#inclusivism

[blessedarethebinarybreakers]

Hey so I've been wondering about inclusivsm vs exclusivism in Christianity and the Bible. I've had more of a inclusivst view before, but I find that there's also a large amount of exclusivism in the Bible. So, I was wondering what you think about it overall? Is it both? Neither? Nothing? One? Anyway, may the Lord be with you always 💛💐

Hi there! I am 100% against exclusivism, and lean towards religious pluralism. For me that means I don't believe that only Christians go to heaven, that Christianity is the only "right" belief system / that Jesus is the only path to the Divine, or that Christians are God's Extra Special Favorites.

When we pray Thy will be done, we look forward to God's will succeeding — and what God wills is abundant life for everyone! Not just for the Right Kind of Christians; not just for all Christians in general; not even just for all human beings; but for all Creation.

There are numberless ways to worship the Divine, to express faith, to glorify our Creator. Wherever there is life, there is Spirit. Wherever there are beings seeking to bring life, Divinity is glorified.

The diversity of faiths is a holy gift that we too often twist into a flaw to be corrected. God shaped humans to need one another — alone, our perspectives and gifts are limited; only together can we hope to come close to understanding the Divine. We have so much to learn from one another — if only let go of our smugness, our sense of superiority, our need to be the ones with All The Answers. If only we let go of the fear we've been taught — fear that we'll go to hell if we're wrong; fear that others will go to hell if they're wrong.

Sorry for waxing poetic lol. Here's a post where I explore inclusivism vs. exclusivism in more depth, including looks at various Bible passages.

Other related things:

Here's a really old post/video that gathers some of my thoughts on inclusivism, salvation, heaven.

Here's a more recent post where I talk about why I don't believe in hell.

My evangelism tag (tl;dr: I'm staunchly against prosletyzing to anyone who doesn't explicitly request more info about Christianity)

I highly recommend the book Holy Envy by Barbara Brown Taylor for a Christian framework for forming respectful, mutual relationships with people of other faiths. This tag has some excerpts from the book.

#inclusivism #religious pluralism #salvation

[essentialpastor]

Gospel of Inclusion: A False Gospel That Erases Distinctions

Photo by Brett Jordan on Pexels.com Jesus said “I am the way, the truth, and the life; no man comes to the Father but by Me” in John 14:6, yet and still, there are some who continue to water down the idea that Jesus is the one true God — and that continue to insist that all gods are the same, have the same origin stories, require the same things, and so on. The Gospel of Inclusion, as it is…

View On WordPress

#gospel of inclusion #inclusivism #New Testament #Salvation

[menalez]

you're both pointing at each other and saying "no YOUR problems are online and MINE are real. so if lesbians / bi women say something mean, that's bad but it's probably in retribution."

lesbians IN REAL LIFE have called me a "dick riding spicy straight" or told me that they hope a man abuses me when they found out i'm bi. i've seen bi women IN REAL LIFE call butch lesbians gross and mannish or bring up that fake DA stat to claim lesbians are predatory. acting like either of these are only online, or only in response to the other side being so much worse? it's just straight up false, nothing is so black and white.

you worded that post in an extremely loaded and inflammatory way and then are using people getting rightfully peeved as "proof" to back up your claim that all bi women are actually homophobes. it's not conducive to a productive discussion.

amazingly what i have said is terms like “cumguzzlers” being spewed by lesbians and goldstar discourse are things ive only seen online, not that no lesbian ever has ever said discriminatory things about bisexual women irl 😭 but i’m glad after several posts where i said i don’t doubt theres lesbians who have prejudiced beliefs about bi women irl, you decided to overlook that to get offended at me calling goldstar discourse and terms like “cumguzzling handmaiden” online things 🤗

#which is more prominent btw? lesbians that use terms like dick riding spicy straights #or bi women that say sexuality is fluid and if lesbians don’t like dick that’s close minded and prejudiced and actually lesbian is inclusiv #of women into men and and and-? #bc despite having met dozens of lesbians i’ve never heard any say anything gross about bi women. i have heard lots of lesbophobia from bi #women tho… #which is why i can only say ‘i’m sure such lesbians exist irl but i havent seen them’ #anonymous

[laejoh]

#We — okay I — have quietly developed a very much more relaxed attitude to what we mean by “to read” or as is the preferred and more inclusiv

[sensualnoiree]

astro notes: jupiter through the houses pt.4

Symbolizing wisdom, luck, and spiritual growth, Jupiter guides us through journeys of abundance and higher learning. As it rules Sagittarius and Pisces, and co-rules Pisces with Neptune, its reach extends to philosophical pursuits, foreign travel, and spiritual exploration. From its exaltation in Cancer to its debilitation in Capricorn, Jupiter's placement illuminates our beliefs, aspirations, and sense of justice. Throughout this exploration of Jupiter's journey through the houses, we unravel its transformative power and guiding light, embracing its blessings of prosperity, abundance, and divine guidance.

