Relativism and salvation
Upvote:-1
Jeff, a third position (other than "Damn him!" or "He's cool.") might be "We don't know." or "I don't know." personally, i think it's a big waste of time for believers, while on Earth, parsing out who's going where for eternity. i might feel safe saying "Adolf Hitler is going (or has gone) to hell fer sher" but it seems to me that, since i am not in a position to actually make that decision (as is no other human being in history, save one) that it might be a waste of time to act as if i am.
God is more merciful than any of us can articulate. this also means (in my opinion) that any mortal that articulates a specific limit to God's mercy is walking on thin ice. it's silly. so why bother with it?
doesn't mean that everyone goes to Heaven. even so, if someone thinks they would rather rule in hell than serve in heaven, God loves them enough to accept that rejection.
there are enough issues of discipleship, mercy, and justice in this life and on this planet to deal with; without worrying about the same in the next life. let God worry about it.
just my $0.02 .
Upvote:2
I'd say that anyone who says that you do not need Christ in order to be saved is, by definition, not a Christian. I suppose it's possible that he is a very confused or ignorant Christian.
Perhaps what you're asking hits on a question that I've pondered for many years: If we understand Christianity to essentially say that in order to be saved you must adhere to certain beliefs, or make certain affirmations, then: What is the absolute minimum that someone could believe and still be saved? Or to put it the other way around, How wrong can someone be and still be saved?
For example, Christians routinely debate different theories about the second coming of Christ, pre-tribulation rapture versus post-tribulation rapture, etc. I think very few Christians suppose that if a person is wrong about the nature or timing of the rapture that this means that he is not saved.
On the other hand, if someone says that he believes that Jesus Christ was an insane person who just thought he was God and that neither his death nor his teachings have any value, I think almost any Christian would say that person is not saved.
But what's the minimum set of correct beliefs? I don't know.
More post
- 📝 What is the Biblical basis that God "cannot" act against his nature?
- 📝 How many times is it recorded in scripture - instances where Jesus ate a meal?
- 📝 Origins of Ash Wednesday
- 📝 Does the Bible suggest that the earth is round?
- 📝 Who learned that Abraham would even sacrifice his son in Genesis 22:11?
- 📝 What did Papias mean when he wrote how Mark did not write "in order" about what Jesus said or did?
- 📝 Do Calvinists Disbelieve the Doctrine of Eternal Generation as a 'Begetting'?
- 📝 Who was affected by the plague in Numbers 25?
- 📝 What do Reformed Baptists think about a Christian refusing to be baptised?
- 📝 During creation the Bible says, God saw that various things were 'good'. Did He not know they were going to be good?
- 📝 Are all sins cursed by their own nature?
- 📝 What happens to unborn, unbaptized babies who die?
- 📝 Why did God create evil?
- 📝 Can I take notes during a mass?
- 📝 Did the Quartodecimans perform the eucharist only once a year on Nisan 14?
- 📝 Was Jn 19:12-13 intended to be a prophecy on the Day of Judgement?
- 📝 Was Adam mortal before he partook of the tree of knowledge of good and evil?
- 📝 Did the early church condemn getting tattoos?
- 📝 What did Christ mean in Matthew 10:34?
- 📝 What is the Catholic view on frozen embryos
- 📝 Why do Anglicans have the "give away" optional in Common Worship but obligatory in Anglican Book of Common Prayer?
- 📝 How do Christians in support of gay marriage interpret anti-gay Bible verses?
- 📝 In which writing(s) does Hugo Grotius set forth the "Governmental Theory of the Atonement"?
- 📝 Was the fall of man inevitable?
- 📝 Catholic Equivalent of Systematic Theology Books
- 📝 Nature of the Church in 1st Corinthians
- 📝 What is the Eastern Orthodox view of tradition and its authority?
- 📝 According to reformed theology, does Satan know who the elect are (during their time on earth?)
- 📝 What Conservative Catholic publication am I looking for?
- 📝 Does "no part of this world" mean no involvement in politics?
Source: stackoverflow.com
Search Posts
Related post
- 📝 Relativism and salvation
- 📝 Is the "sinner's prayer" important for salvation and why?
- 📝 How does Matthew 25:31-46 ("The Sheep and the Goats") reconcile with salvation by faith?
- 📝 If both the Orthodox and Catholic Church affirm salvation by grace through faith, why did the Protestant Reformation happen?
- 📝 Why does the Salvation Army not administer the sacraments of baptism and the Lord's Supper?
- 📝 Is there a significant difference between salvation by faith with works and salvation by faith and works?
- 📝 How do the proponents of the idea that salvation once received cannot be lost explain Hebrews 6:4-6 and 10:26-29?
- 📝 Did the disagreement between the Catholic Church and Protestant Church on the issue of salvation by grace alone end in 1999?
- 📝 How do those who believe in salvation by grace, and in works being the fruit of salvation, explain Galatians 6:8-9?
- 📝 What is the current and historical viewpoint on universal salvation as a doctrine in the Catholic Church?
- 📝 In Catholicism is salvation by grace alone or by following the ten commandments and confession?
- 📝 Incompatibilities between Vatican II and the Council of Florence on salvation outside the Church?
- 📝 Has the matter of salvation - whether it is by works or by faith alone - ever been considered on any councils of the Catholic and Orthodox churches?
- 📝 Is the root of salvation correctly summed up as "Be saved and repent!" or should it be "Repent and be saved!"?
- 📝 How do Protestantism and the LDS Church differ as to what is required for a believer to attain salvation and eternal life?
- 📝 Do Lutherans believe that the sacraments are necessary for salvation (similar to Catholics), and if so, how do they reconcile this with Sola Fide?
- 📝 Salvation Army and the brass band
- 📝 Is there a need for Christians to believe in Christianity at all, if they don't believe in Resurrection and Salvation through Christ alone?
- 📝 According to Christians who believe that salvation can be lost, what is spiritual rebirth, what is eternal life and can salvation be regained?
- 📝 How do Christians who believe that salvation can be lost interpret John 6:37-44 and John 10:11-30?
- 📝 According to Presbyterianism, is there salvation available for Adam and Eve?
- 📝 What is the relationship between commandments and salvation in Roman Catholicism?
- 📝 Was salvation available to Lucifer and those angels who rebelled with him?
- 📝 Can I believe in evolution and still be a Christian?
- 📝 Why does Judaism celebrate Sabbath on Saturday and most Christians celebrate Sabbath on Sunday?
- 📝 What is the basis for saying Christians and Muslims worship the same God?
- 📝 How do young earth creationists reconcile the age of the universe with the speed of light, and visible distant objects?
- 📝 How to answer "Why do evil and suffering exist?"
- 📝 If Adam and Eve were perfect, why did they choose to sin?
- 📝 Why are Matthew, Mark, and Luke called the synoptic gospels?