Eternal life

Today's New York Times has an Op-ed suggesting Americans believe basically everyone who is a 'good person' will go to heaven. The Op-ed is based on a Pew Forum study that shows most Americans believe that followers of other religions could achieve eternal life.

But in fact that's not at all what the study shows.

First, Catholics, Evangelicals and Mainline Protestants are all designated as separate religions. Obviously this is silly -- when I last checked they are all Christians. As the Pope noted, while differing in some details all believe in more or less the same salvation and all have a shot at heaven (according to each other). And seriously, how many United Church members believe True Bible Baptists are damned to hell fire?

Turning to other religions most Christians believe Jews can achieve heaven, even absent Jesus. This is heartening, especially as Catholics have the highest percent of such belief (nearly 80%). Of course the Pope's comments about Judaism being an elder brother helped (as does the fact that the two religions are, at some level, one -- did I say that? Oops).

But turn to Islam and Hinduism and the numbers plummet. Catholics, again, seem most open to salvation coming to Muslims and Hindus but even here the numbers are way down. (Perhaps a modified doctrine of invincible ignorance applies?).

Bottom line -- my G-d and yours are close(ish) but mine is better than your
G-d (even if your G-d will do for people like you).
James Morton