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Zack Hunt Do Only Christians Go to Heaven? usually loathe conversations ago. 3 But even if we go with a since they not only never heard about who’s going to heaven much younger set of fossils, we’re about Jesus, but they never even and who’s not. Mostly still left with around 90,000 years heard about Abraham or Moses because it’s never really a of human history. 4 or Noah either? Iconversation about who’s going Which, in turn, means we’re left And if they don’t, if being part to heaven. It’s just an opportunity with tens of thousands of years of the Old Covenant or to damn people we don’t like to before even the earliest traces of confessing Jesus as Lord is the an eternity in hell, while assuring the Judeo-Christian faith begin to price of admission for heaven, ourselves of our own mansion in appear. then what does that say about paradise. This has always been a touchy God? In other words, what kind But I’ve been watching a show subject for Christians. Even those of God gives life to countless called First Peoples on PBS 1 and it who are adamant that a verbal people for tens of thousands of really got me to thinking and confession of faith in Christ is years only to doom them to an that thinking got me to asking necessary to avoid eternal flames eternity in hell because they questions whose answers don’t fit have to deal with the people of never have any kind of a chance so well into the traditional God in the Old Testament—the at accepting the free gift of Christian model of eternity that I Jews. The “work around” for that salvation? And if that free gift of was taught as a child. problem, of course, is that Jews salvation really is dependent on First Peoples looks at how were/are part of the Old Covenant saying the right prayer, what does Do Only Christians Go to Heaven? Zack Hunt humanity— homo sapiens to be and that their salvation is secured that say about our own role in specific—first spread across the by Jesus, meaning the atoning salvation? For all our talk about planet. The show was eye-opening work of the cross flows both faith alone, given all the to me for two reasons. forward and backward in time. emphasis we place on a First off, I honestly didn’t realize So there’s a good chunk of the confession of faith, it sure sounds how amazingly complex the Church today (particularly a lot like salvation is almost human evolutionary tree really is. evangelical Protestants) who are wholly dependent on what we I knew that the famous picture of totally ok with the idea of Jews do and the only thing we have to monkeys evolving directly to joining them in heaven. do is say magic words that bind humans isn’t right and I knew Space is even made a lot of God to our will. there were other branches of times for that hypothetical humanity like homo erectus , but person who grew up on a desert Who Goes to Hell? until I watched the show I never island and never heard about For the sake of the argument (and really realized there were so many Jesus. because even the most human species (more than a But if the fossil record is right, conservative Christians I know dozen! 2) and it didn’t really click then there wasn’t just one usually agree that God wouldn’t that we ( homo sapiens ) lived hypothetical dude on an island damn the hypothetical “island alongside of some of them and who didn’t get a chance to hear man” to hell), let’s assume that God even interbred with them for tens about Jesus. If the fossil record is doesn’t send ancient people to hell of thousands of years. right, then there were tens of since neither Judaism nor It’s that last thing—the tens of thousands of years’ worth of Christianity would be a thing for a thousands of years—that really people who lived and died long bazillion years. got my mind to wandering. before Christianity or even What do we do with more Although there is some debate Judaism was a thing. contemporary people, the folks about which remains are those of So, what do we do with them? who did live during the time of the most ancient modern human, (And what do we do with the the Old Testament or even the paleontologists pretty much other strains of humanity? And New Testament but never had agree that modern humans began what about Neanderthals?) the chance to accept the free gift appearing around 200,000 years Do they get to go to heaven of salvation because the folks 8 CWRm writing the Bible didn’t even slightest bit of validity to If you’ve read The Last Battle , know their corner of the world different food, different dress, then you know what I’m talking existed…and vice versa. Do the different ideas, different religion. about. When the heroes of the countless Hindus living and If you’ve only ever grown up story get to the new Narnia dying on the Indian around other Christians, it’s easy (heaven), they meet someone subcontinent for centuries while to say “Well, you heard about they never expected to see there: a Abraham and Moses and David Jesus and it’s your fault if you young man named Emeth who didn’t accept him as during his life had worshiped the your Savior.” rival god Tash. Even Emeth is But if you only ever shocked to be there, declaring to grew up around Aslan (Christ, in the form of a other Muslims, for Lion), “I am no son of thine, but the example, just the servant of Tash.” In response, Lewis opposite would be (speaking through Aslan) makes true. In that cultural one of the most scandalous bubble, the very idea theological assertions in the that Jesus would be history of children’s literature, anything other than “Child, all the service thou hast a prophet would be done to Tash, I account as service blasphemous to you. done to me.” Then by reasons of my So, what do we do great desire for wisdom and with folks like that understanding, I overcame my fear (whether they be and questioned the Glorious One Muslims or and said, “Lord, is it then true, as Skhūl V. Buddhists or the Ape said, that thou and Tash are Mount Carmel, Israel. Aboriginal or one?” The Lion growled so that the Species: Homo sapiens. whatever)? Is their earth shook (but his wrath was not Discovery: 1932. Age: 80-120,000 years old. cultural isolation against me) and said, “It is false. Not really that much because he and I are one, but and Paul were doing their thing different than the temporal or because we are opposites, I take to on the other side of the world go geographical isolation we’re me the services which thou hast straight to hell because they willing to make space for in weren’t part of the Judeo- our theology? Christian tradition they had And if so, why? never even heard of? Now, before anyone feels Okay, maybe we can put them the need to remind me that in the same camp as the there’s only one way to hypothetical desert island dude. Father, let me just say that I I’m sure most rational Christians completely agree. wouldn’t damn them to hell for However, I also believe that their ignorance. But let’s push the atoning work of Jesus is this thing a little further. efficacious beyond our We seem to be ok making space wildest imagination. It has to for temporal and geographical be if it’s going to save isolation when it comes to someone like me and it has to salvation, but what about be if it’s going to save cultural isolation? someone who lived 90,000 It’s hard to understand the years before God was born in power of cultural isolation if a manger. you’ve never travelled far from home. But if you have, if you’ve Some Help from C.S. had the opportunity to get out Lewis and see some of the world, then you know how powerful cultural I guess I’m a little like C.S. Lewis isolation can be. You know how in that respect. difficult it can be, not only to I have become weary of change and accept something putting limits on who’s in new, but to even give the and who’s out. AUGUST 2017 9 done to him. For I and he are of such one Truth, only one Object of our Lewis’ vision of heaven isn’t that different kinds that no service desire, only one Source of goodness, far off. Which means when we get which is vile can be done to me, and and if we are seeking that Truth in to heaven, there’s a good chance none which is not vile can be done both heart and life, then our we’re going to look around and to him. Therefore if any man swear temporal, geographical, and even see people we didn’t expect to be by Tash and keep his oath for the cultural context don’t really matter. there. oath’s sake, it is by me that he has Like I said, it’s an incredibly For that, I say “Thanks be to truly sworn, though he know it not, scandalous claim for most God.” and it is I who reward him.
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