Monday, 02 February 2009
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Advice Needed: I’m Close to Abandoning the Christian Faith
I believe in Jesus Christ. I’ll never stop. I have a personal relationship and a never ending faith in Him. But I also believe that there possibly is other ways to get to God. I don’t think that you have to be a Christian for God to answer your prayers. Am I being a hypocrite?
With the title, I’m not saying I’m abandoning my relationship with God, just leaving the Christian community. Mainly because of it’s intolerance against pluralism and the sola fide doctrine.
It’s not unheard of that Christians say that you’re going to hell if you don’t believe in the divinity of Jesus Christ. Plainly and simply put. As a moral person, it’s really hard for me to accept this. So, I guess my first question is, am I no longer considered a Christian if I don’t choose to believe in this aspect of the religion?
And it’s not to say that I haven’t tried to understand it. I totally agree with the fact that no one is truly moral or ethical to get into heaven through their own works. But in my opinion, God is merciful. He is loving, caring, and forgiving. It is beyond incomprehensible to me… that such a loving God can forgive rape, murder, manslaughter, EVERYTHING, except for not believing in Jesus? I think it would be a different story if they condemned all that, but even then, how can a lifetime of sin constitute to an eternity of punishment? Does that seem forgiving and merciful or just plain sadistic? All I know is that if God can WATCH someone go to hell, and not do a thing about it, the God I’ve believed to know all these months was a figment of my imagination.
I know people are going to come at me and say things like, "If you’ve ever told a lie, and if you’ve lusted after someone, then you deserve to be in hell." In my opinion, God is perfect. He is beyond everything we can possibly comprehend. If God (and the God I know certainly does) has even an ounce of compassion, wouldn’t he do everything in his power not to allow someone to go to hell?
And here people will say that’s why he sent his only son. That’s why people spread the gospel, right? But either way, if God really didn’t want someone in hell, he could prevent it from happening weather someone believed in Jesus or not. Yes, he gave people a way out, I suppose. But God isn’t intolerant. He isn’t close minded. He understands, He sees, He forgives.
Many people say something imperfect can’t enter heaven. And I’m sorry to say this, but Christians are NOT perfect. Not by a LONG shot. I know many Christians, ones that spread the word of the Bible and go to church every Sunday morning, that don’t necessarily have a genuine compassion for others. But isn’t that what God should look at: – your heart?
I have two friends. One of them… she has an AMAZING heart. She’s not Christian, but she never speaks a mean word about others and she has a genuine, caring heart. I have another friend. She goes to church every Sunday, comes from a Christian family, but every time I talk to her, she’s saying something about the girl that sits next to us in calculus. And do Christians really believe they deserve to be in heaven over Gandhi? Because according to sola fide, he’s in hell too isn’t he?
I can’t comprehend it. If I had a son or daughter, even if they chose not to acknowledge me, but proceeded to live a moral life and made mistakes, I would still take them back with open arms when they came to me. If I had the power of giving them heaven or hell, I would never send them to hell. I understand that people make mistakes… I don’t need someone to be cleansed of their mistakes before I allow them into my house. Or whatever. And God is a lot more understanding than I am.
I’m just trying to grasp my head around it. I’ve heard so many arguments, but I simply can’t bring myself to believe it. I’m just hoping to read some insight into it.What do you think of this argument? Has anyone else ever had doubts about it? How did you come to deal with it?
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Comments (638)
letting men make decisions and judgments only God is able to make is a bad idea.
Here is what I believe:
I believe God, or a god exists. I believe that a divine being created the earth, world, SOMETHING to start human life, etc. I don't believe this is hypocritical- I am merely rejecting the Christian faith. I don't believe that Christianity is the only way to 'find' God, since the only thing that differentiates Christianity from, say, Judaism, or Islam is the main characters involved (i.e. Mohammed, Abraham, and Jesus), then I don't see as how rejecting Christianity would affect your morals. Morals are a personal and societal value- they're ultimately up to you to decide.
Jesus himself said NO man comes to the Father but by Me. So if you believe in wht He says then you must believe He is the only way because it came from His own words
Hey
It's true that God is merciful and loving, but He's also just, and holy, and cannot allow anything but holiness into His heaven. That doesn't mean that Christians are perfect. Haha I'm very very far from perfect =P In fact, Christians are not perfect, and should be very aware it. It is BECAUSE of our imperfection, and our sin that we recognize the NEED to be cleansed by the blood of Jesus. And continually washed in His blood and it cleanses us and makes us white like snow =)
And God is ALWAYS willing to take you back, whether or not you lead a "moral" life. Thats the point of the parable of the prodigal son.
