Yes good point and I can speak to my computer guy about this. But the short answer is this: if you simply click on ‘CultureWatch’ on the top left of every page, that will take you back to the home page.

Bill Muehlenberg, CultureWatch

While a full article would be needed to do proper justice to this somewhat complex debate, let me just mention a few things. There are of course many passages which speak of Jesus being the only way of salvation, and of the need to hear this specifically, eg., John 3:18; Acts 4:12, Romans 10:9-15, etc.

But passages which speak of natural theology, or general revelation, such as Romans 1-2 seem to say only this: there is enough in the natural world to convince us of God’s existence, and therefore render us without excuse. But this knowledge is only enough to condemn us, not enough to save us. That is why the preaching of the gospel is so vital.

But as I say, this needs to be teased out in more detail, something hard to do in a short comment.

Bill Muehlenberg, CultureWatch

This is off topic but I can’t find any where else to write it.

I find the navigation of this sight a bit incomprehensible.

How hard would it be to add something to the home page which clearly identifies it AS the home page?

How hard would it then be to add links to all (or even most) other pages which make it possible to return to the home page?

Some people get referred into your site by links from elsewhere that drop them directly into an article. Without the requested link, how do these people get back to home page?

Thanks,

Adrian Woodcraft, Brisbane, Australia

Well, I’ve just had a quick read of the “never-heard” link that Dave posted. It seems to be clear enough that those who have never heard the NAME of Jesus can still find God (his father?) if they truly seek Him, through nature.

So…
On the authority of this verse, those who have never heard (the name of Jesus) in this present day CAN be saved, but it depends on the desire of their heart. But you do not find the name of Jesus, or the historical facts of his crucifixion, written in Nature.

So, apparently people who desire God with all their hearts CAN be saved without necessarily knowing the mechanism by which it happens, or perhaps without even knowing that previously they were condemned???

Adrian Woodcraft, Brisbane, Australia

Paul said” ‘Yet for us there is one God, the Father’ (1Cor. 8:6). We must come to grips with this even in today’s Christian church. Many only pray ‘O God…’, and refuse to come to the Father, in faith, reconciled.

Allah does not have a Son.
(Just a book, given to “the prophet”).

Even, to the Jews who failed to acknowledge Jesus as the Messiah, Jesus needed to say: ‘You are of your father the devil’. Judaism may have the OT, but they must not ‘search the scriptures for life’, and yet refuse to come to him, of whom ‘all the Scriptures’ speak.

The times of ignorance, God has overlooked, folks, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent and believe the gospel – Christ Jesus is our future. And our present life, too.

Trevor Faggotter

If we assume that those who never hear the Gospel are granted mercy from God, we will run into a terrible problem. If people who never hear the Gospel are saved…we should make sure that no one ever hears the Gospel. The worst thing we could do would be to share the Gospel with a person and have him or her reject it. If that were to happen, he or she would be condemned. People who do not hear the Gospel must be condemned, or else there is no motive for evangelism. Why run the risk of people possibly rejecting the Gospel and condemning themselves – when they were previously saved because they had never heard the Gospel?

David Skinner, UK

Yes progress seems slow here. Let me summarise all that I have been saying: Most Christians would agree that this passage is the very centre of the Christian gospel: “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.” (John 3:16-18)

That is the gospel which I affirm and declare. I am at an absolute loss as to why that makes me a “hard-hearted, militant” Christian. Can you explain that to me?

Bill Muehlenberg, CultureWatch

You have asserted many things here that you claim are “basic” or “quintessential” elements of Christianity but it is only your opinion based on your interpretation of scripture.

Many Christians are in disagreement over interpretation and emphasis, yet you speak as if all of Christianity is at one on these matters.

I’ve stated my case for rejecting your assertions. You’ve stated your case, but you practice a brand of hard-hearted, militant Christianity that is foreign to me, and your image of God is a far cry from the loving God of mercy, compassion, intelligence, and infinite wisdom that I know.

I have nothing more to say on this topic. Amen.

Frank O’Hare, ACT