Ballou family in the article?

Your Hans Urs Von Balthasar is a heretic. See http://catholicism.org/urs-von-balthasar.html

Contrary to Scripture, contrary to Tradition, contrary to the Magisterium… that’s a heretic for you. Suggest you read this, too:

http://catholicism.org/there-is-a-hell-and-it-makes-perfect-sense.html

You can type it into Google to find out more about it.

First I want to say that you are very gracious in the way you have portrayed this man.You were not mean or overly judgmental even though you kept to your Roman Catholic mindset. I can see that he was very blessed and had a fine family of children and a loving wife. The 6th child died and that would have been the number of man so died the doctrines of man in the preaching of this grand brother!

Thank you so much for introducing me to Hosea Ballou!

Conformation of absolute truth that the Holy Spirit has been showing me since 1980! I am a reconciliationist and I will see the glory of the Lord shine in every Roman Catholic,all Protestants,every Sanhedrin elder,every Roman gladiator,Caesar,whore,thief,murderer,politician, adulterer,etc etc etc, even all nazi fools! When Hell/Hades/Sheol/Gehenna/Tartarus/Lake of Fire has accomplished it’s work, ALL shall be saved!

Lester