Most Evangelicals Believe Good People are Heaven-Bound
The majority of Protestants and evangelicals believe that good people and people of other religions can go to heaven, according to author David Campbell.
Campbell, who co-wrote American Grace, How Religion Divides and Unites Us, contends that surveys of 3,000 Americans, used to write the book, show that American people of faith, though devout, are very tolerant. So much so that most believers also believe that good people, despite their religious affiliation, can go to heaven.
Among the faiths, 83 percent of evangelical Protestants agreed that good people of other religions can go to heaven. Ninety percent of black Protestants also believe good people can go to heaven....
I was riding a response to John Y. on another thread. It occurred to me that part of my response should be a part of this one also. You will notice that Billy Graham as the same anti-Christian ideas that were expressed in this article.
Acts 4 10 let it be known to all of you, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead-- by this name this man stands here before you in good health. 11 "He is the STONE WHICH WAS REJECTED by you, THE BUILDERS, but WHICH BECAME THE VERY CORNER stone. 12 "And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men, by which we must be saved." Romans 10 9 that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you shall be saved;---NASB
It is usually because they believe in a 'consensous' religion, and has nothing to do with Jesus Christ. They understand nothing of the blood of Christ, nor atonement for sins, for they are 'good' and do not recognize thier own sins---but there will be a day, to which thier knees will bow, or be broken!
You should listen to Todd Friel's radio program (Wretchef Radio) on Wednesdays. He does man on the street interviews with college students. Its called "witness wednesday". He frequently asks then what they think it takes to reach heaven. They always give the same pat answers about being good.
This is what happens when the majority of professing Christians don't open their Bibles much les believe them. This is what happens when there is no quality control in Church membership and the emphasis is just on quantity. This is what happens when unbelievers are given Church membership and the right to vote on Church policy, pastors, elders and deacons. When paid workers give fireside chats to scratch itching ears and tell fables from the pulpit instead of proclaim the full word of the holy LORD God.
"Most Evangelicals Believe Good People are Heaven-Bound".
Such "evangelicals" are well-described in Proverbs 17:15.
People who don't truely know God ususally don't know their own sin and how extensive it is, and therfore have a much easier time convincing themselves that many of the ungodly are good enough to enter Heaven on their own merits.
Such beliefs should not be unexpected. After all, most churches today have become entertainment centers with little real Bible preaching or teaching. People are left to make up their own minds and opinions.
The number one problem with the church is that it doesn't think it has a problem. It does. That problem is the failure to preach and teach the Bible.
Bruno wrote: The term Christian is so easy to say that many if not most use the term without any understanding of what it means. Christianity is not a club that is open to all. In fact it is open to only a few Matt 7:14. You can not just become one unless God has chosen you to come Eph 1:4-5. We loose site of this when we think that it is all about us, when in fact it is not about man, but about and of God.
I agree with you fully Bruno, thanks for the insightful comment!
The term Christian is so easy to say that many if not most use the term without any understanding of what it means. Christianity is not a club that is open to all. In fact it is open to only a few Matt 7:14. You can not just become one unless God has chosen you to come Eph 1:4-5. We loose site of this when we think that it is all about us, when in fact it is not about man, but about and of God.
Lurker wrote: I always value your opinion, Mike, and I agree.
Being a Christian isn't easy. Few in this age are willing to make the commitment of time, study and thought to be able to discern truth from a lie.
Thanks to both Mike and Lurker for their comments (sorry; couldn't figure out how to quote them both). The above quote is a truth I have learned like never before this year.
John 14:6 - Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
Acts 4:12 - Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.
I Timothy 2:5-6 - For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.
Rick wrote: Obviously the term Evangelical has changed quite a bit. Or the people who were interviewed were not really Evangelical. Either way, it's clear that the sentiments of many church goers are unbiblical. Not too many years ago to Comprimise was considered a bad thing or cowardly. Today, it's considered one of the highest virtues. Thank the Lord there will always be a remnant though who will follow the Lord whethersoever he goeth.
Well said Rick, I agree with you totally. Compromise and pragmatism have always been easier for those aren't totally committed.
Mike wrote: I have an opinion fwiw, based on some observations of the times we live in. Some people have become those who value thinking less and feeling more. This extends to many areas of life, among the secular as well as the religious. For them it's just too hard to think, and the Way requires it. It requires them to sometimes make difficult decisions, that are often contrary to the way of the world around us. It's easier to want to feel loved by the world, so it isn't a long step to come to wrong conclusions. Basically, it's spiritual/mental laziness. Philippians tells us to think on true things. But if true things are discomforting, they won't think on them at all.
I always value your opinion, Mike, and I agree.
I probably would have been of the same opinion of these poll responders had it not been for God permitting my life to be turned upside down, making it know that He was calling me to serve Him. Before I had little time for God (I was a lazy professor) but after I couldn't find enough time to read the bible to satisfy my thirst for His knowledge. Needless to say I'm a monergist.
