Most modern Christians will have parents, wives, children, friends or other relations who are not believers, either because of indifference or adherence to another faith or even hostility to religion in general. If traditional ‘damnationist’ theology (theology that asserts the ever-lasting punishment of the damned, also known as ‘eternal conscious torment or ‘ETC’)) is correct all these loved ones will be eternally lost and will suffer the torments of Hell, separated fro...

The only viable theology of redemption is therefore Universalism. It cannot resolve all the theological problems that face ethical monotheists but it does offer a far more promising basis for attempting to do so and renders some of the difficulties considerably less pressing. Given the utter inadequacy of its rivals – inadequacy on both the moral and intellectual level - we can enter its portals with faith and confident hope.

A pamphlet printed in London in 1591 and likely written by James Carmichael who later advised King James VI on the writing of his book Daemonologie. It describes the infamous North Berwick witch trials in Scotland and the confessions given before the King. It was subsequently published in Daemonolgie by King James in 1597.

Item, the said Agnis Tompson confessed that the Diuell being then at North Barrick Kerke attending their comming in the habit or likenes of a man, and seeing that they tarried ouer-long, he at their comming enioyned them all to a pennance, which was, that they should kisse his Buttockes, in signe of duetye to him: which being put ouer the Pulpit barre, euerye one did as he had enioyned them: and hauing made his vngodly exhortations, wherein he did greatlye enveighe again...