> > Admittedly, a very unpleasant aspect of biblical Christianity is the
> > belief that non-Christians go to a very bad place. This should never be
> > taken lightly by the church, and is cause for much suffering and
> > grieving. I don't like professing this belief one bit, but I don't see
> > that professing it would make me judge and jury of the rest of my fellow
> > earthlings.
>
> Admittedly not a topic for TIPS, but fascinating to me, to have
> Jim confirm this view so bluntly. Would not a God who would
> condemn billions of otherwise blameless people to "a very bad
> place" solely for not believing appropriately be an evil, cruel
> and malicious entity? How can this be consistent with a belief in
> a just, kind, and caring God?
>
> -Stephen
Stephen
Nice to hear from you. I wondered when you would chime in.
To answer your question in a simplistic fashion is probably beyond my
capabilities, but if I can try, the essential point behind the narrow road of
salvation in Christianity is that since each person sins, each person
becomes separated from God as a direct result of that sin. Therefore, it
doesn't matter whether one sins a little bit or a lot, it is still disobedience to
God's law. In the Old Testament (as I understand it), sacrifices were made
to God to atone for the sins of God's people. In the New Testament, Jesus
offers himself as a sacrifice to pay for the sins of the people. Therefore,
when one becomes a Christian, one is "saved" because you are
acknowledging that Christ paid your sin debt. Therefore, anyone, no matter
how good the deeds they do, that does not acknowledge Christ, cannot be
reconciled with God. In the New Testament the apostle Paul repeatedly
explains that people cannot earn their salvation. Therefore, good works are
viewed as important, but are not capable of cleaning one's soul. So a loving
God desires all people to be saved but those who do not accept Christ are
basically condemning themselves. Christians should not view themselves as
better than non-Christians (although this is a common problem), just
reconciled with God. And more than one Christian theologian has elegantly
stated that Christianity is not a religion of exclusion because ANYONE can
join the faith. And since it is belief, and not works that get you in, no one
then is unable to become a Chrisitian.
I am sure many on the list will find this theology ridiculous. It is not easy for
religious folks to digest, no matter how simple-minded some of us may
appear to be.
I am drawn to the writings of C.S. Lewis, perhaps the greatest Christian
theologian of the 20th century. When commenting on the difficult theology of
Christianity, he suggested that one way to view it as God's word was that if
people had really invented Christianity as a religion (for one reason or
another), they would have made it a lot simpler.
************************************************************************
Jim Guinee, Ph.D.
Director of Training & Adjunct Professor
President, Arkansas College Counselor Association
University of Central Arkansas Counseling Center
313 Bernard Hall Conway, AR 72035 USA
(501) 450-3138 (office) (501) 450-3248 (fax)
"No one wants advice -- only corroboration"
-John Steinbeck
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