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To: zook
That you can identify a practice that you believe goes beyond the bounds of validity does not forclose the possibility of variation.

Gee,if you're saying what I think you're saying, I think that goes without saying.

But once a church has varied itself so far away from anything Scriptural as to be actively contradicting it, it's not really Christian anymore, and its poll numbers among "most Christians" aren't the determining factor of its validity.

For example, most Christians believe that members of other religions are not necessarily condemned to hell for lack of Christian conversion.

Absent faith in Jesus, or a covenant with God, it is a pretty poor lookout. There remain justification by works (virtually impossible for most, which is why Jesus died for us) and outright mercy (not impossible).

1,259 posted on 08/30/2006 3:44:10 PM PDT by hellinahandcart
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To: hellinahandcart
Absent faith in Jesus, or a covenant with God, it is a pretty poor lookout. There remain justification by works (virtually impossible for most, which is why Jesus died for us) and outright mercy (not impossible).

Revelation 22:14
Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.

1 John 5:3
For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.

Matthew 19
16 And, behold, one came and said unto him, Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life?
17 And he said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments.

Rev 2:26 And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations:

Rev 20:13
And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.

1,260 posted on 08/30/2006 5:27:59 PM PDT by ET(end tyranny)
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To: hellinahandcart

"Absent faith in Jesus, or a covenant with God, it is a pretty poor lookout. There remain justification by works (virtually impossible for most, which is why Jesus died for us) and outright mercy (not impossible)."

God is merciful. Moreover, as I've tried to suggest before, the Christ-is-the-only-way-to-heaven belief is based on the writings by men who claimed to know the word of God. God reveals Himself to people in different ways at different times, and men often distort His message.

It flies in the face of what I believe I know about God to think that, for example, he would have created so much human life, but then condemn nearly all of it to hell based on what one might call a magic password system--yes, I know I'll catch it for that. But God is merciful, forgiving, understanding, and, I believe, wise; too wise in my opinion to engage in massive condemnation of good people.

You and others can certainly reject the non-fundamentalist Christian view, but there it is, at least one version of it.


1,264 posted on 08/31/2006 5:56:14 AM PDT by zook (McCain/Giuliani/Rice--2 of the 3 in 08!)
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