Jupiter in the 10th House:

With Jupiter gracing your tenth house of career and public recognition, you are blessed with a strong sense of purpose and a deep desire to make a positive impact in the world. Your leadership abilities are strong, and you may find that you are drawn to positions of authority or influence where you can inspire and empower others.

Success in your career is likely with Jupiter in the tenth house, especially in fields such as education, law, or spirituality. You may find that you are respected and admired by your peers, and that you are able to achieve your goals with relative ease. Your optimism and self-confidence are infectious, and you may find that you are able to inspire others to believe in themselves and reach for their dreams.

However, it's important to guard against the tendency to become overly ambitious or power-hungry in your pursuit of success. With Jupiter's influence here, there may be a temptation to prioritize external recognition and material wealth over more meaningful measures of fulfillment and happiness. Remember to stay true to your values and principles, and to use your influence and resources for the greater good.

Overall, Jupiter in the tenth house blesses you with success, prosperity, and recognition in the public sphere. Embrace the blessings of leadership and achievement, and use them to create a positive impact in your community and beyond.

Jupiter in the 11th House:

With Jupiter gracing your eleventh house of social connections and community involvement, you are blessed with a wide network of friends and acquaintances who support and inspire you on your journey. Your social circle is diverse and eclectic, and you may find that you are drawn to people from all walks of life who share your ideals and values.

Your ability to connect with others and build meaningful relationships is one of your greatest strengths. You may find that you are a natural leader within your social group, and that you are able to rally others around common goals and aspirations. Your optimism and enthusiasm are infectious, and you may find that you are able to inspire others to join you in making a positive difference in the world.

Community involvement is especially favored with Jupiter in the eleventh house, and you may find that you are drawn to causes and organizations that promote social justice and equality. Your generosity knows no bounds, and you may find fulfillment in giving back to your community and making a difference in the lives of others.

However, it's important to guard against the tendency to become overly idealistic or unrealistic in your expectations of others. With Jupiter's influence here, there may be a temptation to believe that everyone shares your vision and values, and to become disillusioned when reality falls short of your expectations. Remember to celebrate the diversity of perspectives and experiences that exist within your social circle, and to embrace the opportunities for growth and learning that come from engaging with people who are different from yourself.

Overall, Jupiter in the eleventh house blesses you with a rich tapestry of social connections, community involvement, and opportunities for growth and expansion. Embrace the blessings of friendship and collaboration, and use them to create a brighter, more inclusive world for yourself and those around you.

Jupiter in the 12th House:

With Jupiter gracing your twelfth house of spirituality and transcendence, you are blessed with a deep sense of inner peace and a profound connection to the divine. Your spiritual journey is one of profound depth and significance, leading you to explore the mysteries of existence and the nature of the soul.

Your intuition is strong, and you may find that you are able to tap into hidden realms of wisdom and insight that lie beyond the realm of ordinary perception. Your dreams are vivid and prophetic, offering guidance and illumination on your path to self-discovery and enlightenment.

Charity and compassion are central to your sense of purpose, and you may find fulfillment in acts of selfless service and devotion to others. Your empathy knows no bounds, and you may find that you are drawn to support those who are suffering or marginalized in society. Your ability to offer comfort and solace to others is a gift that brings light and healing to the world.

However, it's important to guard against the tendency to become overly escapist or avoidant in your approach to life. With Jupiter's influence here, there may be a temptation to retreat into fantasy or illusion as a means of avoiding the harsh realities of existence. Remember to stay grounded in reality and to face your fears and challenges with courage and determination.

