Christianity the Only Means of Eternal Life? Some Pastors Disagree
By _Katherine Weber_ (http://www.christianpost.com/author/katherine-weber/)
, Christian Post Reporter
April 13, 2012
A recent _survey_
(https://mail-attachment.googleusercontent.com/attachment/?ui=2&ik=abee3fdd9f&view=att&th=136a7c57bd66316c&attid=0.1&disp=inline&reala
ttid=6b0be710cb9942e8_0.1&safe=1&zw&saduie=AG9B_P8BCOYoySVSbKd0OLu8VrpL&sade
t=1334255897224&sads=Akmph0dCNb9WD1ubjwoPAlUDN-U&sadssc=1) conducted by
LifeWay Research found that while a majority of Protestant pastors believe
Christianity is the only way to obtain eternal life, there is a small
percentage who strongly feel other religions offer eternal salvation as well.
The survey asked 1,000 Protestant pastors the question, "If a person is
sincerely seeking God, he/she can obtain eternal life through religions other
than Christianity."
Seventy-seven percent of the pastors questioned said that they strongly
disagree with the statement and seven percent somewhat disagreed. Another
seven percent somewhat agreed and five percent strongly agreed. Three percent
said they are not sure.
The educational level of the pastor played a role in their decision making.
Pastors with a graduate degree were more likely to strongly agree with the
statement, and less likely to strongly disagree, compared to pastors with
a bachelor's degree or less.
The study also found that evangelical Christians held stricter views on the
universality of eternal salvation compared to mainline pastors. According
to LifeWay, 85 percent of evangelical pastors were more likely to strongly
disagree that there are other ways to eternal life other than Christianity
than mainline pastors at 57 percent.
Only two percent of evangelical pastors strongly agreed with the statement,
while 11 percent of mainline pastors strongly agreed.
Region also played a role in the survey results. The survey found that 11
percent of pastors in large cities strongly agreed with the statement. Only
four percent of small city pastors agreed.
Four percent of pastors in suburban areas strongly agreed, while three
percent in rural areas said the same.
The question of exclusivity and universality has been a long disputed issue
in the church.
As noted by Ed Stetzer, president of LifeWay Research, "Rob Bell's book
Love Wins kicked off a discussion about the exclusivity of the Christian
gospel. But most pastors are more in line with historic Christian beliefs than
Bell, who suggested that other faiths lead to heaven."
Bell, former pastor of Mars Hill Bible Church in Grandville, Mich., started
somewhat of a firestorm in the evangelical community when he questioned
whether the Bible teaches that there is an eternal hell. His 2011 book, Love
Wins: A Book About Heaven, Hell, and the Fate of Every Person Who Ever
Lived, prompted a bevy of responses from evangelical leaders who released
their
own books to counter Bell's claims.
In a recent interview with Jake Tapper of ABC News, evangelical pastor Rick
Warren said no one deserves to go to heaven; rather, eternal salvation can
only be gained through Jesus' grace.
When asked if he believes the way to eternal life is through belief in
Jesus Christ, Warren replied, "I do believe that. And I believe that because
Jesus said it."
"Jesus said, 'I am the way.' He didn't say 'I'm one of the ways.' He said,
'I am the way, I am the truth, and I am the life.' I'm betting my life that
Jesus wasn't a liar," Warren added, as previously reported by _The
Christian Post._
(http://www.christianpost.com/news/rick-warren-on-economy-mormonism-and-jesus-the-only-way-72826/)
Warren is the lead pastor of Saddleback Church, located in Lake Forest,
Calif. The megachurch's weekly attendance averages 20,000 people.
"I think the only way any of us get into heaven is God's grace. I'm not
getting to heaven on my integrity. I'm not getting to heaven on my goodness.
I'm getting to heaven on what I believe Jesus said is grace, and the fact is
it's available to everybody," Warren added.
===========================================
BR View :
There are a number of Bible verses that are relevant here--
John 10 : 16 "other sheep not of this fold..."
John 14 : 2 "in my father's house are many mansions..."
Mark 9 : 38 - 41
"John said to him [Jesus], master, we saw a man driving out devils
in your name, and as he was not one of us, we tried to stop him.
Jesus said, Do not stop him; no-one who does a work of divine power
in my name will be able the next moment be able to speak evil of me.
For he who not against us is on our side."
Acts 10 : 34 - 35
"Peter began : I now see how true it is that God has no favorites,
but that in every nation the man who is godfearing and does
what is right is acceptable to him."
--
Centroids: The Center of the Radical Centrist Community
<[email protected]>
Google Group: http://groups.google.com/group/RadicalCentrism
Radical Centrism website and blog: http://RadicalCentrism.org
