I’ve spent some time thinking about those words. I think they can be interpreted various ways. The interpretation I was taught was “You can’t go to heaven unless you believe Jesus died for your sins”. But I think those statements can also mean “anyone who finds truth and life has done it because of me” or “anyone who does good does it because of me” and anyone includes people who might not even have heard of Jesus or who reject what Christians tell them about Jesus for a variety reasons.

Sort of like in Matthew 25:31-46 where people who were kind to others later were told by Jesus, “you did this to me” and were rewarded even though as far as they were concerned, at the time they were doing it for another person and weren’t necessarily thinking of Jesus at all. There certainly is no indication in that passage that those people believed in Jesus – it absolutely is not mentioned as a criterion for them being rewarded.

I am appreciative of your intellectual views that you have described above. It has interested me greatly to understand what you were speaking of as an “almost atheist.” I am also interested in wondering what your views were on the Bible saying in John 14 “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.”

So i know that God is a Just God, and he is also merciful. I understand this. Just wanted to value and understand your take and opinions on this.

Came here by way of your imonk posts and just wanted to thank you for sharing so much of what you’ve gone through (not something I’ve done yet as I’m still “in the closet” to much of my family).

I especially like your comment about having nothing to fear. I call that the inverted Pascal’s wager: if a loving and just god exists, then I lose nothing by honestly facing my own beliefs, and being the best person I know how to be. But if I believe one exists and I’m wrong, then I will spend my whole life trying to decipher the will of an inscrutable and frequently absent “father.” The smart bet is on honesty.

Cheers!