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"Which makes it a sort of pointless exercise in hypocrisy to be continuing to point out that heathens and/or orthodox jews can go to heaven by living sin-free, according to the dictates of their conscience, doesn't it?"

Not at all!!! The criteria that God judges us by, is not whether we are mostly good or mostly evil. The criteria is whether we have any sin at all or not. He doesn't call us to be good, He calls us to be "perfect". He doesn't judge man on the bell curve of human goodness but rather according to His own glory, His own perfection.

Only by a person coming to grips with the fact that he has sinned when the goal is perfection, can a person be expected to recognize that he needs salvation.

Matthew 5:48 - Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.

Matthew 19:21 - Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me.

Hebrews 7:19 - For the law made nothing perfect, but the bringing in of a better hope did; by the which we draw nigh unto God.

Hebrews 10:14 - For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified.

Jesus was asked three times how to have eternal life. Twice he pointed to the law, but in such a way as to convince the asker of their sin. Once with the Jew, Nicodemus, Jesus said you must be born again...you must believe in me.

Luke 10:25 And, behold, a certain lawyer stood up, and tempted him, saying, Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life? 26 He said unto him, What is written in the law? how readest thou? 27 And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself. 28 And he said unto him, Thou hast answered right: this do, and thou shalt live.