Some Pressures On Christianity

Dear Mr. Pious Bob, I've enjoyed your blog so far. Looks like you need more commenters. I've been thinking about writing something, so I'll give it a try. I have a girl friend who looks at the Bible as literal and will not budge an inch, even on the parts that put down women. It's like the Bible is her anchor and she is unable to look at the history of religion in the world and see all our commonalities. She thinks that if you're not a saved Christian, you're going to hell. That means a majority of humans in the world have not and will not enter the gates of heaven. I can't bring myself to think that our God would be so unkind to most of His created children. What do you think about this situation with my friend? I need help in relating to and understanding her. Thanks in advance and God Bless You, Tracey D. ++++++++++++++++++++++ Dear Tracey D., A clergy person once told me that he "doesn't take the Bible literally, but he takes it seriously."  While we can certainly understand that the Bible was written by man and is the inspired Word of God, it is hard to say that every single word in it is the exact truth as if God Himself had penned it.  In most cases, all Christians should be in agreement on the messages that God has given man to write.  It's not worth arguing about the things that don't seem to fit our present day understanding of living in absolute freedom.  To understand how all of mankind; Christian, Muslim, Buddhist, Hindu, Atheist, and so on, is treated by the creator God we believe in, is something beyond our capacity to know.  As Christains we cannot know what happens to all people when they reach that "nearer presence to God" as they leave this worldly life.  Even when Jesus said, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me" (John 14:6), we must be careful how we interpret His words.  In John 1:1 he tells us, "In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God."  So if Jesus was and is God's Word, then all of man must go through God's Word and Spirit to come to Him.  How this might happen to all of mankind, we can't understand.  In theory then, all people who believe in one loving Creator God, no matter what religion, can experience God and His Word (Jesus) even as they pass out of this mortal coil.  We have no right to judge the many from a narrow understanding of God and His creation.  His love that He has communicated to us certainly speaks against our prejudice toward others. In the Love of God, Pious Bob