True And Only Path To God (Repost)
In order for God to be "God", he must allow every individual an equal opportunity to attain or experience salvation otherwise, he will not be fair as he is supposed to be. If the starting point for the attainment or experience of salvation is based on the knowledge of the teachings and scriptures of a particular religion, each individual must be exposed to that knowledge, especially if such knowledge is "external" in the sense that he or she cannot arrive at the details of such knowledge on his or her own. Clearly, it is a fact that since the inception of human existence, many people have lived their entire lives and died without knowledge of any religion that may make the claim to be the true and only path to God. The only "religion" that may avoid this dilemma is one in which the individual can "realize" the relevant knowledge on his or her own, without dependence on "external" knowledge.A few years ago, I watched in amazement, at a BBC news broadcast on television. A small aircraft was flying over a remote forested area in South America and it showed pictures taken from the air of a clearing in the forest in which there was a "primitive" hut or human dwelling place. The most amazing part of the newscast was that it showed a group of human beings close to the hut aiming their bows and arrows upwards, apparently at the small aircraft flying overhead. This strongly suggests that those people, at least up to that point in time, would have had no contact with the "outside" world. How could such people and their ancestors have heard the message of any "outside" religion, especially one that may claim to be the true and only way to God? More than likely, they must have their own religion.
I tried to locate, on the internet, a copy of the news documentary to which I referred but was unsuccessful. I shall be grateful if anyone can locate such a copy and post the link on this blog to share with others.
However, I came up with a link showing an "uncontacted" tribe in the Amazon jungle that can be viewed at:
Some Christians refer to John 14:6 to support their claim that their religion is the way to God, not a way, indicating it as the true and only way.
Muslims refer to the Quran as the Final Revelation and use this to support their claim that their religion, Islam, is the true way to God.
Some other religions may also make this claim.
What is the fate of those who have never even heard of any religion, whatever it may be, that makes the claim to be the true and only way?
Do you think that it is possible for a person to have a "direct" awareness or experience of God that is independent on the teachings of any religion?
Perhaps, this is what the term "spiritual but not religious" refers to.
(BTW, I could have also referred to God as SHE in this blog. Several religions do, especially the earlier ones)
Comments (20)
Nice posting! And I do agree with that!
I'm glad you agree. Have a nice day!
To your statement:
"Do you think that it is possible for a person to have a "direct" awareness or experience of God that is independent on the teachings of any religion?
Perhaps, this is what the term "spiritual but not religious" refers to."???
In this case, I would replace the word "God" by a "Divine Source/Light", or even a "Higher Being"...
As for putting a gender to it "He", or "She", why not calling "IT"...?, or even "ET"?
Thanks for your comment.
I understand the position you have stated. However, those missionaries and others may disagree. They may feel it is their duty as a Christian to spread the message to the entire world, based upon what is stated in the Bible.
Mark 16:15 (English Standard Version):
And he said to them, “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation."
Acceptance of the message, once it is heard, is the responsibility of those who have heard it.
They would agree with your mother's position.
Thanks for your comment.
Who/What we refer to as God is indeed a very open issue.
Thanks for your comment.
I have noted your point but I think that the two kinds of righteousness you have mentioned are linked with religious teaching or dogma.
This blog attempts to examine the situation of persons who have not been exposed to any religious teaching or dogma, as we know it.
When I asked the question, "How could such people and their ancestors have heard the message of any "outside" religion?", I was including persons from the very dawn of civilization. It is extremely unlikely that Reading and Writing such as we know now would have existed at that time. I cannot see the apostle Paul, in his statement re "prophetic writings" referring to such persons in the scripture you quoted:
Romans 16:25-26 -
"Now to him who is able to strengthen you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery that was kept secret for long ages, but has now been disclosed and through the prophetic writings has been made known to all nations, according to the command of the eternal God, to bring about the obedience of faith."