Being a Christian isn't easy. Few in this age are willing to make the committment of time, study and thought to be able to discern truth from a lie.
Lurker wrote: "... 83 percent of evangelical Protestants agreed that good people of other religions can go to heaven. Ninety percent of black Protestants also believe good people can go to heaven..." If I have been consistent in one thing the past couple years it has been my endless harping that professing Christians are indoctrinated by just about anything and anybody BUT the God breathed words of the bible and this article bears that out. I don't understand why people are so frivilous with something as important as their eternal destiny.
Hi Lurker, I have an opinion fwiw, based on some observations of the times we live in. Some people have become those who value thinking less and feeling more. This extends to many areas of life, among the secular as well as the religious. For them it's just too hard to think, and the Way requires it. It requires them to sometimes make difficult decisions, that are often contrary to the way of the world around us. It's easier to want to feel loved by the world, so it isn't a long step to come to wrong conclusions. Basically, it's spiritual/mental laziness. Philippians tells us to think on true things. But if true things are discomforting, they won't think on them at all.
Romans 3 21 But now apart from the Law the righteousness of God has been manifested, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, 22 even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all those who believe; for there is no distinction; 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus; 25 whom God displayed publicly as a propitiation in His blood through faith. This was to demonstrate His righteousness, because in the forbearance of of God He passed over the sins previously committed; 26 for the demonstration, I say, of His righteousness at the present time, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus. 27 Where then is boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law? Of works? No, but by a law of faith.---NASB
Here is what pluralism really means. If someone says that faith in Christ is essential for their individual salvation but not necessarily for someone else’s then they have logically said it wasn’t essential for them, but was simply a matter of personal choice. The world has told us to think this way in all spiritual matters. So it is not uncommon for someone to apply a moral standard to their own lives, but not to the lives of others. That is moral hypocrisy of the highest order and simply deludes the lost into reducing God’s moral standards and requirements to personal choices, and if a personal choice then they can’t be binding on anyone. This personal choice fallacy is one of the characteristics that separate the true church of Christ from all others. Pluralism is simply spiritual polygamy. There are lots of worthy husbands and Christ just happens to be the one I chose. But, I’ll sleep with whomever I want!
Perhaps the greatest heresy in the long history of the Christian church is that of pluralism or loosely translated that which says there is more than one path to heaven other than through our Lord and Savior. People may spin this concept so that we don’t easily recognize it, but that is where individual discernment is called for and necessary.
Jesus said "I am the (only)way, the (only)truth, and the (only) life." The truth is that when Chosen ones of God come to Him as Lord and Savior as lead by His Holy Spirit, He doesn't cast them out. He gives them Life because He is Life, He is the Life Infuser, the Life giver! He is the giver of Life and the Life Eternal.
I sure agree with this finding, and would add it's probably been consistent over the last 30+ years. The conventional wisdom is that good things happen to good people whom God loves, and bad things happen to bad people whom God does not love. Those God love go to heaven. This belief is remarkably widespread.
"more than half – 54 percent – of evangelical Protestants said yes, people of religions other than Christianity can go to heaven. Sixty-two percent of black Protestants agreed with the statement."
According to these people Christ did not need to die. They appear to be suggesting people can save themselves without a crucified Christ. Apparently God did not need to sacrifice His Son, since any religion could have done the job.
1Cor 1:18 For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.
Romans 5:8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, CHRIST DIED FOR US. 9 Much more then, being now JUSTIFIED BY HIS BLOOD, we shall be saved from wrath through him. 10 For if, when we were enemies, we were RECONCILED TO GOD BY THE DEATH OF HIS SON, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.
Obviously the term Evangelical has changed quite a bit. Or the people who were interviewed were not really Evangelical.
Either way, it's clear that the sentiments of many church goers are unbiblical. Not too many years ago to Comprimise was considered a bad thing or cowardly. Today, it's considered one of the highest virtues.
Thank the Lord there will always be a remnant though who will follow the Lord whethersoever he goeth.
Ditto the previous poster. I don't know about the timing or if the "good" people that lived before the first advent of Christ will have their chance in the 1000 years reign of Christ or not. Most would agree that the Old Testement saints are safe with God now. Personally, I could see all "good" people getting a chance during the 1000yr reign, but I wouldn't preach or teach that. In other words everyone will get a chance to accept or reject Christ. On top of that those with less knowledge will be punished less severely, I'm not sure how that works either. Finally, at the end of the 1000 yr reign, Satan is loosed and he still gets many people, people who have lived a thousand years with no doubt about who Jesus is, to turn against Jesus. My thoughts here are that this is for people like me. We will see that those who "had no chance" to learn the gospel would still side with Satan because it was in their nature from the begining. Anyhow, these are the kinds of things that keep me awake at night when church members say that all religions are pretty much the same.
If people could go to heaven by being good, then God the Son leaving heaven to become a Man, to die on the cross after His Father's wrath was poured out upon Him for our sins, was for NOTHING!
Gal. 2:21 I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain.
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