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To: lonnie
According to Christians... Jews and Moslems (and other non believers) will spend an eternity together because they haven't accepted Jesus.

Some Christians. I think Catholicism (as I was raised) currently teaches that "good works" will get anyone to heaven.

The late Father Malichi Martin said that Christ opened the door for everyone ("none enter the Kingdom except through me), but that it was not necessary for a person to know who opened the door for them to enter (i.e., you could benefit from Christ's sacrifice without accepting him -- your good works are enough to get you to heaven).

But yes, I can understand why some Jews would be upset over how some Christians think they'll burn in hell. Of course, when I was a child, I was upset at the portrayl of gentiles in the Old Testament. I was acutely aware that I was not Jewish, yet the Old Testament justified their conquest of Canaan simply because the Jews were God's "chosen." The message seemed to be "God blesses those who bless the Jews," but Jews were not required to bless me back. As long as the Jews obeyed God, it didn't matter how they treated the gentiles.

I was always relived to come to the New Testament, and hear that now everyone is chosen.

I think Judaism, Christianity, and Islam have all been harsh to non-believers -- I look forward to rabbis and mullahs, as well as ministers and priest, correcting the Torah, Bible, and Koran.

The Catholic Church has apologized for the Crusades (which resembles the Israelites conquest of Canaan -- because "God" told them to conquer those unbelievers). I don't think there's a religion on Earth that can't find something -- in both deed and "scripture" -- that they can be ashamed of.

(I see that The Remnant is also hostile to Catholicism. No surprise there. I've met fundamentalists who think the Church is "infiltrated by Satan.")

21 posted on 08/04/2002 8:50:50 AM PDT by Commie Basher
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To: Commie Basher
>... the Old Testament justified their conquest of Canaan simply because the Jews were God's "chosen."

The OT conquest of Canaan based on Genesis was performed by Israelites, not Jews.
24 posted on 08/04/2002 8:58:19 AM PDT by LostTribe
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To: Commie Basher
I was always relived to come to the New Testament, and hear that now everyone is chosen.

No offense, but that is NOT what the New Testament says or teaches. Nothing could be further from the truth. Again, let's go right to the words of Jesus Christ Himself:

Mat 7...13"You can enter God's Kingdom only through the narrow gate. The highway to hell is broad, and its gate is wide for the many who choose the easy way.14But the gateway to life is small, and the road is narrow, and only a few ever find it.

Again, as in post # 17, pretty straightforward and clear.

26 posted on 08/04/2002 9:04:07 AM PDT by berned
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To: Commie Basher
The idea that good works will gain one passage into heaven is scripturally erroneous.

"For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, {it is} the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast." (Epesians 2: 8-9)

34 posted on 08/04/2002 9:18:45 AM PDT by sweetliberty
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To: Commie Basher
(I see that The Remnant is also hostile to Catholicism. No surprise there. I've met fundamentalists who think the Church is "infiltrated by Satan.")

Fr. Malachi Martin thought so as well.

126 posted on 08/04/2002 3:10:42 PM PDT by rightofrush
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To: Commie Basher
"(i.e., you could benefit from Christ's sacrifice without accepting him -- your good works are enough to get you to heaven). "

As a Catholic I think I would modify this. The good works of a non-believer show that he is responding to God's free gift of grace. (Provided he does them in humilty and compassion, not for show.) That non-believer would have to also live by the law God has written on his heart, or by the seeds of truth which are in his own religion. That is he must avoid sin, as far as he is able to know what is sinful without having the benefit of the revealed word of God. He must have a sense of repentance when he does sin. If he does all this, then his life shows that if he had the understanding and/or opportunity to accept Christ, he would. Therefore since Christ died for all men, that unbeliever could be saved by Christ whom he seeks implicitly, not explicitly.

176 posted on 08/04/2002 9:02:11 PM PDT by Theresa
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