Replies to post #3274 on Zeev's Turnips Talk Politics (ZTTP)

[Jar]

>>gross religious intolerance, which happens to be the the "highest" form of bigotry...
>>if one does not adopt the literalist's "academic" interpretation, one is damned for all of eternity

Sarai, Here are Jesus' words. Do you find Him intolerant?

John 3:17-21:
17 "For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world should be saved through Him.
18 "He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
19 "And this is the judgment, that the light is come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the light; for their deeds were evil.
20 "For everyone who does evil hates the light, and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed.
21 "But he who practices the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be manifested as having been wrought in God."

John 12:44-50
44 And Jesus cried out and said, "He who believes in Me does not believe in Me, but in Him who sent Me.
45 "And he who beholds Me beholds the One who sent Me.
46 "I have come as light into the world, that everyone who believes in Me may not remain in darkness.
47 "And if anyone hears My sayings, and does not keep them, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world, but to save the world.
48 "He who rejects Me, and does not receive My sayings, has one who judges him; the word I spoke is what will judge him at the last day.
49 "For I did not speak on My own initiative, but the Father Himself who sent Me has given Me commandment, what to say, and what to speak.
50 "And I know that His commandment is eternal life; therefore the things I speak, I speak just as the Father has told Me."

[mlsoft]

sarai...

In reference to Catholics, I think you read much more into my post than was there. I never, at any time, said all Catholics were bound for Hell, just as I most certainly would not say all Baptists are headed for Heaven -- neither is true. Many Catholics are saved people and many Baptists, Methodists, etc., are not.

What I did say is that the sole determining factor (for adults over the age of reason) for one's eternal destiny is that person's relationship with Jesus. If a person accepts the finished work of Jesus on the cross as the payment for his sins before God, he is saved. That is all that is necessary. Conversely, the person that refuses to accept Jesus as Savior is condemned.

It is all very simple (almost too simple, which is a problem for a lot of people) - we all sin (continuously), and the penalty of just one sin is eternal damnation. God has mercifully provided a way for that penalty to be paid and the sins forgiven (no matter how many or how bad), and it is up to each person to accept His provision or reject it. If a person truly accepts Jesus, there is nothing that can keep him from going to Heaven, but if he does not, there is nothing that can keep him from going to Hell.

As for Mother Theresa, I have no idea whether she was saved or not. Most certainly all her good deeds could never get her into Heaven (all our righteousness is but filthy rags before a Holy God), but if she put her faith in Jesus, she was saved. Just looking at the fruits of her life (we have zero first hand knowledge about how she lived) I would guess that she was a saved person, but that is only speculation - only God knows her heart and is able to judge, and judge He will.

Hope that helps clear it up a bit.

mlsoft

[deadbeat45]

>>Don't sweat it, jb. The entire argument is wrought with contradiction and hypocracy, and gross religious intolerance, which happens to be the the "highest" form of bigotry, imo.

Such a simplistic interpretation reduces God's Law, ....<<

You are certainly entitled to your opinion. It is my opinion that there are many out there who are an enemy of the Truth both inside and outside the church. And many of them are probably smarter and more of a deep thinker then I am. But then I don't believe that God won't work with the simple. I find that sometimes it the simplest things that speak the most loudly and persuasively. I believe that God in His wisdom choose the simple, the weak things, and the lowly things to reveal himself. "But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things -- and the things that are not -- to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him."I Corinthians 1:27-29(niv) Ignorance is not bliss but with knowledge come greater accountablility.