Overall, Jupiter in the twelfth house blesses you with spiritual insight, inner peace, and a deep sense of compassion for all beings. Embrace the blessings of transcendence and enlightenment, and use them to bring light and healing to yourself and the world around you.

follow for more astro insights like this and support me over on instagram @sensualnoire or yt @quenysefields

#jupiter #jupiter in the houses #astrology houses #10h #11h #12h #spirituality #astro observations #astro community #astro notes #astro #12th house #12h placements #astrologer #astrology readings #astrology signs #astrology #astro blog #astro placements #astro posts #astroblr #astrology chart #astronotes #astrology observations #astrology fyp #astrology notes #astro stuff #aries #taurus #gemini

[hartenlust]

reading gods worst article on tma (Narrating the (Queer) Gothic in the Podcast The Magnus Archives, Maria Juko) and its so bad that its funny. btw this got published in a book (Rethinking Gothic Transgressions of Gender and Sexuality, edited by sarah faber and kerstin-anja münderlein, 2024) and I can only assume the editors didn't listen to tma themselves because good lord what are these takes. come with me as I read this mess

strong start when it claims the entities seek to torture and destroy humanity. patently untrue. we know they have some sentience, but the focus on humanity does a disservice to gerry explicitly saying "you think people are so special its only our fear that counts?". also "destroy". how are you going to get fear if the entirety of humanity is destroyed. we know what the entities wanted (or at least what the web wanted) it is explicitly stated in mag 200. it says so right there so explicitly that I find it impressive if Juko missed it.

calls the beholding the antagonist? if you want to call Any fear the antagonist id go for the web, but even then, antagonist is not the role id ascribe to a lovecraftian entity

"with the podcast’s final season set in a world dominated by the Eye that Jon et al. ultimately overcome to save the world" / "The world comes to depend on [jonmartins] relationship, with the two of them becoming queer heroes." save the world??? heroes?

4. stupidly funny implications. interesting citation for georgie but that's not important right now. the point is the fight against evil and the reading alleging tma says being queer will get you Heroic Powers. Juko's forgetting about the queer characters that get Evil Powers (all of them. all of the powers are evil. that's the point.) did the archivist utilize ace and bi power when he became the lynchpin of the apocalypse and tortured strangers

5. "As a case in point, inclusivity starts at the level of casting: female police officer Basira Hussain is voiced by Frank Voss, who uses they/them pronouns." very true but idk. frank voss and jonny sims are just pals, ill allow Some implications from this but the author is using it to imply more intentional focus on inclusivity then I think jonny was doing

6. "First, the podcast’s main character, the asexual biromantic Jon, is bestowed with supernatural powers, challenging not just heterosexual but all sexual norms of society." BESTOWED? stop using the word bestowed here oh my God. he is not a superhero!! did Juko listen to the entirety of tma without any moral grayness happening here??? also ?? jons bestowed supernatural powers are in no way related to his asexuality & biromanticism??

7. christ. this isnt a bad tma take but it is reminding me why I wanted to quit my literature analysis bachelor

8. did jon utilize ace and bi power when he betrayed martin. did martin utilize gay power when he stabbed jon. jesus christ what do you mean humanity's salvation. the apocalypse isnt fixed at the end by the power of love.

9. i guess? if you felt like it? tma really isn't a queer narrative in my option but I guess?? you could read it like that. if you wanted to. I'm unsure if you should though because these people are deeply unwell

10. "And particularly in the first seasons, Jon and his colleagues often fail to control the evil entities, losing for example colleague Tim at the end of the second season, which leads to a rift between some of the Institute’s members" yeah because truly they were thriving before that. they were the bestest of friends before tim died. they all held hands and danced in circles

11. unsure how much longer i can take this. this isn't the X-Men

12. "[Jon] could be defined as an asexual biromantic who uses his love for Martin as a form of power to save the world." no he couldn't. next

13. "With this in mind, Jon’s exploration of the Archives becomes a metaphor for accepting his (a)sexuality." HUH. NO IT ISNT? jons asexuality isn't relevant narratively At All. go home.

14. for the love of god can anyone hear me. its so dark in here. were the beholding and jonah magnus asexuality allies when they helped jon become an avatar. the sentence after this calls jon the hero of the narrative again btw. patently untrue

15. "Only by accepting his power can Jon save the world." jon didn't save the world.

Juko discusses melanie & georgie but her takes on them are pretty normal and decent in my opinion. if anyone wants a pdf of this horror let me know & ill send it. I'm so annoyed I'm considering writing an email about this. btw it called jonmartin "enemies to lovers" trope and also said their relationship "starts heteronormative and changes to a more equal footing, whilst retaining heteronormative elements". about the gay couple.

to conclude: I don't know which podcast juko listened to about a heroic narrative about queer love that saves the world, but its not the magnus archives. did you know that the eye is an asexuality ally?

