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14 May 18
James 2:14-18
"14 What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? 15 If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, 16 and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good[a] is that? 17 So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.
18 But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works."
Then conversely...can it be that..."works" without faith (because of cultural ignorance and customs) is alive?
I believe that it can be argued that a kind, generous and good Shinto-Priest in Japan will not be entering "hell" simply because they were born outside of the knowledge of Christian theology.
Behavior is the key. Not just words of "faith" which are easily corrupted.
14 May 18
Originally posted by @wolfe63Where then would this kind priest go?
James 2:14-18
"14 What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? 15 If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, 16 and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good[a] is that? 17 So also faith ...[text shortened]... hristian theology.
Behavior is the key. Not just words of "faith" which are easily corrupted.
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Originally posted by @wolfe63"I believe that it can be argued that a kind, generous and good Shinto-Priest in Japan will not be entering "hell" simply because they were born outside of the knowledge of Christian theology."
James 2:14-18
"14 What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? 15 If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, 16 and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good[a] is that? 17 So also faith ...[text shortened]... hristian theology.
Behavior is the key. Not just words of "faith" which are easily corrupted.
Making the question easier to answer seems to be a common approach.
What if he's not "born outside of the knowledge of Christian theology; he knows all about it, maybe even was a Christian, just doesn't believe it when he dies?
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14 May 18
Originally posted by @whodeyChristianity didn’t exist in the Old Testament so one obviously could not believe in Jesus Christ and His Resurrection for eternal life.
The Bible lists a few Jews who went to heaven in the OT.
So who do you think deserves hell or does no one?
Jesus Christ is quite clear on how one goes to heaven:
“Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”
(John 14:6)
We all deserve hell. But God’s gift to us is eternal life in heaven. Our only responsibility for salvation is to accept the gift via John 3:16 and Romans 10:9.
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Originally posted by @js357Oh...so sorry...did I ding myself?
"I believe that it can be argued that a kind, generous and good Shinto-Priest in Japan will not be entering "hell" simply because they were born outside of the knowledge of Christian theology."
Making the question easier to answer seems to be a common approach.
What if he's not "born outside of the knowledge of Christian theology; he knows all about it, maybe even was a Christian, just doesn't believe it when he dies?
"Happier place" was metaphorically utilized to accommodate an individual reader's particular belief system. So...it's applicable to whatever it's called in your mythos: "Heaven"; "Paradise"; "Elysium"; "The Happy Hunting Grounds"; "The Hereafter" etc...
So...my original question remains.
But, I see that query is the avoidance method of choice here.
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14 May 18
Originally posted by @wolfe63“Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”
James 2:14-18
"14 What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? 15 If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, 16 and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good[a] is that? 17 So also faith ...[text shortened]... hristian theology.
Behavior is the key. Not just words of "faith" which are easily corrupted.
(John 14:6)
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14 May 18
Originally posted by @wolfe63So my answer is, I lack a belief at present, as to whether all humans meet the same or differing ends. I do believe that our finite nature does not merit consideration for the imposition of infinite consequences such as happy hunting grounds in which we are either hunter or hunted, one way or the other. I do believe we will all cease to exist as we currentlly are, that is, as individuals with our own personalities, since all detectable individual attributes appear to be temporary and contingent on external circumstances, even within one’s current lifetime.
Oh...so sorry...did I ding myself?
"Happier place" was metaphorically utilized to accommodate an individual reader's particular belief system. So...it's applicable to whatever it's called in your mythos: "Heaven"; "Paradise"; "Elysium"; "The Happy Hunting Grounds"; "The Hereafter" etc...
So...my original question remains.
But, I see that query is the avoidance method of choice here.