You are right in saying that it is an obscure passage of scripture.
I personally agree with the Buddhist position that you mentioned.
I have experienced it myself, in some measure, and I think other persons have also done the same.
In response to your question, I think it's important to point out that God wants all people to come to Him. To help us find Him he has revealed something of his nature and character in what he made.
Since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities- his eternal power and divine nature- have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse (Rom. 1:20).
The heavens proclaim his righteousness, for he is a God of justice (Ps. 50:6).
The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge (Ps. 19:1-2).
God has left a witness that can speak to all people, at all times, in all places. Creation informs us that a powerful, intelligent, faithful, righteous, Divine Being exists and that he made everything we see. God has left a witness in the work of his hands that has pointed many men and women to him who had no prior knowledge of the true God, yet they deduced that he must be there and wanted to know him.
Still, you may worry that some who want to know God won't be able to find him. The truth is you need not worry about this. Any person living at any time or in any place who is seeking for the true God will find him.
From one man he made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live. God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out to him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us (Acts 17:26-27).
You will seek me and find me when you seek me and find me with all your heart (Jer. 29:13).
People who seek him will find him because of these truths, for God knows all things, which includes the hearts of all men. For he knows anyone who is sincerely seeking him.
God knows the secrets of the heart (Ps. 44:21).
Nothing is hidden from God's sight (Heb. 4:13).
Secondly, God is all-powerful and is able to reach all people.
I am the Lord, the God of mankind. Is anything too hard for me (Jer. 32:27)?
Jesus looked at them and said, "With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible" (Matt. 19:26).
Third, God is all-loving and He wants all people to be saved.
In fact, Jesus invites everyone, everywhere, to come to him.
Whoever comes to me I will never drive away (John 6:37).
Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest (Matt. 11:28).
The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance (2 Pet. 3:9).
One day, standing before God's throne in heaven, there will be people from every tribe, language group, ethnic group, and nation (Rev. 7:9). What an astonishing thought that not one people group that has ever been on the face of the earth will be excluded. God loves us, and He wants to bring us to Himself. If someone wants to know God, He will see that the gospel of Jesus Christ is brought to them.
Salvation is offered to everyone. And it doesn't matter where you are, the one true God will find any man, woman, or child who desires a relationship with Him. That person will come to know Him through Jesus Christ.
An all-powerful God is not limited by conventional means.
Missionaries have documented many unusual and even dramatic ways that true seekers, have received the message of Jesus. God desires to use missionaries, but He can and has spoken to people through a Bible passage, a gospel tract, an angel, a vision, or a dream.
Does someone want to know God? God knows it, and He will get His word to them.
God bless!
I viewed the Bible verses in Revelation that you mentioned.
Rev 20:12 states:
"...And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books."
There is no mention of believing in Jesus which is a necessary condition to avoid eternal punishment(in Hell) and gain eternal life(in Heaven) according to John 3:16 -
"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life."
If one's works(alone) will be used to judge one after death, I can accept that. I think there is general acceptance of the fairness of this worldwide, independent of any religion.
However, the Bible stresses that we are saved through our faith and not through our works. Is this a contradiction?
My question applies to persons who have lived their entire lives and died without knowledge of any religion.
How could they have the faith required in John 3:16 if they were never informed of its message?
How are you, my good friend.
Thanks for your input.
God has left a witness that can speak to all people, at all times, in all places. Creation informs us that a powerful, intelligent, faithful, righteous, Divine Being exists and that he made everything we see. God has left a witness in the work of his hands that has pointed many men and women to him who had no prior knowledge of the true God.
I accept what you stated above. I refer to it as Nature, instead of Creation. As an individual, even as a young child, I experience a powerful awareness of communicating with some being, entity, etc. when I am with Nature which I am comfortable with referring to as God. I think many people feel the same way. However, this has nothing to do with any religion or religious teaching, Christianity or otherwise. I would like to think that the so-called primitive person deep in the jungle, away from civilization as we know it, experiences or is capable of experiencing a similar feeling.
