Apostate Christianity!!

I don't put much weight in polls. There are way too many polls with way too many different results. It is too easy to word things and present things in a way to get the results you want.

 

There was a poll a couple years back in which about 80% of respondents claimed to be Christians. However, the part of the poll that was not widely published was the replies when asked why they considered themselves Christians. The vast majority said, "Because my parents were", "Because I go to church", or "Because I was born in the USA".

Polls are interesting, but not necessarily accurate.

 

This data goes right along with the polls of George Barna, which I assume are scientific, for the past 2 or 3 years or so, anyway.

We are in an age of great deception and falling away, in case there is anyone who hasn't noticed.

 

It depends on how it was worded.
For example, I think we are reading into "other faiths" Muslim and Hindu.
Perhaps some of the respondents were thinking Methodists and Presbyterians.

Karen

 

This is why I refuse to take polls. I can honestly answer this question, YES.

I am Baptist, I beleve that people who are not Baptist can go to heaven if they are fully trusting in the Lord Jesus Christ for their salvation. If they are a good person or not is irrelivent to the question so it is disregarded.

To answer No, would be to say that only Baptists can go to heaven.

This question was designed to lead people to one answer so the results could be purposly mis-reprisented and therfor the headline more dramatic.

Do you think the results would have been different if the question would have read.

"Do you beleve the Bible when it says, faith in Jesus Christ is the only way to salvation and life in Heaven."

How would Evangelicals answer this, more honest, question?

 

I know that the Roman Catholic faith believes this, for it is stated so in so many words in their Catechism and when Pope John Paul was alive he made every effort to accept those of NON Christian religions.

I believe in quite a few conservative circles such as the Lutheran and Episcopalians this is also true. Especially with the ecumenical push on nowadays.

To me it is silly to preach to the masses that there are alternative routes for salvation when Christ IS the very heart of the gospel message. If you take Christ out of the message than who has died for you? How can a sinner come to God? What hope is there for life after death, since Christ is the ONLY one who was raised from the dead and promised eternal life to all who would trust in him? The facts are, there simply is no alternative. Jesus Christ IS the Way, the Truth and the Life. End of discussion.

 

When the pastor of the largest church in America can sit on national television and pratically tell Larry King that people of other faiths may have a way into heaven, I don't find it hard to believe this poll.

 

Ron

The problem with this question is it does not remove Christ from the message. It says can somebody who is not of your faith (Baptist) go to heaven.

"Can a good person who isn't of your religious faith go to heaven or attain salvation, or not?"

I think most of us beleve you do not have to be Baptist to go to heaven. The drama headline makes a dis-honest conclution based on the answer to this question.

The solution is you do not have to be of my religious faith to be saved by Jesus Christ. Because religion does not save only Christ does.

I answer this question yes along with the other 2/3s.

 

DeeJay

I'm sorry I misunderstood you. Certainly a non Baptist can be saved and be assured of heaven. But one who is not COMPLETELY trusting in Christ FOR their salvation cannot. By this I mean, the Catholic is taught that ONLY in the Catholic church can one be saved, by receiving the sacraments, going to confession and doing penance for confessed sin, which is usually so many Our Fathers and Hail Marys. THAT is not completely trusting in Christ, but rather Christ PLUS WORKS!

Then there are the evangelical denominations who say you are saved when you believe, but after that, YOU must maintain your salvation to STAY saved.So you see, that to is trusting Christ PLUS WORKS.

My question to you is, just where does your salvation lay? Is your all on the altar with Christ? Can you say, nothing in my hands do I bring, but simply to THY CROSS do I cling? That is the issue.

 

I dont know what I said that put my salvation in doubt but:

I have been saved by the grace of God thru faith in the Lord Jesus Christ alone. Nothing I did, do or can do will make any difference in where I spend eterety. I compleatly relie on the blood of Christ for my salvation. I know I will spend eternity in Heaven because I beleve in the promises made in His Holy Word.

I compleatly agree with your above post, eventhough most of it does not apply to the original post. If you agree with my quote from several posts above (quoted again below) you have to answer the poll question "Yes". And you would be amoung the 2/3 that are labled by the headline as not beleveing in the words of Christ and labled by this post as Apostate.

 

It is common practice for pollstrs to skew thier questions,that even happens on this board.

That being said,what we need is a couple of things:
We need the unbelieving dishonest preachers who do not believe that the Bible is God's Word and do not believe that salvation comes through Jesus Christ alone IAW Jn14:6 to resign thier pulpits and go get an honest job.

We need the Bible believing preachers to preach and teach more Bible.We need Bible believing,soul winning,sin hating on fire for God preachers who will disciple and inspire thier people to become sold out for God disiples and soul winners.

We need to get unbelieving liberal professors out of our Bible colleges and seminaries.

 

That is a horribly worded question. Anyone who thinks one denomination or group is going to heaven has got a screw loose. That will become quite apparant when we see lots of Baptist church members in hell, and maybe Catholics in heaven.

There is only one way to heaven that transcends denominations that is repeated over and over again in this board.

The premise of the question is very secular, and shows a total lack of understanding of the Gospel. Sometimes I wonder what God thinks about what we as humans have done to his Church by making the Church he founded into hunderds of "denominations" and "break away churches."

 

Just Plain Bill: //We need to get unbelieving liberal professors
out of our Bible colleges and seminaries.//

What about believing liberal professors?
What about non-believing conservative professors?

 

Let's just seek out the old paths and walk therein. Throughout the Psalms David wrote, 'Shew me thy ways, teach me thy paths.'

We need to get unbelievers out of the teaching position altogether when it comes to teaching God's Holy Word. Would you want a man who knew nothing of mechanics to teach you how to effectively rebuild your car's engine? or a man who never study medicine or surgery to perform open heart surgery on you?

Those who are not teaching the full counsel of God, those who are clearly contradicting God's Word in their teachings need to be removed from the Seminaries; be it liberal, conservative, or neutral.

 

Just askin' but isn't "Apostate Christianity" a contradiction in terms?
In His grace,
Ed

 

EdSutton,

When you look at christianity in the terms that it is used today to justify any sin one wants to hold onto, then it is not contradictory.

But a christian in the Light of God's Holy Word is definitely contradiction when called an apostate.

A true christian will not fall away from the faith.

 

The problem I see in answering yes is that it's talking about a "Good Person" no one can obtain salvation through bring "Good" no matter what.

When I read "Religious Faith" I see it meaning Christian VS non-Christian not denomination.

 

Of course you are right Ed, I should have been more inclusive,did'nt mean to leave anybody out.

 

This sort of reminds me of a joke I heard awhile back.
-------------------------------------------------

So Heaven is a high-rise building. A Catholic, a Presbyterian, and a Methodist on in an elevator. St. Peter is the Elevator Man and as they travel up, the elevator stops on the 2nd floor to let the Catholic out then proceeds to the 3rd floor to let off the Presbyterian. Then proceeds to the 5th floor without stopping at the 4th floor and the Methodist ask St Peter why they didn't stop? Peter states that the 4th floor is reserved for Baptist and they think that they are the only ones in heaven.