Enough please...

Hey friends,

I need to address all the "Catholic" comments that are appearing. I will address the many other specific questions that have been asked on this topic but I need to put one thing to rest now.

I never said "Catholics can't be saved" or "Catholics won't be in heaven". Some commenter or question-asker SAID THAT I SAID THAT, and a bunch of people jumped on the bandwagon. In fact, it is exactly the opposite of the Truth I believe.

Anyone can be saved... anyone can end up in heaven. Catholic, Mormon, Atheist, Hindu, Muslim, no religion, all religions, humanist... anyone.

There is an infinite gap between stating that "any individual can be saved" (by believing the Gospel found in Scripture) versus stating whether or not adherence to the publicly stated beliefs of a "religion" or "worldview" can result in salvation.

Any person who believes and responds obediently to the Gospel as found in the Bible can and will be saved regardless of what "church", "religion" or "no belief" they find themselves in at that moment.

It may be an unsaved person that has been sitting in the pew of a Baptist church all their life, a Muslim who was formerly convinced that all others were infidels, an atheist who blasphemed God or a Catholic who believed that membership (or birth into) in the Catholic Church guaranted his salvation. (sigh.... of course I have to preface that by saying THOSE ARE NOT CATEGORICAL STATEMENTS ABOUT WHAT EACH OF THOSE GROUPS BELIEVE... I'm just giving examples to show that anyone can be LOST no matter what group they are in, and anyone can be SAVED no matter what group they are in; so please don't write and tell that you belong to one of those groups and that's not what you believe. They are examples to demonstrate my point).

The key to salvation is a person's belief and obedient response to the Gospel of Jesus Christ, period. Whether or not they continue in the same "group" after that is matter of conviction and leading by the Holy Spirit and God's work in their life. That is God's business and for Him to lead each person. I have my opinions but my opinions are only binding on me, and helpful to others as advice if someone asks for it.

ANY person can be saved, no matter what situation or group they are currently part of. It's frustrating when a disagreement with the teaching or position of some group automatically gets turned into "so you don't think they can go to heaven then, right?" or "so you think all {fill in the blank with a religion or group} are going to hell, right?".

Frustrating, but predictable.

~ Brent