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Originally Posted by django
In our pluralistic society it has become politically incorrect to claim that God has revealed Himself decisively in Jesus. Popularly, all roads lead to Rome, all beliefs are equally valid, and all are heading to the same place. This leaves Christians who claim that their particular belief is the only truth to seem awfully narrow-minded and intolerant.
But to actually be a Christian is unfortunately to declare that Christianity as found in the New Testament is the ONLY true way.
In the Bible, Jesus said, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father [God] except through me" (John 14:6, NIV). In Acts 4:12, the Apostle Peter said of Jesus, "Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved."
If we are to believe this in this day and age, we are demeaned as being narrow-minded and somehow intellectually inferior, but this seems to be a problem I am stuck with, because I do believe these words, not through faith but through experience. It's a difficult position to defend in this millenium.
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What language do they speak in heaven? Is it English? Spanish? Japanese? What about Celtic? Why is the formation of a vowel more important than the formation of ones' behavior? We put all our stock on saying we are Christian while not actually behaving Christ like in our daily walk. Was it to give you a free pass into heaven because you wear the correct logo, or play at the right stadium? Or is it to remind you that Jesus is the incarnation of love.
Why would Jesus say "No one comes to the Father except through me"? Was it to exclude the believer who heard Christ's spirit spoken as the spirit of God in daily things? All these are tough question to the Christian because what it really means is you are no more special or important to God than the person sitting in a mosque or the agnostic who loves to study astrology.
You are no more loving than the Buddhist who never eats animals or the Jew who still can't quite except the destruction of the temple. God is love needs no defense if you are willing to accept that.