#op #tma #the magnus archives #long post #this was so bad. #tma spoilers

[alarrytale]

Yesssssssss I couldn't agree more that everyone is queerbaiting nowadays - businesses, brands, people etc. Everyone wants the lgbtq+ community on their side. Artists are doing it, actors are, everyone. So if someone is repeatedly saying that they're straight and the gay speculation is damaging their mental health, or that conspiracy theories that were formed 10 years ago are still bothering him today and is hurtful to his young son (who probably doesn't know any better lmao). They're outright lying. They're closeted. Because if they were straight they would be taking advantage of the speculation like every other straight or closeted celebrity. It would be good for their career, bring them more attention and money. But they're doing the opposite in this day and age where being queer is more acceptable and it's not seen as a bad thing so why are they treating speculation as a bad thing? What is wrong with speculation? They're either homophobic or closeted, and since we know they're not homophobic it only leaves the closeted option lol. Take M*rvel for example... the actors are constantly queerbaiting and people love it. One of my friends put it, the industry encourages shipping culture and engages in queerbaiting but they draw the line at letting their artists/actors actually come out the closet. Speculation is fine but not the real thing. I hope this changes one day. Imagine if we had a famous out gay couple like HL, on their scale. Yeah... that would be really impactful.

Hi, anon!

Yes, exactly! Louis is so obsessed with being cool and appearing cool. You know what's considered cool nowadays? Being queer friendly, embracing queer culture and celebrating queerness! It's shows you're all about to tolerance, inclusivness, progressiveness and diversity. All things young and modern people of today value and consider to be cool.

There is nothing wrong with being gay, so why blow up about some harmless fan speculation? If you're secure in your own sexuality, especially if you're straight, you shouldn't mind people projecting their queer fantasies onto you, like you don’t mind them projecting their het fantasies onto you. If you really are straight you wouldn't mind at all (unless you're homophobic). Nobody minds, even in the very masculine sport of F1 the drivers don’t mind being shipped. They love it and embrace it. So why does Louis?

It would be great if we got an out gay celebrity couple one day. I hope it will be H and L.

#i need to sleep #will answer the rest of your asks tomorrow #queerbaiting #fandom #larry denials

[ashenpumpkin]

There's a lot of things to say about queer spaces and communities, and how great they are. but i have a lot to say about how horrible they are. more specifically how horrible they are to men

This entire thing is based on my, and my friends experiences as men and trans men in the queer community

In general, men are made to feel unwelcome in queer spaces, we're made to feel like we're intruding, as if we're a danger to everyone. Our opinions are ignored and pushed aside, our existence glossed over whenever discussion happens.

Look at all the "queer art boards" you see here on tumblr, or all the people shouting inclusivity in queer spaces. 99% of the time, those art boards and all that inclusivness is simply sapphic + non binary people. All the art posted is about women, trans women, and sapphic relations, all discussion is always about sapphic people and non binary people. I don't remember the last time men came up in such a discussion when it wasn't in a horribly negative context.

Speaking of negative context, it has become a wide spread thing in both queer spaces and progressive spaces that whenever something goes wrong where a man was somewhere involved, the response is "ugh, men". Which is plain sexist and bigoted, but that bigotry is considered cool and hip in the queer community.

And the few times any of us tried to speak up in these spaces before, we were waved away, our opinions dismissed because we are men.

i'm making this post because i'm so tired, so tired of not seeing representation for me. not feeling welcome in communities where i'm supposed to, not feeling like the spaces are safe, because for men they aren't

#queer #queer discourse #queer discussions #lgbt discourse #lgbt #discussion #discourse #rant #men

[falcemartello]

Cartello di propaganda del quarto Reich pagato coi soldi nostri.

Mi saltano subito all’occhio:

1. Coppia mista con donna bianca e uomo nero.

2. L’arroganza da stregone azteco che crede di essere capace di modificare il clima (spoiler: l’uomo non può incidere sul clima).

3. La diversità. A qualcuna frega qualcosa della diversità?

dur_matt

-----

Lui nero, lei bianca e figlio cinese, davvero inclusiv*!

