Here is a link to an interesting article about a Pew research poll and some folks at Lifeway research that call the poll into question due to the wording of the survey. The research attempts to find out how many christians believe that christianity is the only way to eternal life. The folks at Lifeway bring up some valid points about the way that the questions were asked. However, even in their own survey (with better questions) they found that almost 40% of “Protestants” do not believe that faith in Jesus is the only way to heaven. That is almost half! Whoa, are we in trouble! The words of the Bible are pretty clear on this subject. Jesus said he was the only way (John 14:6), and his disciples echoed that (Acts 4:12). In this discussion someone HAS to be wrong. So we are left in a precarious position. We have to decide if Jesus is wrong, or if the universalists are wrong.
This poll is revealing about our new “kinder” “more tolerant” society. What can get you into trouble as a pastor or christian and bring on the beginning of persecution? This issue is perhaps one of the best examples. We are supposed to accept everyone NO matter what. If you say that what you believe is the only truth, get ready to be put through the meat grinder as an insensitive-unloving-radical.
This is becoming very clear as the debate on homosexuality warms up. They (and you now who they are) have constructed the questions and the nature of the debate in such a way that we have swallowed the rhetoric with very little protest. The only way to truly love homosexuals is to support their lifestyle by approving it. IF you disagree with them it is because you hate them and want to deprive them of their civil rights. The question: “why don’t you think gays should have civil rights?” resembles the well known fallacy: when are you going to stop beating your wife? The question is framed with lots of assumptions, and we need to be wise enough to address them.
John 12:42-43 “Nevertheless even among the rulers many believed in Him, but because of the Pharisees they did not confess Him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue; for they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God.”
So the bottom line is, everyone (in theory) will be welcome in the group hug except Jesus and the people who agree with him. I think that this will be one of the great tests of our faith in the next 40 years in America. Many have already fallen…
“But the cowardly… shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.” (Revelation 21:8)
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