As for God WATCHING people go to Hell...in my opinion, it hurts Him too. I think it'd be like watching your child go to jail. You love them unconditionally, yet you understand the law, and justice, and as much as it hurts you and you want to stop it, you acknowledge that they have made their choice, and must reap the consequences of it.
And I think God does do everything in His power, short of intruding on free will, to prevent people from going to Hell. He sent His only son as an example, and there's this passage in the Bible where it mentions how a man says "oh please let me go down and tell my family, then they will know and be saved" and God says "no, they have the prophets and the books of the law etc" (more or less, very muchly paraphrasing here)
As for doubting, yes. Definitey. I grew up in a Christian home, and there comes a point where you go "ummm....is this for real?" I simply prayed to God something along the lines of "if you exist, show me", asked questions, lots of questions, read books (books by Lee Strobel, C.S Lewis...those were about the only ones that I could REALLY sit through going through High School =P) and talking to people. Not my parents, because I didn't want to hurt them, but my youth leaders, other Christians around me... all that =) Right now I'm taking the Alpha Course, which is GREAT because it's helping to remove doubts I didnt know were there.
hope that helps....I'm still a teenager =P So this is my understanding so far, and I'm sure someone else with much more wisdom and insight will come along =)
However, if I CAN help in any way, send me a message or something =) I'd be more than willing.
Said Jesus: "I am the way and the truth and the life. Nobody comes to the Father except through me." - John 14:6
Jesus is the only way, or he's a liar.
The reason God forgives ANY sin in the first place is because of a sacrifice--Jesus.
Christians aren't perfect, as you say ("For no one is rightous; no, not one"--Romans 3:23, I think). No more perfect than the next guy. The only way we get into heaven is through Jesus cleaning us up and "completing the good work he began in you."
Rejecting Jesus is like rejecting God (I think there's a verse on that, but I'm not sure where it is).
God has done what is in his power to give anyone a choice to accept or deny him. We have the choice to say, "I'm going to heaven, thank you God" or reject him. If we reject him (i.e. sin), we're saying we'd rather not be with him; we'd rather go our own way. God's not going to take us to be with him against our will.
As for who goes to heaven and who goes to hell... I'm no judge. I'm not going to decide whether Gandhi went to hell or heaven. But if we're going to heaven (or hell) based on how good or bad we are, that just goes back to getting to heaven (or hell) on our own strength.
With your example of open arms, you remind me of the story of the Prodigal Son. God welcomes us when we choose to come back to him, with open arms. I think somewhere it says God dances (or at least angels dance, but I'm fairly sure it's God) when anyone returns to him.
I'm praying that God makes things clear and gives you wisdom. These aren't easy questions, but any intelligent Christian asks them at least once.
This is an excellent post. I abandoned organized religion for very much the same reasons. If it bothers you, then leave it. You don't need Christianity to define your relationship with God if you feel that that relationship is stronger without it. In the end, none of us can KNOW what is right; we can only live our lives as we best know how.
A more pluralistic perspective and a rejection of sola fide? Yep. Sounds like Catholicism would fit you better.
@Wheelchere@xanga - Let's explore that statement a bit, shall we? If Jesus is the only way to the Father, and we presume that getting to the Father means getting to heaven, then we have to ask who Jesus is. Jesus is the Son of God, so in order to understand who He is, we have to understand who God is. God, it so happens, is Love. And a son is made of the same stuff as his father. So Jesus, too, is Love.
Is it necessary to be a Christian in terms of social identity to have love? No. I'm sure many of us have met people who were not Christian but lived with great love towards all. Certainly, the aforementioned Ghandi would be an example. If Jesus is the incarnation of love, and a person lives in that same loving manner, united with Christ in a very profound way by their existence, they too can get to the Father, and thus to the eternal existence with the Father that we call heaven.
@jupiter312@xanga - In the end, none of us can KNOW what is right;
This is only part of the dementia that characterizes the modern age. What is right is self-evident.
