I don't believe Christians have to believe that only Christianity leads to salvation. Christianity's teachings are open to interpretation and it seems many believe that the god of other religions are the same god that Christianity worships. I don't believe that conflicts with, "There is only one God."
I guess I'm not in the majority then. I'm going with saltyone on this, if you change your belief structure to fit in with the surroundings, is really a belief or is just something that makes you feel good because you say you have it
So, what do the Christians on this board think? Is Christianity the ONLY path to heaven? Do all Jews, Hindus, Buddhists, Muslims go to hell? I'm Christian, but I don't believe that Christianity is the only route to heaven (and I have a Hindu sort of belief of what heaven and eternal life is--reincarnation, in some form.) I scoff when I hear Christians say that ours is the only route to heaven. That's but one problem I have with religion; I philosophically cannot wrap my mind around the idea that so many people aren't going to receive salvation. One of my very best friends is Hindu, and we have had a number of wonderful discussions about our religions. I really like many of her beliefs, and since she is Brahmin (the top caste), she has access to many wisemen of her faith. She spoke about me to one of her gurus (after she moved back to India after a painful divorce and nervous breakdown.) She told him that I was the reason she didn't kill herself, pulling her back from the ledge, so to figuratively speak. He told her that I was an equivalent to a guardian angel for her, and she told him that she'd felt a pull from me from the time we met. I love the whole idea of angels and past lives, and I believe that they are out there and not confined to Christianity. To me, to believe that would be narrow-minded.
Maybe some of you can help because you fit in to the "statistic" posed in the original post and I do not. I truely am curious and maybe its cause I don't get out enough or talk religion enough with people. For those Christians out there that don't believe Christ is the only way to heaven, how do you explain away John chapter 14 which is a gospel and by most accounts would mean you believe what is in it if you are a Christian
i dont believe any of the stuff, but i know what christianity is. there are several obligatory beliefs of christianity. a big one is the grace of god through christ. there is nothing about other ways. you know "straight and narrow". the only thing you can argue is that something came later, so i guess you can be a mormon. but then you are a mormon. if i remember correctly jc said so himself in one of the gospels---something like "you only get to my father though me". not "me and my brother shiva" of course you can believe christianity and something else, like many do, and you may be correct in your beliefs, but then i say you arent a christian, youre a mutt. and without pulling any punches id say this sort of melding of beliefs happens because people dont know what to believe---still searching.
John 14:6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. ESV translation
Plano is hardly the Bible belt. There are a number of churches, of course, but there are also plenty of synogogues and even a large mosque less than a mile from my house. One in every two houses in my area is Asian-owned, so there are many different beliefs here. How else would I have an Indian best friend?
Then dear, you are not truly Christian, if you scoff at the fundamental tenet of Christianity--salvation can be achieved only through the acceptance of Christ. I understand your meaning fully and it is one of the reasons I quit the Baptist Church at the age of 13. But you have to believe in it all or you are not a true Christian. There are many, many of us who believe in the Judeo-Christian ethic and follow the Golden Rule, but who choose not to accept the ancient dogma, rituals, laws, and mythology of self-proclaimed holy men who were no nearer to God than I.
There's a lot of truth to that statement; hence, I'm "between" churches right now. I was raised Baptist, but never believed I would go to hell for drinking and/or dancing. I absolutely love Catholic mass. It's a beautiful ceremony--but I don't believe I'm going to hell for using birth control or being divorced. The Catholic church probably doesn't want me. There are beautiful aspects of many different religions.
