Sealiah

*cracks knuckle* Ok, here's my obligatory warning.

Hear ye, hear ye. If ye are easily offended by the arguing and discussing of religious matters, do NOT read this post. If you find yourself offended by it to the point where you MUST let me know, please strive to remain cordial, and I will discuss my point of view and why I see the way I do. Please respect the right of all people to 'agree to disagree' and to hold their own opinions.

There... now that the disclaimer is out of the way, let's get started.


The idea that Jesus is the only way into heaven seems ludicrous, even if you are a Christian. Now let me explain why. Jesus himself said that not all Christians shall enter heaven... AND NOT ALL PAGANS (ie non-christians) shall enter hell. In fact, the person he saw with the most faith was indeed a roman pagan. And he declared that fact aloud to his disciples. So this leads one to question the very tenets of Christian Ideology, the fact that in order to gain everlasting peace and joy, a soul must believe in the Christian God alone.

Now, should we accept that fact, the mind would naturally infer that God does not look for worship to It and It alone, nor does It require that a soul go through Christ. It infers that God looks for Faith, and Faith alone, regardless of what that Faith may be directed at. In saying that Christ is the way, and the only way, it could be taken many, many ways. It could mean that Christ is a catalyst, a teacher. That to enter heaven you must take his lessons.

And what were his lessons? His lessons were Love. Love of enemy, love of neighbor. Compassion, truth, and tolerance. "Let he who has not sinned cast the first stone" is a very poignant moment of Teaching. This then leads us to another question, which leads to my original point. Jesus himself did not JUDGE the Pagan Roman, but declared that he had the greatest faith he had ever seen. Would this not mean that Christianity is not the only path? And that even if it were, why then would Christians judge others? Why then would so many proselytize, if they have not already judged those they are proselytizing to?

Jesus did say to go out and spread the word. He did NOT say to go door to door. In fact, his own example proves he did not do that. He merely went into a public place, spoke his message, and did what he could. He even told his acolytes that if the message was ill received, to shake the dust of that city from their feet.

Now, by no means should anyone take this little post of mine to say that all Christians are horrid people who have gotten their message wrong. Many are wonderful, sweet, and many are among my closest friends. However, I take exception to the fact that Christianity would be the only way to God.

Why? Let's look at history.

In the grand scheme of things, Christianity is not that old. It's less than 2000 years, actually. Go to India. Their religion can be traced back 7000, I believe. Shamanistic faith has been in place even longer, even back into the age of 'primitive' man, from what we can discover on cave walls and such.

Does this mean that all those souls who existed before Christianity shall perish forever in purgatory? Does this mean they shall not know salvation? How can Christianity claim that God loves humanity, if he will punish those that came before the message?

And this is not even mentioning the conflicting laws within the bible.. Just the bible. Nor does it take in the fact that Christians do in fact have a system of magic, and yet will turn around and say that magic is evil. I hate to say it, but many, if not most of them, are completely ignorant of the history and meaning behind their own faith.

*gathers thoughts again* Now, I am not a biblical scholar, but I find it odd that I know more about the bible, and approximately where to find things, than many of the Christians I know. I also find it odd that I know more about their history and their origin. Faith should be questioned, and yet many grow defensive when it is questioned. God Itself said that questioning faith is indeed a good thing. To have blind faith is not Love, it is mere obedience.

God does not want obedience. God wants Love.