Inoltre, la donna non pare nemmeno tanto donna a dire la verità, sembra un uomo coi capelli lunghi.

[blessedarethebinarybreakers]

(I’m popping a extra disclaimer here because I don’t know if I worded this very well, and I understand if this isnt the kind if question you feel comfortable answering, but this is a genuine question made in good faith. I also apologise if this sounds really stupid)

I read one of your recent asks about inclusivism and it reminded me of something that always sat in the back of my mind with this train of thought.

If we say that everyone regardless of religion, or absence of it, gets into heaven, doesn’t that seem disrespectful to their faith. By saying that people of other religions get into christian heaven, is that not inadvertently telling them that their religion or their gods are fake, and that when they die it’ll be okay because they’ll learn the real truth? I hope this doesn’t come across as blunt or disrespectful to anyone, I’ve just never be able to come to a conclusion that isn’t exclusive (which is kind of a depressing thought), but is also respectful. Because it’s a beautiful idea that god loves us all regardless of who we are or what we believe, but what about people who have the kind of faith we do in a completely different god, or multiple gods, do they have the same thoughts about us? that their god loves us even though we dont believe?

I feel like I’m asking questions I’m not supposed to but I’m just really curious about your perspective if this is something you’re comfortable answering.

Hey anon, this is an important question, so thanks for asking it! You don't sound "stupid"; you're thinking like a theologian :) I'm probably not going to do it justice, I'm afraid, but maybe folks will hop on with more ideas or resources?

This got really long, so the TL;DR: I agree with you, and so do a lot of theologians and other thinkers!

In a religiously diverse world, it makes sense that people of various religions ponder where people outside their religions "fit" in their understanding of both the present world and whatever form of afterlife they have.

If someone has a firm personal belief in certain things taking place after death (from heaven to reincarnation), I don't think it's inherently wrong to imagine all kinds of people joining them in that experience, when it points to how that person recognizes the inherent holiness and value of all kinds of people, and shows that they long for continued community with & flourishing for those people.

However, this contemplation should be done with great care — especially when your religion is the dominant one in your culture; especially if your religion has a long history (and/or present) of colonialism and coerced conversions.

Ultimately, humility and openness are key! It's fine to have your own beliefs about humanity's place in this life and after death, but make yourself mindful of your own limited perspective. Accept you might be wrong in part or in whole! And be open to learning from others' ideas, and truly listening to them if they say something in your ideas has caused them or their community tangible harm.

In the rest of this post, I'll focus on a Christian perspective and keep grappling with how to consider these questions while honoring both one's personal faith and people all religions...without coming to any solid conclusions (sorry, but I don't think there's any one-size-fits-all or fully satisfying answer!).

I'll talk a bit about inclusivism and how it fails pretty miserably in this regard, and point towards religious pluralism as a possibly better (tho still imperfect) option.

And as usual I'll say I highly recommend Barbara Brown Taylor's book Holy Envy: Finding God in the Faith of Others to any Christians / cultural Christians who want to learn more about entering into mutual relationship with people of other religions.

In previous posts, I brought up the concepts of exclusivism, inclusivism, and religious pluralism without digging into their academic definitions and histories — partially because it's A Lot for a tumblr post, but also because it's by no means in my sphere of expertise. I worried about misrepresenting any viewpoint if I tried to get all academic, so I just stuck to my own personal opinions instead — but looking back at some posts, I see I didn't do a great job of clarifying that's what I was doing!

So now I'll go into what scholars mean when talking about these different viewpoints, with a huge caveat that I'm not an expert; I'm just drawing from notes and foggy memories from old seminary classes + this article from the Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy (IEP), and anyone interested in learning more should find scholarly articles or books rather than relying on some guy on tumblr!

Defining exclusivism, inclusivism, & religious pluralism

When we encounter traditions that offer differing and often conflicting "accounts of the nature of both mundane and supramundane reality, of the ultimate ends of human beings, and of the ways to achieve those ends" (IEP), how do we respond? Do we focus on difference and reject any truth in their views that conflicts with our views? Do we avoid looking too closely at the places we differ? try to find common ground? try to make their views fit ours?

Exclusivism, inclusivism, and religious pluralism are three categories into which we can place various responses to the reality of religious diversity.

