Path: utzoo!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!bcm!dimacs.rutgers.edu!aramis.rutgers.edu!athos.rutgers.edu!christian From: djdaneh@pacbell.com (Dan'l DanehyOakes) Newsgroups: soc.religion.christian Subject: Re: Interfaith - How should Christians respond? Message-ID: Date: 9 Mar 91 03:42:45 GMT Sender: hedrick@athos.rutgers.edu Organization: Pacific * Bell, San Ramon, CA Lines: 66 Approved: christian@aramis.rutgers.edu In article billy@stl.stc.co.uk (Billy Khan) writes: --quoting moi-- >...these passages at least _imply_ that salvation *is possible >outside of Christianity. > You cannot say this if you >accept John 14v6!!! There is no salvation outside of Jesus Christ, period! First of all, please include the quotes you reference. Not all of us have Bibles at our desks. Second, I didn't say "outside of Christ," I said "outside of Christianity." I don't deny that all salvation is through Christ; I wonder what "through Christ" actually means. Does it mean perfect obedience to Christ? Then none of use are saved, not one. Does it mean membership in some specific Church? Which one, and how do you know? Does it mean membership in *some* Church? Or some specific profession of faith in {God|Christ|the Pope|some specific Church|some specific minister| some specific liturgy|etc.}? And again -- how do you know which one? I don't know what it means and I suggest that none of us knows what it means. I know that Christ will save whom He will save; but I don't know what His criteria are. I know what he said about it -- and the single point he returned to most often, seems to have been the law of Love. Will Christ save only Christians? Maybe. But I know that saying He can only save people who do or think or believe X is to impose limits on omnipotence. He can save Satanists, if He chooses. One thing Christianity must never be is an excuse to feel smug about being saved. As soon as we feel that, it's stopped being true. > Believe she can be saved for goodness sake! How do you know she >won't be converted? Because I know her far better than you do. By direct intervention from God, she could be converted; anything less would go right by her "show me" attitude. She thinks God is *irrelevant*. An attitude I can't comprehend: but I know what it means to her. >Do you know the lords idea for that person? By saying >you don't think she can be converted you are saying that God can't do >everything! By saying she can't be saved unless she is converted, you are saying that God can't do everything! >[You might want to look at I Cor 7:14 in this context. --clh] Yes. Other individuals have also referred me to this. I want to thank them publically, and you too, Charles. I went to a bookstore at lunchtime and looked it up (as I said, I don't keep a Bible at my office): and found myself weeping tears of joy. Thank you all. Dan'l