When it comes to believing in Jesus it seems that we have to believe everything that he said if we want to truly be his disciples (aka Christians). I know that a lot of things that Jesus said are definitely not PC, but how can we say we believe in him when we pick and choose only the parts of him that we like? A few of the difficult or less "politically correct" sayings:
John 3:16-18 - 16For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 18Whoever
believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands
condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one
and only Son."
John 8:58 - I tell you the truth," Jesus answered, "before Abraham
was born, I am!
John 14:6- Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
Much wiser people than me have debated how the whole divine sovereignty vs. free will works out as far as God being "fair," but what it really comes down to is will we believe what God has revealed about Himself and His plan for the world in the Bible or will we hold onto our own ideas of what "seems right" or "feels fair" to us (hoping that we are right and the Bible is wrong)?
God gives us the choice as to where we spend our lives after we die. God doesn't send anyone anywhere. We choose how we live our lives here and what we believe.
God gives everyone a way out, He loves us and wouldn't just sit idley by. It's all on us. We can choose to believe that Jesus was who he said he was and live our lives for Him, then we see Heaven. Or we can choose to not believe and turn away from Him, then we choose Hell. We like to think that it's God's fault where a person goes. How is it His fault when he gave us the way out? It's up to us to choose, so choose based on what you believe.
It's because God loves us that He gives us choice. If there were no choice then we would be puppets on strings. There's no love in that, only control. We get to live our lives how we want, we get to choose to do whatever we want to do while we're here, but then we also get what comes out of those choices. We need to learn to start putting the responsibility back where it belongs. God loves us so much, all we have to do is choose Him. The ball's in our court.
As far as pluralism goes in John 14:6 Jesus said, "
I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."I would also say that if pluralism were possible then that would be saying there are other ways to Heaven. If that was the case would God have given His only begotten Son? (John 3:16) It would seem like a waste to do all of that to His Son for something that could be accomplished simply by being "a good person" or by praying toward Mecca five times a day.
Regarding the Sola Fide doctrine Romans chapter 3-5 explains it well. I'll throw my hat into it as well though. If our own works could in any way earn our righteousness it would cheapen Jesus death on the cross that paid for all of our sins. And if we could earn our own salvation then again the cross would have been pointless.
"
But in my opinion, God is merciful. He is loving, caring, and forgiving."
That He is, but, that forgiveness came at a price. According to Proverbs 17:15, "He who justifies the wicked and he who condemns the righteous are both alike an abomination to the LORD." The price was obviously Jesus death on the cross, taking the sin of all humanity upon Himself, and taking the wrath of God the Father for our injustices upon Himself. (See Isaiah 53, and Psalm 22, which Jesus quoted on the cross) There can be no forgiveness without God's justice being satisfied or else God has violated his own word in Proverbs 17:15. I'm sure you understand this part. But, the other part goes with it, those who don't surrender their lives to Christ don't have their sin paid for and are left condemned to the wages of their sin. If they don't belong to Christ His payment can not pay for them and they are left to pay for their sins with their own lives and eternity.
"It is beyond incomprehensible to me… that such a loving God can
forgive rape, murder, manslaughter, EVERYTHING, except for not
believing in Jesus?"
I think there is a lot more to it than being forgiven for not believing in Jesus. Although, that would be enough on it's own! (To deny God is quite the sin.) If we don't give ourselves over to Christ why should He treat us as His own, but instead as His enemy? Again also, that forgiveness comes on the cross by grace through faith, if we aren't trusting in Jesus how could we be forgiven for not trusting in Him?
"If God (and the God I know certainly does) has even an ounce of
compassion, wouldn’t he do everything in his power not to allow someone
to go to hell?"
See the cross. God did everything with the exception of violate the free will of those who don't trust in Him to give them the opportunity to repent of their sin and turn to His Son for the payment of their sins and forgiveness. God killed His own Son for those who would trust in Him I don't think it gets more compassionate than that, it is the greatest love. (cf. John 15:12) In fact if you hold to Calvinist doctrine, which from your post it seems you might to some extent, God is believed to violate man's free will to cause man to trust in Jesus.
"Many people say something imperfect can’t enter heaven. And I’m sorry
to say this, but Christians are NOT perfect. Not by a LONG shot."
Amen to that! It's not about us being perfect (we aren't!), it's about the righteousness of Christ. Through Him we have hope that we will be sanctified here, that is we will be set apart for God and be regenerated into the likeness of Christ (over time, not instant and never complete while here). But, we also have the hope that when our death comes we will be taken to Heaven where we will be perfected and then be without sin. Until that time we are still sinful but counted as righteous.
