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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]
It sounds like you have trouble thinking that God would condemn good people of other faiths to hell, so you've found a way to rationalize a way they can be spared that fate.[/quote]
Jesus's disciples would sometimes say, after a tough lesson, "This is a hard saying. Who can accept it?" But something being difficult to accept doesn't make it not true. The PP correctly looks to Scripture to answer his question for a hard saying. And I don't want to put words in PP's mouth, but I read "to partially be able to live with this" to mean that this passage wasn't the totality of PP's basis for believing it, not that it's not believable. But even the hard things require some faith. God rewards those who believe Him, and this goes for the good, easy stuff and the good but harder stuff equally.

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The PP, and thank you, yes that is what I meant. Following Jesus does require swallowing some pills that can be hard to go down. As a minister once told me, we have to learn to not only live with, but to grow in, that "tension."  It is a fascinating process. [b]And yes, Mulisma, from several posts above, Jesus is the answer for you too. I pray that one day you will discover that[/b].[/quote]

And what happens to her if she doesn't discover that Jesus is the answer?[/quote]

But she will! Sorry if that sounds flip, but if Jesus' message is true -- and it is -- then it is true for everyone. You, Muslima, all of DCUM, etc. Now to be clear: this does not mean that one simply saying, Hey Jesus, if you're real, prove it to me, and waiting for the lightening bolt to wrap this up neatly in the next 2 hours. I believe that we must truly be seeking and get ourselves out of the way first, for God to work in our lives. Giving up that much-revered personal agenda can be hard and is a struggle in and of itself.[/quote]

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Are you saying that you think that even people who have lived their lives as devout practitioners of another religion will accept Jesus sometime before they die and thus receive the reward  of eternal life promised by Christianity?
[/quote]

No, not at all. I am saying that true seekers will inevitably be led to Christ, because He alone is the Truth and the Way to God. But many do reject this, for whatever reason, convinced that they will find some other happiness or salvation outside of him. God does give us free choice.[/quote]

So if people aren't inevitably led to Christ, it's because they were not true seekers?  Is a true seeker by default anyone who is led to Christ, and if someone is not led to Christ, does that mean they are doing something wrong, even if they tried to believe and it just didn't make sense to them?[/quote]

See, this is what is so hard to explain to non-believers (and I mean that with all respect); even our language is different! You don't discover God through Christ by "trying to believe." You don't just sit down one day and say, OK, I'm going to believe. Believe. Believe. Believe! As if you are trying to talk yourself into something that doesn't make sense. A true seeker is anyone who sincerely seeks the truth (like I am, and it sounds like you may be open to) and is -- this is important -- willing to put aside his/ her personal agenda/ biases/ political convictions, whatever -- to honestly look for God and to allow Him to work in our life. (Jesus did basically say, leave it all behind and follow me.) Yes, that is a tall order, and something that I for one fail at on a regular basis.

And at that point, what do you do? You do exactly what you are doing now. You start asking questions -- lots of them, preferably to learned people  who are theologically grounded in the word of God. You can read some great books -- I highly recommend C.S. Lewis, for example, and G.K. Chesterton. They are fantastic writers of the last century who not only understand this human struggle, but have a gift for putting it into words.  You pray -- sincerely, often, and more than once -- asking God to reveal himself to you. You find others to associate with, preferably at a church that teaches the Bible, as Jesus preaches over and over about the need to worship God in community. This is not a journey that is meant to be taken alone! And then you pay attention and listen and open yourself to seeing things in new ways. For me, one instance that I remember clearly was when I was studying cellular biology in college. I was simply overwhelmed by seeing up close the miracle of life that God has created. It led me to a whole career of study in science and I am continually awed by it.

Oh, and perhaps most important, you read the Bible. Start with the Gospels of the New Testament. Ask God to teach you something about yourself. I predict you will be amazed![/quote]

I don't want to mislead you.  I'm not open to changing to your way of thinking -- I am curious about it.  I think anyone who reads Lewis and Chesterton should also read secular books and even "new Atheist" books like the god delusion to get a fuller picture. I think what you described happened to you will not necessarily happen to others who read certain books and enter into a Christian community and that they should not feel like failures if they can't accept Christianity the way you did and find the peace an hope for an eternity with Christ the way you have.  I realize you didn't say this, but it seemed strongly implied.

I have read the New testament and some of CS Lewis and Chesterton -- I was not amazed.  I've been amazed by the works of New testament Scholar Bart Ehrman like "Misquoting Jesus" and the "Problem of Evil" and Books like "The Bible Unearthed"  which shows the lack of archeological evidence for the exodus and scholar and former pastor Hector Avalos who wrote "The end of Biblical Studies."

thanks for being so open.  I have enjoyed the conversation.[/quote]

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