The Life and Thoughts of a Modern Day American Heathen
A new Pew Forum analysis shows that a majority of all American Christians (52%) think at least some non-Christian faiths can lead to eternal life. More surprising, among evangelicals surveyed, 35 percent said Muslims can go to heaven, 33 percent said Hindus can, and 26 percent said atheists can.
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Hrafnkell Haraldsson is the author of A Heathen’s Day, which since 2005 has addressed the life and thoughts of a modern day Heathen. He is also the founder of the Mos Maiorum Foundation (www.mosmaiorum.org) which is dedicated to the study and support of Paganism as ethnic religion and writes for PoliticusUSA (www.politicususa.com) 
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I can’t help but think this is another case of ‘Confused Christian’.
Or if these Christians are now denying their own elitist propaganda (i.e., only-bible-believing-Christians-who-accept-Jesus-as-their-personal-saviour-can-get-to-heaven)…..why believe it in the first place?
Unless of course, they really have seen the light and realise that there are indeed, many ways to get to many Heavens (or re-incarnation, should you choose it!)
I think this poll presumes information and that is it assumes there is universal agreement amongst religious believers *in* eternal life or something called a “heaven” I don’t believe in such things nor do I hold out for them. If there is something after death there is no universal agreement as to what that is, not even amongst Christians as this poll proves!
In short, who gives a crap *if* other religions can get you eternal life? I don’t honor the gods and spirits because of what I get out of it. I do it because they’re my friends and co-inhabitants of this World. You don’t use your friends for rewards or help them or serve them in their needs for selfish reasons. You try to be as self-less as possible in your relationships.
That’s my two cents anyways. (:
Stu,
Confused or Christian at all? The main tenet of Christianity is that salvation comes through Jesus Christ alone. If you set that aside, are you even a Christian? Considering many who identify themselves as Christians also believe in reincarnation and past lives (no room for these in the Christian scheme) you have to see this as a process of syncretism, of Christianity continuing to evolve, to become something else. They’ve never lost the “Jesus Road” before but it looks like soon only the Fundies will be the only ones hanging onto the “Jesus only” routine.
Granamyr, yeah, the poll makes certain assumptions, but overall I thought the results confirmed the results of other polls I’d seen recently that showed Christianity was losing its hold. More and more I’m convinced what we’re seeing from the Christian Right is a reaction to this trend.
It showed that more and more Christians are falling away from what has been the central message of Christianity, that salvation comes through Jesus alone. They may think still that the rest of us want or expect something called salvation but this says more about their perceptions (or those of the pollsters) than about us.
I see what you’re saying. When I first read it, my impression was how much people operate according to monotheistic/Christian ideals even without being aware of it. Having once been there myself and having to consciously stop doing it! When many people think religion they think of getting to “Heaven” For many, they can’t contemplate a religion without such things; just like some can’t imagine a deity that isn’t all-knowing, all-powerful and all-good simultaneously. Beings like that just aren’t gods in their mind.
But yes, I agree it DOES speak volumes about Christians. However, many Christians, and the Catholic Church amongst them, would just label such people as non-Christians (as you said) and point to the doctrines of Christianity that have to be believed in to lay claim to the name. Too many Christians are plug and play. They can call themselves what they will, but they are closer to us now than they realize. (: Muwahaha…
Yes, and I’ve seen that, Granamyr, on Digg, Christians saying other Christians aren’t Christians, or they’re “soft” or “left” Christians. I was even told one day that all the Christians who have committed atrocities over the centuries really weren’t Christians either. A nice evasion of historical fact and responsibility for the intolerance of one’s religion. They’re slippery as eels, these people!
But yes, mainstream Christianity is very diluted and it’s no wonder the extremists are reacting as they are. They see it all slipping away and so they grasp harder. Typical response when one is losing control of a situation.
Oh I know! I had someone try that excuse on me on another forum. How convenient! Anyone who does anything that modern society currently thinks is wrong wasn’t a true Christian! EXCUSED from ALL responsibility. But yet, OHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH how they want apologies from modern Pagans for “persecuting” them in ancient Rome. But what ho…they weren’t real Pagans anyways right? So are we excused? Of course not! We will be labeled as evil Christ haters for probably ever while they happily ignore the blood on their own hands. *rolls eyes*
Yeah, it’s frustrating, Gran. They have more moves than Adrian Peterson. They can juke around any accusation or fact. And if you tell them they’re intolerant or hate mongering they accuse you of being intolerant of their intolerance, all the while claiming they have a right to condemn immorality. It’s really hardly worth your time or your breath to argue with them. Just that they got my dander up this holiday season, trying to ruin my Jól.