"I have two friends. One of them… she has an AMAZING heart. She’s not
Christian, but she never speaks a mean word about others and she has a
genuine, caring heart. I have another friend. She goes to church every
Sunday, comes from a Christian family, but every time I talk to her,
she’s saying something about the girl that sits next to us in calculus."
(Your Christian friend needs to repent and seek forgiveness in Christ and from the girl she's offended and from those who have heard her.)
Your friends both have the same problem. That is that they have sinned, and therefore fall short of the glory of God. (Romans 3:23) The difference in the two friends however, is that the Christian has had her sins paid for while the other doesn't. If a person is guilty of an offense we don't dismiss their charge because they are an otherwise good person. Al Capone fed thousands, but he killed probably hundreds, we don't dismiss his charges because of the good he did. While the extent of the crime may be different the outcome is the same. God can't dismiss someones charges based on the good works they did. The Bible says that all of our good deeds are as filthy rags before God, (Isaiah 64:6) they aren't a bargaining chip!
"I can’t comprehend it. If I had a son or daughter, even if they chose
not to acknowledge me, but proceeded to live a moral life and made
mistakes, I would still take them back with open arms when they came to
me."
The non-Christian will never return to God, their heart is so corrupt that aside from the Holy Spirit doing a miraculous work in them they can't turn to God. And no one lives a moral life, even if you discount a few mistakes. The heart of man is sinful, man's heart is always set on sin. Whether those sins be works of commission, the things we do that are sinful, or whether they be sins of ommission, that is failure to do the good things we should do, man is always sinful. We sin in thought, word, and deed. There isn't a good person.
And the fact that you, or I, would take back a sinful child without them being righteous shows that we are in violation of God's law and word in Proverbs 17:15, we are an abomination. We are just as sinful as they. That is why true forgiveness must come from the cross.
I'm sorry this is so long, but there is so much that has to be said. I realize also that it is a bit unclear as I was responding point by point. If you have questions after all of this please feel free to message me and I'll gladly take the time to explain everything in much better detail and have a dialogue as opposed to two long monologues. :) (This offer goes out to everyone else who reads this as well. I can't answer all questions, but, I'll give it my best.)
Seems that a lot of your belief system comes from popular culture rather than sound Christian doctrine.
Example:
1. God is love.
True. God is love and merciful, but He is also holy and just. He is the same God who rained fire and brimstone on Sodom and Gomorah and flooded the whole earth in Noah's time. Yet He is also the same God who sacrificed His very own Son so that you and I may become His children and inherit eternal life.
2. There are many ways.
All religions lead to the same destination right? Would be nice if it did, but this is a very humanist and pluralistic thought. If you examine religions closely, you will note the vast differences in theology... how can they point to the same God, gods or enlightenment?
Instead of complaining about how narrow the "Jesus is the only way" doctrine is, why not thank God that He provided a way (instead of shutting out our troublesome spesies).
3. Heaven and Hell
Why do we always talk about heaven and hell like it's THE place to go to / or undesirable? It's as if we exist in bodiless spirits floating around.
Sure there's temporary abodes where our spirits go to after death, but that's not the end story. There will be a future new earth where we will be resurrected with physical immortal bodies just like Jesus', free to live as human beings... same yet different (example: no more death and decay)... not floating around in the clouds playing our little harps...
4. God sends people to Hell
No, He doesn't. People send themselves to Hell by rejecting Him.
Either we now say, "Thy will be done"
Or we live in utter unbelief and at the end of our lives, God say to us "Thy will be done".
I like the analogy of the judge and his law breaking son. Of course it pains his heart to sentence his own son to jail, but the law is the law. But God the Judge himself took the punishment for himself on the Cross. Sadly, people chose to go to jail or try to make it their own way in vain rather than accept this substitution where they could have gone free.
Do you people really think if your God is really in existence he would keep out people who have good hearts but might not follow his rules to the T? That's pretty vain.
if you have a relationship with Jesus and not just a religion that you follow how do u define your relationship?
the Jesus i know and love and serve said himself that "I am the way the truth and the lightno one can come to the father except through me."- Jesus john 14:6
notice Jesus did not say i am "a way" or "I am a good way" he the word of God says the way , the truth, the life.