It's important to note that this is only one categorization system one can use, and that these categories were developed within a Western, Christian context (by a guy named Alan Race in 1983). They are meant to be usable by persons of any religion — all sorts of people ask these questions about how their beliefs relate to others' beliefs — but largely do skew towards a Western, Christian way of understanding religion. (For one thing, there's a strong focus on salvation / afterlife and not all religions emphasize that stuff very much, if at all!)

Drawing primarily from this article on the Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy (IEP), here are basic definitions of each:

Exclusivist positions maintain that "only one set of belief claims or practices can ultimately be true or correct (in most cases, those of the one holding the position). A Christian exclusivist would therefore hold that the beliefs of non-Christians (and perhaps even Christians of other denominations) are in some way flawed, if not wholly false..." . (From my old class notes — Exclusivist Christians believe 3 things are non-negotiable: the unique authority of Jesus Christ as the apex of revelation; Jesus as normative; salvation exclusively through repentance and faith in Christ's work on the cross. Some will allow that God does provide some truths about Godself and humanity through general revelation, including truths found in other religious traditions, but the Biggest most Important revelation is still Jesus.) .

Inclusivist positions "recognize the possibility that more than one religious tradition can contain elements that are true or efficacious, while at the same time hold that only one tradition expresses ultimate religious truth most completely." . Christian inclusivists tend to focus on salvation, claiming that non-Christians can still achieve salvation — still through Jesus Christ. Sometimes they hold that any non-Christian whose life happens to fit Jesus's call to love God and neighbor, etc., will be saved. Other times they hold that only non-Christians who never had the chance to learn about Jesus can be saved; if you know about Christianity and reject it, it doesn't matter how "good"you are, you're doomed. .

Pluralist positions hold that "more than one set of beliefs or practices can be, at least partially and perhaps wholly, true or correct simultaneously." For Christian pluralists, that means believing that Jesus is not the one Way to God / to heaven/salvation; Christianity is one way of many, usually conceived of as all being on equal footing, to connect to the Divine. .

(These three categories are not all encompassing; the IEP article also brings up relativism and skepticism.)

Issues with Exclusivism & Inclusivism

I hope the issues with exclusivism are clear, but to name a few:

Christians who are taught that all non-Christians (or even the "wrong kind" of Christians) are doomed to hell are taught to see those people as Projects more than people — there's a perceived urgent need to convert them asap in order to "save them." The only kind of relationship you'd form with one of them is centered in efforts to convert them, rather than to live and learn alongside them as they are.

Doesn't matter if they are already happily committed to a different religion. In your eyes, they're wrong about feeling fulfilled and connected to the Divine.

Doesn't matter if you have to resort to violent and coercive practices like wiping out all signs of non-Christian culture or kidnapping non-Christian children to raise Christian — the ends justify the means because you're looking out for their "immortal souls."

...But what about inclusivism? If you're a Christian inclusivist, you aren't forcing anyone to convert to Christianity right now! You acknowledge that non-Christians can live holy and fulfilling lives! You even acknowledge that there's scraps of value in their valid-but-not-as-valid-as-Christianity religions! So what's the problem?

Turns out that this is a major case of one's good intentions not being nearly as important as one's impact.

You may be pushing back against exclusivism's outright refusal that non-Christians have any connection to the divine at all, which is nice and all — but by saying that non-Christians will basically become Christian after they die, you are still perpetuating our long history of coercive conversions.

There's a reason some scholars argue that inclusivism isn't actually a separate category from, but a sub-category of, exclusivism: you're still saying everyone has to be Christian, "so luckily you'll See The Light and become Christian after you die :)"

This is very reasonably offensive to many non-Christians. If nothing else, it's ludicrously smug and paternalistic! I won't get into it here but it only gets worse when some inclusivist positions try to get all Darwinian and start arranging religions from lower to higher, with Christianity as the "evolutionary" apex of religion ://

For now, I'll only go into detail about Catholic Jesuit theologian Karl Rahner's particular version of inclusivism, because it's quite common and really highlights the paternalism:

Rahner's Anonymous Christians:

A question that Catholics and other Christians struggled with in the 20th century was this: If non-Christians cannot be saved (because they held firm in believing that salvation must be in and through Christ), what happens if someone never even had the chance to learn about Christianity? Surely a loving God wouldn't write them an automatic ticket to hell when they're non-Christian through no fault of their own, right?

