Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint Muslim New Visions Progressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos

Home
Progressive Christian
Mr. “Wasn’t Having Any” Responds to Christians

Mr. “Wasn’t Having Any” Responds to Christians

Last updated on: June 6, 2008 at 8:12 am by John Shore

Mr. “Wasn’t Having Any” Responds to Christians 2008-06-06T08:12:41-08:00 John Shore

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

The other day I posted a piece called Jesus the Decider: Who Gets Into Heaven?, in which I recounted a conversation I’d overheard between a proselytizing Christian and “a guy who Wasn’t Having Any,” whom I referred to as WHA.

WHA’s Big Point was that there is no logical basis for Christians to so heavily rely upon John 14:6 (“No one comes to the Father except through me”) as proof that only Christians can get into heaven or reside with God in the afterlife. His contention was/is that the words of Christ right there don’t actually say that. “[John 14:6] doesn’t say you have to be a Christian in order to get into heaven,” said WHA. “All it says is that Jesus decides who does and doesn’t get into heaven. ‘You have to go through me to get into heaven’ isn’t the same as, “You have to be a Christian to get into heaven.'”

Anyway, read the whole piece if you’re interested. If you do, and are, you might then be interested to know that this morning WHA responded to the many responses left to him in the comments section of “Jesus the Decider.” WHA (whose real name is Ken H.) asked me to post the below, which is from him. (Warning: It’s a little rough. “Do you mind if I say what I really think?” Ken asked me. I answered him no, of course I don’t — and below is what I got. I figured I’d post it as is. Why not? We Christians can take it, yes? And should, maybe, even, a little.)

Hello, all. I want to thank you for your thoughtful input to my question about John 14:6. To be honest, I didn’t read much in what you wrote that directly dealt with my contention that Christians need to stop relying on John 14:6 as proof that heaven (assuming there is such a place) is the exclusive domain of Christians. That’s really all I was saying. I’ve had that quote thrown at me by Christians quite a lot, and I always think, “Yeah, but that quote doesn’t say that.” That can be a little frustrating. I do appreciate everyone who took the time to answer me, though.

As to the larger and I guess more basic question of why I and others like me find it so challenging to believe in your Christ, I’m sure I have nothing to say beyond anything I’m sure you’ve heard before. (In fact, what the non-Christians say in John’s excellent blog piece, “What Non-Christians Want Christians to Hear” pretty fully covers it. I think that post should be required reading for all Christians.) Personally — and in a nutshell — it’s the cosmic arrogance of Christians that turns me off. I have a natural resistance to any faith system that insists all other faiths are flat-out wrong: that’s such a crude position. It’s so brutally condescending, so terribly unhelpful in this time of societal strife and the terror born of fundamentalists’ passions. To insist that your religion is the only true religion is so profoundly disrespectful that it can’t smack of anything but an almost absurd immaturity.

You can’t say all concepts of God, and all systems of faith, and all personal encounters with the universal divine that aren’t grounded in the truth of Christianity are invalid, or inadequate, or sadly delusional, and expect anyone outside of your faith to take you seriously. On the face of it, such an attitude is just so … repellingly smug, for one. What child doesn’t think he’s the center of the world, and that his thoughts are the only thoughts that matter? It’s such an undeveloped attitude to take.

Also, this business with gays and lesbians being automatically condemned to hell? It’s like a joke from medieval times — only it’s not funny at all. The texts that Christians rely upon to condemn homosexuality can be legitimately understood as not condemning gays and lesbians at all. That the vast majority of Christians ignore that scholarship, ignore that understanding, ignore that fact, can’t help but serve as further proof that what so many Christians really want isn’t to spread the love and compassion of which Christ himself was such a champion, but to instead continue to use their “faith” for no purpose more uplifting or wholesome than to fuel the judgemental, self-righteous, mean-spirited ego trip they’re on.

A lot of Christians are nothing more than spiritual bullies who go around using the Bible as a club. (And a lot aren’t, too, I know.) It’s weak. It’s embarassing. Finally, and mostly, it’s boring.

I know I’m sounding mean here, but I’m just trying to be succinct. My humble opinion, overall, is that Christians need to wake up, and start realizing how much of what they say and do has no more to do with the true spirit of Christ than Osama Bin Laden has to do with the true spirit of Islam.

Thanks for listening. I really, really appreciate it. One so often gets the very distinct feeling that Christians can only talk, and can never listen. I hope this time proves the exception. Thanks again.

**********************************************************************************************************

Email: [email protected]

Follow: http://twitter.com/johnshore

Befriend: http://www.facebook.com/john.shore1

Be Fan: http://www.facebook.com/pages/John-Shore/89494795412?ref=s

Previous Post

June 5, 2008

How John Wayne proposed to his third wife. (Bonus: a pic of her apparently haunted bananas flambe!)

Next Post

June 9, 2008 One Woman's Conversion Experience (While Driving!)

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Christian Issues Christian Spirituality Dear John En Espanol Everywhere She's Not Humor Look See Pastor Bob's Corner Personal Portuguese Relationships Russian Short-short story Smith Family Chronicles Uncategorized

Select a Month March 2024 August 2022 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 February 2020 December 2019 June 2019 December 2018 May 2018 May 2017 January 2017 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010 November 2010 October 2010 September 2010 August 2010 July 2010 June 2010 May 2010 April 2010 March 2010 February 2010 January 2010 December 2009 November 2009 October 2009 September 2009 August 2009 July 2009 June 2009 May 2009 April 2009 March 2009 February 2009 January 2009 December 2008 November 2008 October 2008 September 2008 August 2008 July 2008 June 2008 May 2008 April 2008 March 2008 February 2008 January 2008 December 2007 November 2007 October 2007 September 2007 August 2007 July 2007 June 2007 May 2007 April 2007

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

Who said, "My punishment is greater than I can bear"?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Saul Esau Cain Judas

Books by This Author Books by John Shore

See All Titles »