Jesus goes on to say in verse 7 that If you know Him then you know the Father because he is from the Father...
God did do something about it he sent Jesus 2,000 yr ago to pay the price for your sin and mine ..all we have to do is accept his free gift of salvation. ABC
a= accept Accept that Jesus died on the cross for you
b=believe believe in your that God raise him from the dead
c=confess confess your sins, that you can not do anything w/o Jesus
In the" last days "or you may have heard the tern "end times" may will fall away (that speaks of Christians) many will say peace and safety and then like a suddenly disaster will come
you must know in whom you believe and why you believe whats you do...
you asked should you not call yourself a christian anymore?
the word christian means to be "Christ like " do you strive to be Christ like in your daily life? are you spending time in the word of God? taking time to praise and worship him in spirit and in truth? sharing your faith with others being involved in a church family ...
what i'm trying to say is do you have habits that show you are such? actions speek louder than words and the word of God says that you others will know you by your fruit... so what kind of fruit are you producing? see galATIANS
H- HANGTIME WITH GOD (TIME IN THE WORD,PRAYER ( TALKN & LISTING TO GOD,PRAISE& WORSHIP)
A- ACCOUNTABILITY - ACCOUNTABILITY WITH OTHER BELIEVERS (IRON SHARPONS IRON)
B- BIBLE - BIBLE MEMORAZATION (THE WORD SHOULD NOT ONLY BE IN OUR HEADS BUT IN OUR HEARTS..PLANTED HOW ELSE CAN U PRODUCE FRUIT?)
I- INVOLENET- WITH A CHURCH FAMILY( NEED TO BE PLUGGED IN TO A COMMUNITY THAT CAN HELP YOU GROW AND ECQUIP YOU TO REACH OTHERS)
T- TITHING -COMMETMENT (EVERYTHING BELONGS TO HIM ANYWAY ITS NOT A CHOICE WE ARE TO GIVE HIM WHAT BELONG TO HIM)
S- STUDYING THE WORD IT IS IMPORTANT TO KNOW THW WORD AND KNOW THE TRUTH ..JESUS IS THE TRUTH ..KNOW HIM AND YOU WILL BE FREE
You ask how a loving God could send peole to hell? hell was prepared for the devil and his deamons but when we choise to re-ject the truth and not ot obey the word loving God & loving others we choose to go to hell. you are right God is holy and because of this we must claim the blood of Jesus to cover our sins. with out he bloos there is no forgiveness no matter how far you've gone or what you've done there is forgiveness... but we must ask...& receive it. yes God is a God of love and peace and mercy but there will be a day when his spirit ( the Holy Spirit ) no longer can be with us. he came once as love when he comes again the son of man will come to slaguhter the nations .. because they have chosen to not believe in him or the truth . don't be offended... of who JESUS IS THERE IS STILL TIME
@Nous_Apeiron@xanga - Is it necessary to be a Christian in terms of social identity to have love?
It is non-Christians and the way they love that puts me to shame every single day. Christ is ever present every where.
@Shy___Away@xanga - There is quite a difference in the religions you mentioned. And it isn't about morals one bit. Christians don't believe in a set of morals, or of a works based righteousness. Instead our belief is that we are so sinful that we can't get to God and we will be judged and condemned for our sins. With that in mind God sent His Son to die in our place that we may have our sins paid for and forgiven. And then He rose again and will someday take us to be with Him in Heaven.
I think Christians are often misrepresented by ourselves and by others to make it appear we believe in righteousness by good works and morals, but, nothing could be further from the truth.
Though people may disagree with me;
I believe that there is definitely more to God than scripture. I value scripture as Sacred, but, words will never ever get the word of God precisely as it is.
I don't believe God can watch his creations burn in hell;
They just don't know.
"Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do" (i forgot where this came from in the bible)
I have tons of friends who are Muslim, my roommate is Hindu, and here I am as a Catholic;
And I know these people aren't going to burn in hell; because there is more to life than scripture; there is more to God than how we know him.
God is unpredictable; there is more to him than we think we can even comprehend.
And "God is Love" 1 John 4:8;
--
Even through all this, through all this knowledge and diversity in life, I will always remain Catholic-Christian.
Trust me; it wasn't easy getting here
Doubts always come through my mind; they will always be there.
--
Sorry for how unorganized these thoughts are, but don't give up just yet, all right?
