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From: gregbo@houxm.UUCP (Greg Skinner)
Newsgroups: net.religion.christian,net.religion,net.flame
Subject: Re: Supposed claims to be the ONE TRUE CHURCH
Message-ID: <1162@houxm.UUCP>
Date: Sun, 3-Mar-85 16:08:25 EST
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Posted: Sun Mar  3 16:08:25 1985
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> From: rdz@ccice5.UUCP (Robert D. Zarcone)

>> Even though I consider myself to be a Christian, I do not presume that my
>> beliefs are the only ones to be had, because there may be many paths to sal-
>> vation which I am unaware of.  I find that Christianity works for me, and if
>> I see someone leading the kind of life I lead (or want to lead) who is not a
>> Christian, who am I to say anything about their salvation, not being God, and
>> not knowing about his plan for those who do not follow Him?  Their religion 
>> is working for them. (me)

> Then how do you explain Jesus' statement, "No one comes to the Father except
> through me"?

The recent discussions about how the Bible has been (mis?)translated over the
past 2000+ years since its initial writing have made me think a little deeper
about what I believe, and why I believe it.  Until someone with more knowledge
on the subject than I do tells me otherwise, I find it reasonable to believe
that God may have a plan for those who do not follow Him, let lead lives as
fruitful, spiritual and productive as Christians do.

I find that it is Jesus' message which is the most important thing that Chris-
tians should focus on, and not so much doctrine.  For example, my denomination
(AME) does not believe that you have to be baptized (in water) once you accept
Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior if you were baptized at birth.
However, the Baptist denomination requires that you are re-baptized once you
accept Jesus Christ.  Some Baptists will tell you that if you don't get baptized
again that you are still unsaved ("We are saved by faith, not works") and that
you will not go to Heaven.  

This kind of argument can be extended, loosely, to Jehovah's Witnesses, Mormons,
and other religions, where the day-to-day life of the believer may be different
but the inner beliefs are still the same.  I can't honestly look a Muslim in the
face and say "You will not be saved" just because he does not believe in Jesus,
if he is leading a productive and spiritual life, praying for forgiveness, ab-
staining from that which would cause him to lose sight of his beliefs, and so on
and so forth.  Especially if he is leading a better life than I am.

Please, I don't want to get in a flame war over this.  I am content to live my
life and follow God's word to the best of my abilities ... I don't think that
my attitudes are unreasonable.  I'm willing to let other people who don't ne-
cessarily believe in what I believe do the same. 
-- 
			... hey, we've gotta get out of this place,
    			    there's got to be something better than this ...

Greg Skinner (gregbo)
{allegra,cbosgd,ihnp4}!houxm!gregbo
gregbo%houxm.uucp@harvard.arpa