05-10-2007, 06:55 AM
Since we are talking the christian god here, it actually is always pretty surprising to me there is a fair amount of consensus as to how one gets to heaven. Being saved is relatively simple, but then you're going to want to please god, which is the part that is often so contentious. At any rate, this is a fairly commonly quoted verse:
"For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith - and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God - not by works, so that no one can boast" (Ephesians 2:8,9).
The choice is whether to have this faith. But of course, being humans, we often can't let it be this simple. Plus, an awful lot of christians don't ever bother to look at the bible. But what you wrote above just isn't the gig, at least for christians. You don't tell god what needs to happen. I also, again, think the free agency thing is important. If it was just a simple list of rules, people could be forced to follow them, and it wouldn't mean a thing. Technically people would "qualify", but what's in their hearts? As far as the ambiguity of christianity, I like it. But I know very anal retentive christians, and it drives them nuts sometimes. kj.
"For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith - and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God - not by works, so that no one can boast" (Ephesians 2:8,9).
The choice is whether to have this faith. But of course, being humans, we often can't let it be this simple. Plus, an awful lot of christians don't ever bother to look at the bible. But what you wrote above just isn't the gig, at least for christians. You don't tell god what needs to happen. I also, again, think the free agency thing is important. If it was just a simple list of rules, people could be forced to follow them, and it wouldn't mean a thing. Technically people would "qualify", but what's in their hearts? As far as the ambiguity of christianity, I like it. But I know very anal retentive christians, and it drives them nuts sometimes. kj.