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Well compiled blog.
Though, it seems your only perspective of Christianity is from the reformation onwards, where a lot of evangelicals develop/accept the belief that only the baptized are saved, predestination, and all of that. Though admittedly, in the other 2 major branches, there are the misinformed as well.
I speak from an Orthodox background.
It seems as though your biggest complaint of the Reformation stems from the fact that if you aren't Christian you aren't saved. There are quotes that can be ripped from the Bible that pretty much state verbatim this concept... however, I do not think it is Law that to be a Christian is to be saved, though I also do not presume to understand how God's judgment works.
Still, the Orthodox believe as a whole that it is not a necessity to be Christian to be saved, it's just that following the path of Christianity is a good map to be saved.. in other words, it's the easiest way I suppose. And personally, I think this makes the most sense. As gentiles were converted into Christians despite not being apart of the tribes of Israel, so should Buddhists be able to get to heaven, or a child who is killed in innocence. In the end, it will never be up to man to determine this.
I think you're right though. A lot of people cannot see past the pride of their religion, and this is a fault. Disagreeing dogmatically with someone is one thing, but considering someone to practically be an abomination on the whole is another, and is entirely wrong, for whatever reason. The fact that, selfless love is one of the major themes of Christianity, people of all cultures/races/whatever should be accepted, and I would venture a guess that if your uncle was indeed a good man then he was judged as such.
As far as your fundamentalist/liberal thing is concerned. I guess there is some truth to it, but when I reflect upon myself, I find a lot of it cross over, even so much as some of those points I believe both perspectives.
Either way, it's good to reflect and discuss these things with whomever you can, religious or non. Usually, when you do it strengthens and solidifies your own beliefs.
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its bullshit how far some fundamentalists go. My best friend had his girlfriend break up with him because her father told her he strayed away from god. thats a great FML.
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For the OP:
One thing that many Christians don't realize, is that in the original Hebrew and Greek texts of the Old and New Testament, the word "Hell" is never explicitly stated.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hell#Biblical_words_translated_as_.22Hell.22
Certain translations will take what THEY THINK IS THE EQUIVALENT OF HELL and thereby translate the word as Hell.
The concept of Hell is derived from all the statements Jesus and other disciples/prophets/writers refer to about suffering for those who reject the faith.
People often equate Gehenna with Hell because the Gospels refer to Gehenna many times as the place where there will be "wailing and grinding of teeth." However, the fact of the matter is, Gehenna is a valley near Jerusalem that was used as a trash dump, where all the trash was burned. Jews of Jesus' time believed that Gehenna was at one point a place of pagan worship, where they sacrificed each other and even little children to Baal and other pagan deities. So thus, in the context of the people who read the Gospels when they were first published, Gehenna would have meant the actual physical location where trash was burned and babies were sacrificed.
Jesus always mentions that those who believe in Him will be saved from the fires of Gehenna. The question is, does this refer to an existence of Hell, or is Jesus simply mentioning a salvation from the sin of the Earth, the plagues of mankind, and the abominations of pagan worship?
I guess it depends on who you ask. But one thing is true: the word Hell is never explicitly stated in the original texts of the Bible ANYWHERE. Although many Christians INFER and INTERPRET the existence of Hell based on descriptions, Jesus never actually mentions the word "Hell," and any Bible you read that mentions that word is using a paraphrase and not a literal translation.
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+ Show Spoiler +On August 13 2009 21:31 Kyo Yuy wrote:For the OP: One thing that many Christians don't realize, is that in the original Hebrew and Greek texts of the Old and New Testament, the word "Hell" is never explicitly stated. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hell#Biblical_words_translated_as_.22Hell.22Certain translations will take what THEY THINK IS THE EQUIVALENT OF HELL and thereby translate the word as Hell. The concept of Hell is derived from all the statements Jesus and other disciples/prophets/writers refer to about suffering for those who reject the faith. People often equate Gehenna with Hell because the Gospels refer to Gehenna many times as the place where there will be "wailing and grinding of teeth." However, the fact of the matter is, Gehenna is a valley near Jerusalem that was used as a trash dump, where all the trash was burned. Jews of Jesus' time believed that Gehenna was at one point a place of pagan worship, where they sacrificed each other and even little children to Baal and other pagan deities. So thus, in the context of the people who read the Gospels when they were first published, Gehenna would have met the actual physical location where trash was burned and babies were sacrificed. Jesus always mentions that those who believe in Him will be saved from the fires of Gehenna. The question is, does this refer to an existence of Hell, or is Jesus simply mentioning a salvation from the sin of the Earth, the plagues of mankind, and the abominations of pagan worship? I guess it depends on who you ask. But one thing is true: the word Hell is never explicitly stated in the original texts of the Bible ANYWHERE. Although many Christians INFER and INTERPRET the existence of Hell based on descriptions, Jesus never actually mentions the word "Hell," and any Bible you read that mentions that word is using a paraphrase and not a literal translation.
Thats awesome. I went to church for about a year in high school because I grew up without religion and just wanted to see what it was like. My small group leader pastor thing told us that she didn't believe there was a Hell waiting for non believers based on her own research. Whenever I told that to Christians who went to other churches they never believed me, but I guess she wasn't just some "crazy liberal christian". I don't go to church anymore (not because of the people or their beliefs, just the constant cognitive dissonance I could not quiet), but I'm glad to see others have this view on hell.
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On August 13 2009 11:04 BackHo[BLACK] wrote:
When I was younger my mother taught me a very important value, which was that it doesn't matter to God what religion I am - what matters is whether or not I'm a good person.
So if you don't have to believe in jesus to get into heaven, and the only prerequisite to heaven is being a "good" person, then why worship jesus? and if you do not worship jesus, then why be a christian?
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I dont understand the concept of hell. When you die your body goes in the ground and rots.. Maybe your soul moves on to hell but hell is defined as a fiery pit, the suffering is based off of physical pain and that makes no sense whatsoever.
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Hell is eternal separation from God.
Still, the Orthodox believe as a whole that it is not a necessity to be Christian to be saved, it's just that following the path of Christianity is a good map to be saved.. in other words, it's the easiest way I suppose. And personally, I think this makes the most sense. As gentiles were converted into Christians despite not being apart of the tribes of Israel, so should Buddhists be able to get to heaven, or a child who is killed in innocence. In the end, it will never be up to man to determine this.
depends what your definition of Christian is...
if 'christian' is someone who just goes to church , etc. then no, you don't have to be christian to be saved. however if christian is someone who believes in Jesus, then yes. you have to be Christian to be saved.
John 14:6 Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
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EPT
