But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven. Mat 10:33
Oprah has been given much light yet argues foolishness. Here is an answer to her question about people who have never heard of Jesus.
Can people who have never heard of Jesus be saved? If Jesus is the only way to heaven, what happens to those who are never introduced or exposed to Christianity? Why do some people have an "unfair disadvantage" to receive salvation?
The simple answer to the first question is, no. People who have never heard of Jesus cannot be saved according to John 14:6, where Jesus says, "I am the way, the truth, and the life -- no one can come to the Father except through Me." This verse makes it clear that the Lord Jesus Christ is Himself the way to heaven. He doesn't merely show the way; He is the way. Salvation is given by a Person, the Person of Jesus Christ. Accepting Jesus as your savior gives you salvation. The Lord Jesus is not one of many ways -- He is the only way. The way to God isn't by the Ten Commandments, living a "good" life, religious activities, church membership, etc. -- it's through Christ and Christ alone.
Often, people ask, "What about the person living in the jungle somewhere who has never heard of Jesus?" "Are you Christians saying that a person won't go to heaven based solely on where he lives?" The Bible tells us that God doesn't work that way. We understand that God is perfectly loving, perfectly holy, and perfectly just. Therefore, it's against His nature to "hide the ball" on salvation, or condemn someone who is ignorant of His truth. In fact, scripture declares that God is loving and patient, "not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance" (II Peter 3:9).
God is a perfectly righteous judge. Although we don't understand all of His ways, He somehow reveals the simple truth of the Gospel to everyone throughout the world. In Africa, missionaries often tell how Christ reveals Himself in nature. In India, it's been estimated that half the conversions to Christianity are a result of Jesus simply revealing Himself in a dream or vision. Whatever the form of revelation, God holds each of us accountable for what we know and what we've done with that knowledge.
I got the bite put on me by higher ranking NCOs when I was in the 82nd all the way back in the late seventies to get rid of Wicca on my dog tags, find Christ and shut up about anything else, or else.
I called their bluff, and when the retaliatory article 15 came, I hired a good lawyer and took it past summary court martial to a special and had the thing thrown out.
I went to a new Battalion and became a crew chief rather then just a hanger rat and made E-5 2 years and 3 months after I had enlisted as an E-1.
Surely there is a Goddess; she took care of me when I kept the faith and stayed true to my beliefs. ;-)
Seriously though, in retrospect I should of been more polite and vague in my send off of their attempts to religiously assimilate me. As though the way I triumphed had it's pluses, not going through all that would of been preferable.
I don't underestimate how dangerous Christian fundies can be. When I dealt with them when I went back in I was allot more circumspect and careful about dealing with this particular brand of folks who in some ways are our brand of American Taliban.
"That whole love your enemy. Bless them that curse you thing. That is a bad thing?"
When practices, it's great; when it isn't, Christians coming from a selfish or the angle of a preditor seeking converts or elimination of convert refusals are not much different then fundie Muslims.
you're right Ferrett that christians don't even practice their own faith. pretty sad. but some of them can sure boast about it. bible warns against boasting, but they love to do it anyway. one of the big lessons in the bible is that people are flawed - VERY FLAWED - that we never accomplish anything of significance unless god leads us to it.
Regarding the theological controversy of the Oprah video above - the bible does say clearly that you must go through jesus to get into kingdom of heaven, but it also says that a person not indoctrinated in the faith can be accepted into the kingdom of heaven if they follow the faith they're indoctrinated to and if they are pious. It says we have consciences given to us by god and that if we are loyal to that conscience, then we can be admitted into kingdom of heaven even if not in the faith. and it also says many people in the faith will be shocked when they are rejected.
it's all in interpretation. but I do not advocate denying that jesus is god in any way.