If you state that this is the voice of God, I accept that.
However, a serious problem arises, that I have mentioned in my response to Ken, when there is an insistence to believe in the teachings of some religion, whatever it may be.
Acts 4:12 (English Standard Version) states:
"And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”
My question applies to persons who have lived their entire lives and died without knowledge of any religion.
How could they have the faith required in John 3:16 if they were never informed of its message?
I think you and I have been down this road before.
As I mentioned, I am referring to a specific group of human beings, that is:
"people (who) have lived their entire lives and died without knowledge of any religion that may make the claim to be the true and only path to God."
How could such people have the faith required in John 3:16, (according to the Bible), "to be saved", if they were never informed of its message?
Please focus on this. I respect your knowledge of Christian theology. However, most of what you have said is not necessary and is not relevant to the issue I have raised.
The only relevant part is:
"During the Old Testament times (and the times before that) apparently it was not normative to believe, in order to be saved, that Jesus of Nazareth is the Son of God who died for our sins and rose from the dead."
However, you seem uncertain of the validity of the claim that Jesus of Nazareth is the Son of God who died for our sins and rose from the dead was not a requirement in order to be saved since you said apparently.
If you had stated it as an absolute fact, I would have been satisfied and said "end of story"!
But due to the uncertainty of your statement, you have not dealt with the issue.
Until you could make such a statement with certainty, you have not dealt with the issue. Please bear this in mind should you wish to comment further.
Take Care, my friend, and thanks, again, for your input.
What I was trying to emphasize in my response to your question concerning those who lived their entire lives apart from knowing any religion or the contents of saving faith found in John 3:16, is that there is a significant difference between "onetime" and "all-time" normative conditions, in regards, to what one needed to believe, in terms of saving faith.
For God can determine a particular belief to be a normatively necessary saving condition for one time and not for another. For example, God could will that faith in Christ's death and resurrection are normative conditions for salvation in the present New Testament era, while not in Old Testament times and the times prior. Indeed, this is exactly what He did (Gen. 15:5-6; Acts 4:12; Rom. 10:9).
As I have mentioned previously, there are at least four "sine qua non" explicit beliefs that are necessary elements of saving faith for all times, which are...
(1) God exists (2) We cannot save ourselves from our sinfulness (3) God's grace is necessary for our salvation (4) We must believe in God and in His grace to receive salvation.
In regards, to what you have pointed out in my comment, "I do not believe that it was normative to believe, in order to be saved, that Jesus of Nazareth is the Son of God who died for our sins and rose from the dead."
Sorry, for wording that wrongly, for the word "apparently" is a word that doesn't communicate correctly what I believe was not a normative belief, during the times prior to the New Testament. However, I do believe there are absolute conditions, in terms of saving faith for all times, in relation, to the the four elements of saving faith that I mentioned earlier, which are prior to the saving contents of John 3:16.
For the saving contents of John 3:16 in the present, are normative necessary content of saving faith today.
God bless!
Acts 4:12
And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”
John 3:16
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
John 14:6
Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
If you are saying that the above stated verses do not apply to the persons I specified, that is:
"people (who) have lived their entire lives and died without knowledge of any religion that may make the claim to be the true and only path to God."
I accept that.
I am inclined to believe that such persons would have had an awareness of some "higher being", and they may have felt a sense of awe that may have motivated them into some form of worship of this being. This refers to your point (1) God exists.
I cannot express any view that they may also have an awareness of sinfulness, salvation and grace as you have outlined. Unfortunately, we cannot communicate with them to find out how they viewed the situation, for they have long since passed on.
I endorse your last comment wholeheartedly. I think it makes a lot of sense and it is a very fair standard to apply to:
"people (who) have lived their entire lives and died without knowledge of any religion that may make the claim to be the true and only path to God."