Great! First, I’m dissing Islam and Muslims… Now I’m having issues with the new Pope! What’s a good Christian boy to do!? I kind-of liked the last one (the Pope that is), Benedict (he called a spade a spade); but I’ve really had no opinion on this new one, Francis, until now. He seems to have recently decided to bend to the world’s demands for political correctness. And that is bad; very bad for a Christian religious leader such as him.
So what’s my beef? His answer to the theological question of “If even atheists have been redeemed by Jesus?”
He kind-of answered the question (incorrectly) and then beat around the bushes for a while. (In my humble opinion.) His initial answer that was wrong was “Even them, everyone.” He proceeded to beat around the bush by including. “We all have the duty to do good… Just do good, and we’ll find a meeting point.”
THIS is pretty well what I would call an Oprah answer, a worldly answer; and it is probably shared by a majority of the people who would call themselves “Christians”. And it is wrong, dangerous, and the exact opposite of what Christ taught. I’ll explain further.
It’s an Oprah answer:
I remember years ago that Oprah (who I think considered herself a Christian, maybe she still does) stated that there are many paths to God/Heaven and it’s up to each of us to find the way that works for us. I think Pope Francis’ answer kind of takes this approach… the wrong approach.
This is a Worldly Answer:
The World likes this approach and idea also. It’s the “Can’t we all just get along” approach. It pretends that we’re one big happy, equal, community; that everyone considers everyone else’s religious beliefs just another of many truths. Like the concept of Communism; it really sounds great on paper. In practice it requires a lot of rationalization and ignoring of obvious truths (see Islam as “the religion of peace” for example).
A majority of “Christians” probably believe this to be true and not knowing any better would profess as much. Most are Christians because of birth, they rarely attend services much less study the teachings of Christ and really don’t want to be bothered with the details of faith. That knowledge may require change and inconvenience and who wants that? Their desire for things not to be as screwed up as they are causes them to embrace this “We are the World” philosophy. I generally think of these people as CINOs (pronounced see-no’s); Christian in Name Only.
When people accept this world view they disregard the biblical warning of if you are of (embrace) this world you are not of the next (heaven/salvation). Thus Jesus’ warning, Matthew 7:21-23 (AMP) – Not everyone who says to Me, Lord, Lord, will enter the kingdom of heaven…
Wrong:
This answer is wrong from a Christian perspective because it’s not what Christ taught; plain and simple. If that (what Christ taught) is the standard by which you answer that question then no, atheists have not been redeemed by Jesus.
Now if you want to go by gut feelings, or what you think is right or should be… then that answer is perfectly fine; but be sure to clarify that it is not the answer taught by Christ. In other words, take off the Pope hat and say… now this is how I feel as a human being…
I know this may sound judgmental and even harsh; and I don’t mean it to be; so let me clarify further from what I believe IS a Christian (as taught by Christ) perspective. It is not my intention to scream at anyone that they are going to hell (that is not my place to say). I just want to make it clear that we ignore what Christ taught (if He is the Son of God) at our own peril.
Christ DID give his life for the remission of sins for every last atheists in the world. It is a gift of grace He offers to every atheists; just like he offers it to every sinner (that’s all of us). Thus he did what he did so that everyone (even atheists) have hope, have a chance, to be redeemed by Him. BUT this gift must be accepted. He is not going to grab you and force you to accept what he offers… You (We) have a choice to make.
- I believe the plan of redemption through Christ is this.
- Hearing (The good news, the gospel, who Jesus is and why He walked the Earth)
- Believing (That the good news, the gospel, is true)
- Repentance (Regret that our sin caused Jesus to have to pay the price He did so that try and change our ways and follow his example)
- Confession (Confess to the world that Jesus is who He says He is)
- Baptism (Part of Repentance and Confession; we are “reborn”; we die to this world and share in his resurrection unto the next. We rise from a watery grave so that we may share in his resurrection from the literal grave.)
- Salvation (We accept the gift of redemption; not because we deserve it or eanred it; but because we have faith that God LOVES us and wants us to be with Him.)
That’s it. That the base, the foundation.
With that plan in mind, an atheists is caught in a paradox. He can’t accept the gift of redemption without believing in the redeemer; but he can’t believe in the redeemer without ceasing to be an aethiest.
The most quoted verse in the New Testament it John 3:16… and properly so because in one sentence it sums up the key to the whole gospel.
John 3:16 – (KJV) For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
It’s doesn’t say “that whosoever is a good person and does good deeds should not perish… It specifically states belief (and implies following) in Jesus Christ.
As for being a good person, the apostle Paul explained this in his letter to the Roman Christians. Romans 3:10 (AMP) – As it is written, None is righteous, just and truthful and upright and conscientious, no, not one. No one understands; no one seeks out God. All have turned aside; together they have gone wrong and have become unprofitable and worthless; no one does right, not even one!
This concept (express by Paul above) also helps us understand that the gift of salvation offered us us just that; a gift and not something we earn by doing good things.
So if God tells us accepting Jesus is the way to redemption, does He want us to do good things, to work for the betterment of our fellow men. Absolutely. BUT he doesn’t want us to do them in hopes that they will pay the price of admission into heaven or unto redemption. Why? Because he knows that we can never save enough through our works to earn what we seek. Placing our faith in our works (our good deeds and charity no matter how great) is a poor and inadequate substitute for where (actually Who) our faith should be placed. Which brings us back to John 3:16 and the plan of salvation. Knowing we lacked the ability to ever pay that price he sent his Son to do it for us. In fact He (Jesus) was the only one who could pay that price in all of creation. God knew this, LOVED us that much, and sent Him on our behalf.
So here we are beating around those bushes from earlier. “Just do good, and we’ll find a meeting point.”
No! We won’t. No as far as redemption is concerned; if Christ IS who He said he is. Sure He will be the meeting point. Sure every tongue will confess who He is. But it will not be a confession of joy for all.
The idea of “can’t we all just get along”. The idea that we’re all right. The idea that we all need to accept and respect and praise the many paths to salvation (or Jesus). This universal, worldly view is just that; worldly.
So let’s be clear. Redemption from a Christian perspective is not for sale at any price. Just doing good does not get you (or us) there; and we (Christians) do a horrible disservice (if we are right) to infer otherwise.
As Christians we should bend over backwards to embrace and acknowledge the good non-believers do. We should lead by example and show our faith by our works (doing good). We should be ready to give an answer for our faith and joy. We should pray for all to find what we have.
But we should not leave the drowning to their own devices because the world wants to pretend they’re not drowning. You don’t tell a drowning man that he isn’t really drowning and to try different strokes. You tell him the life preserver is to his right and help him find it. And the Pope, of all people, should know that!
(View from the Left… who of course get it wrong also)
