I have a lot of time for John Shore. If you're unfamiliar with him, he has been called "America’s leading non-douchey Christian" by Dan Savage (of Savage Love and the It Gets Better Project).
As a liberal who grew up in a liberal Christian household, and as a straight, married, father who writes, raises a ruckus about things that matter, and as staunch ally to the LGBTQ community, I identify greatly with John Shore. He's great.
He is one of the great many wonderful Christians who seem to really 'get' what Christianity is, and should be, about. And it is because of folks like John Shore, that I don't appreciate gross generalizations about Christians. And it is because of folks like John Shore that I choose to spend more time trying to find and relate to Christians who care about equality and progress. We can get a whole hell of a lot more done by building bridges with likeminded folks from other belief systems. At the end of the day, we want to accomplish a lot of the same things: decrease suffering, promote equality and compassion, etc.
I feel strange writing about Shore for the first time, and then launching into a video, when he has a wealth of wonderful writing available (in book form, and online), but I recently ran across this and thought it was wonderful. It was posted by John Shore (although I can't be entirely sure that he wrote the dialog, I am sure he endorses it).
The next time you run into a Christian who says that only Christians can get into heaven, you could do worse than to employ the logic of the little dude here on the right:
Hi! Thanks for these kind words about this little movie. (Yes, I did write the script.)
ReplyDeleteI figured as much. Thank you for stopping by to say hello. As I mentioned, I really do appreciate what you do.
ReplyDeleteThis is what I understood from the video's message: Christians will go to heaven but also good people (even if they are not Christians) will go to heaven.
ReplyDeleteFor one I want to make it clear that I don't believe Christians should be going around telling people that they are going to hell and should come to Bible study with them. This is not a loving way of spreading the Gospel. But I do believe that those who do not accept Jesus Christ into their lives and ask for His forgiveness,will go to Hell.
I think it is good to look at the definition for Christianity.
Dictionary. com says:
Chris·tian
adjective
1. of, pertaining to, or derived from Jesus Christ or His teachings: a Christian faith.
So I believe that if someone believes in Jesus Christ, has been forgiven by Him, has the Holy Spirit inside them, that they are a Christian...Even if they don't have *all* (maybe not all, but there are some very important beliefs for a Christian!) of their views and beliefs correct. Though we should strive to learn more and more and grow torwards God.
Acts 26:18
New American Standard Bible (NASB)
18 to (A)open their eyes so that they may turn from (B)darkness to light and from the dominion of (C)Satan to God, that they may receive (D)forgiveness of sins and an (E)inheritance among those who have been sanctified by (F)faith in Me.’
John 14:6
New American Standard Bible (NASB)
6 Jesus *said to him, “I am (A)the way, and (B)the truth, and (C)the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.
-Going from the definition above of Christians, this verse does say that only Christians will go to heaven. Only people who have asked for forgiveness and follow Christ will go to Heaven. NO ONE goes to the Father (to heaven) except through Jesus Christ.
And I am a Christian.
Questions? Comments?
-Sheilla Kiwi