God has no boundaries, if he did, he wouldn't be God. And I believe this goes into others with different beliefs or maybe even no beliefs at all.
@smile - "I'm still a teenager =P So this is my
understanding so far, and I'm sure someone else with much more wisdom
and insight will come along =)"
I don't think being a teenager is disqualifying in any way! See 1st Timothy 4:12! John Mark (who wrote the gospel of Mark) is believed to have been around the age of 14 when he began his missionary work. Timothy was apparently looked down upon for his youth when he was made to be pastor over a large church. David slew Goliath when he was still young. Samuel was still a young boy when God first spoke to him. And in modern times the average pastor in an underground church in China is in his late teens to early twenties! (That's because of heavy persecution of course, but, amazing none-the-less.)
You gave a great response. Keep it up!
@LoBornlite@xanga - Her understanding of Sola Fide is actually flawed. And she is rejecting it for a completely different reason than Catholics do. Or to the extreme of the reason why Catholics do I guess I should say. She's believing that a "good person" can go to Heaven apart from Christ. She's not adding works onto the cross as Catholics do.
@Nous_Apeiron@xanga - It seems to me that your response is saying that instead of the cross we can love like Jesus and get to Heaven. Is that what you believe?
@Tom - You seem to think that there is a meaningful difference between "the cross" and loving like Jesus. There is not. The cross is the final example that Jesus gave us of what loving like Him is. He gave of Himself for the benefit of all.
@J0EL@xanga - Amen, very good points. It's all or nothing with Jesus!
@For_who_you_are@xanga - I mostly agree with what you said. But, God is clearly seen as a judge as one of His roles. He does send people to Hell, but, as you have correctly stated it is because of their sin they are condemned to hell not because He is mean or cruel. It is because He is just. (I know you understand most of this, but, repeating it for those who may not.)
@Red_Apocalypse_Horse@xanga - Great comment! I agree with everything you said, except you spelled species wrong. And I really like the angels with harps idea, I want to learn to play a harp! :)
@nomdeinternet@xanga - Christianity isn't about law keeping. It's admitting that you are indeed a sinner, and trusting in Jesus for His payment of those sins and forgiveness.
@chilled_roses8523@xanga - You stated that you value Scripture as sacred. However, your comment clearly denies many of it's teachings. You say you believe there is more to God than just the Scriptures, and in some ways I would agree, however you are saying that your god goes against his own word. If that is the case then your god isn't the God represented in the Holy Bible. Please pray about this and seek guidance on it, we can't pick and choose which parts to believe and which to deny, it is all or nothing.
@Nous_Apeiron@xanga - Are you then claiming that feeding the poor, giving sight to the blind, etc. but not turning to Jesus for your sins to be forgiven is the same as turning to Jesus? It seems you are also claiming that Jesus' life was merely example when nothing could be further from the truth.
John 14:6 says: Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."
THE way, THE truth, and THE life. This is what Christians believe. God is indeed a loving God, but He is also a God of justice.
Think about it. Sin (NOT God) is supposed to send us all to Hell. But because God loves us and wants us to be with Him in Heaven, He created a way for us to be saved, and that is through Jesus. Remember John 3:16: "For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life."
If not through Jesus Christ, how else do you think we can get to Heaven? It's not through good deeds or simply living a good life. Not accepting Jesus as being our savior is like ignoring a life raft when you're drowning. How do you expect to be saved from the raging waters if you don't grab hold of the raft?
Of course, you could argue that there is more than one raft. But what Jesus is saying in John 14:6 is that He is the only "raft" out there that can save us.
If God let everyone get into Heaven, we would take His love for granted. Having only one way to get to Heaven makes it easy and yet difficult at the same time. It is easy because we know exactly how to get to Heaven, since hHe has told us. It is difficult because not everyone wants to accept this and start dedicating their lives to Jesus. God sent Jesus down to die for our sins, and it's a matter of accepting that as the only way to get to Heaven. If we don't acknowledge that, that is evidence of doubt in God's Word.
With your reasoning, it's almost like saying "If Daddy loved me, he would let me do whatever I want." Of course this isn't true! That's why there is only one way. But if you refuse to accept this, then just let it go. Everything you need to know about Jesus and God is in the Bible, but obviously if you don't believe what the Bible says, then it's pointless.
@LoBornlite@xanga - It really is amazing how Christ is present in everyone, yes. I think it's a great gift. :)