Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!wuarchive!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!pacific.mps.ohio-state.edu!linac!att!rutgers!dimacs.rutgers.edu!aramis.rutgers.edu!athos.rutgers.edu!christian From: x7mx@vax5.cit.cornell.edu Newsgroups: soc.religion.christian Subject: Re: One way to Heaven Message-ID: Date: 19 May 91 03:07:26 GMT Sender: hedrick@athos.rutgers.edu Organization: CIT, Cornell University Lines: 47 Approved: christian@aramis.rutgers.edu x7mx@vax5.cit.cornell.edu writes: >>I have not seen anything that explicitly states >> >>not follow Jesus (explicitly ie by name) ==> not saved keinstr!keinstr!chaplin@uunet.uu.net (chaplin) responded with a list of passages > Acts 4:10-12... Neither is there salvation in any other: for there > is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved. > 1 Timothy 2:5,6 - For [there is] one God, and one mediator between God and > men, the man Christ Jesus; who gave himself a ransom for all, ... > > Titus 3:5-7 - .. which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our > Saviour; that being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs > according to the hope of eternal life. I'm afraid you would have to do better than this. The above passages *do* state that Jesus is our sole source of salvation (or something to that effect). This I accept happily. Unfortunately none of these specify that the explicit act of becoming a Christian ("accept Christ as my personal Savior" -- where did *that* come from?) is needed to receive the salvation that Christ offers. I prefer to think that Jesus would give salvation freely to anyone who, by their actions (we are physical/spiritual beings, after all, and our actions reflect our spirit) show that they belong to God; by displaying Love. Did Jesus state that one must call his name explicitly (Yesus, Jesus, or some appropriate translation of that name) to gain that salvation? Not in the passages you quoted. Whatever the commandments that Jesus explicitly gave, none of them had to do with "You absolutely MUST use my name, spelt whatever way you choose, to gain the salvation I intend to give to everyone". They have more to do with love (your neighbor, God etc), which non Christians can do. Finally, non Christians can easily argue the following: 1. I follow God 2. Jesus is God 3. Therefore, I follow Jesus. (even if not explicitly) This is especially true of Jews and Muslims, though you would never hear this from them. That they worship God the Father is beyond dispute. How can we claim a monopoly on salvation? in Christ, Chris