Again, certainly not creeds, theologies, textual traditions, personality types, sects or political powers.

I thought I had read all of your blog posts, but I apparently missed you post about de-conversion at Wheaton. What a story! Thanks for sharing it.

Jesus apparently didn’t think that profession of belief in His resurrection was critical for salvation — Luke 16:31:

“He said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.’ “

And the thief on the cross didn’t profess belief in the resurrection, but was still saved.

“Incarnated Love” is, of course, essential Christian doctrine. Perhaps you can elaborate on “be it Jesus or others”? Who gets to define what is “incarnated love”? Is that something we all get to decide for ourselves? I’ve had many lovers — which of my loves do I have the luxury of declaring instances of “love incarnate”?

I contend that even among many type of Christians all the salvation stories are secondary but incarnated love — be it Jesus or others is key.

This is something that few Christians would ever want to admit.

But you and I, Joshua, just had a whole conversation about what your God would want and it didn’t involve Jesus.

This reminds me of part of my deconversion story –> here

The Calormene Emeth is the one who was allowed over to Aslan, despite having outwardly followed Tash: “I and Tash are of such different kinds that no service which is vile can be done to me, and none which is not vile can be done to him.” Some people claim that this is evidence of Lewis being a universalist, but I think that’s a bit extreme.

Lewis described “turning to God” in a pretty well-known passage of “Mere Christianity”: “Now what was the sort of “hole” man had gotten himself into? He had tried to set up on his own, to behave as if he belonged to himself. In other words, fallen man is not simply an imperfect creature who needs improvement: he is a rebel who must lay down his arms. “

That’s essentially what the Jews of Jeremiah’s day were punished for — for “setting up on their own”.

The heart is much more complex than check lists of creeds, rituals or our own professions. In your world, I imagine God would care about the deep side, not all the sides that people easily jump at.

People can not worship alters (in all the truly heart-important ways) and still not intellectually feel there is a god. Some Christians (not your type, apparently) feel that could still be good enough — they don’t have scripture completely anaalyzed and fit together to exclude that.

3) If it’s a stretch to talk about idols that are not statues, I guess the whole Bible is a stretch — the theme of non-statue idolatry is pervasive. I think it’s a huge mistake to say that idolatry is only about statues.

(2) So, if turning to god is a change of heart, does it have to have all the outward tribal signs. Could an atheist have a change of heart and still not feel there is a god?

3) It’s not a matter of “feeling”; the text is very clear. I don’t know anyone who would say that the passage isn’t talking about idols.