German Jesuit Karl Rahner's response was to conceive of a sort of abstract version of Christianity for non-Christians who lived good, faithful lives outside of official (what he called "constituted") Christianity:

"Anonymous Christianity means that a person lives in the grace of God and attains salvation outside of explicitly constituted Christianity. ...Let us say, a Buddhist monk…who, because he follows his conscience, attains salvation and lives in the grace of God; of him I must say that he is an anonymous Christian; if not, I would have to presuppose that there is a genuine path to salvation that really attains that goal, but that simply has nothing to do with Jesus Christ. But I cannot do that. And so, if I hold if everyone depends upon Jesus Christ for salvation, and if at the same time I hold that many live in the world who have not expressly recognized Jesus Christ, then there remains in my opinion nothing else but to take up this postulate of an anonymous Christianity." - Karl Rahner in Dialogue (1986), p. 135.

So someone who has intentionally devoted themselves to another religion, someone who does good work in that religion's name, is...secretly, unbeknownst to them, actually Christian?

I hope the offensiveness of that is clear — the condescension in implying these people are ignorant of what religion they "really" belong to! the assumption that Good deeds & virtues are always inherently Christian deeds & virtues! the arrogance of being so sure your own religion is The One Right Way that you have to construct a "back door" (as Hans Küng describes it) into it to shove in all these poor people who for whatever reason can't or don't choose to join it!

One theologian who criticized the paternalism of "anonymous Christianity" is John Hick, who was one of the big advocates for religious pluralism as a more respectful way of understanding non-Christian religions. So let's finally talk some more about pluralism!

Religious Pluralism!

As defined earlier, religious pluralist positions hold that there are many paths to the divine, and that all religions have access to some truths about the divine.

For Christians, this means rejecting those 3 non-negotiables of exclusionists about Christianity being the one true religion and Jesus being the one path to salvation. Instead of claiming that Christianity is the "most advanced" religion, pluralism claims that Christianity is just one religion among many, with no unique claim on the truth.

Some other pluralist points:

Pluralism resists antisemitic claims that Christianity is the "fulfillment" of (or that it "supercedes") Judaism.

Various religions provide independent access to salvation rather than everyone's salvation relying on Christ. (Note the still very Christian-skewed lens here in emphasizing salvation at all though!)

When we notice how different religions' truth claims conflict with one another, pluralists reconcile this by talking about how one's experience of truth is subjective.

Pluralism tends to give more authority to human experience than sacred texts

John Hicks' pluralist position

I mentioned before that Hicks is one of the big names in the religious pluralism scene. The IEP article I drew from earlier goes into much greater detail about his views and responses to it in the section titled "c. John Hick: the Pluralistic Hypothesis," but for a brief overview:

His central claim is that "diverse religious traditions have emerged as various finite, historical responses to a single transcendent, ultimate, divine reality. The diversity of traditions (and the belief claims they contain) is a product of the diversity of religious experiences among individuals and groups throughout history, and the various interpretations given to these experiences."

"As for the content of particular belief claims, Hick understands the personal deities of those traditions that posit them...as personae of the Real, explicitly invoking the connotation of a theatrical mask in the Latin word persona."

"Hick claims that all religious understandings of the Real are on equal footing insofar as they can only offer limited, phenomenal representations of transcendent truth."

We must accept that world religions are fundamentally different from each other, rather than falling into platitudes about how "we're all the same deep down"

Each religion has its own particular and comprehensive framework for understanding the world and human experience (i.e. we shouldn't use the normative Christian framework to describe other faiths)

Another angle: hospitality

As various philosophers and theologians have responded to and expanded upon pluralist frameworks, one big concept that some emphasize is hospitality: that all of us regardless of religion have an obligation to welcome others to all that is ours, if and when they have need of it — especially when they are of different cultures or religions from us.

Hospitality requires respect for those under our care, honoring and protecting their differences.

When we are the ones in need of hospitality, we should be able to expect the same.

Hospitality implies being able to anticipate our guest's needs, but we need to accept the impossibility of being able to guess every need, so communication is key!

Liberation theology & Pluralism

I also appreciate what liberation theologians have brought into the discussion. Here's from the IEP article:

"Liberation theology, which advocates a religious duty to aid those who are poor or suffering other forms of inequality and oppression, has had a significant influence on recent discussions of pluralism. The struggle against oppression can be seen as providing an enterprise in which members of diverse religious traditions can come together in solidarity.

"Paul F. Knitter, whose work serves as a prominent theological synthesis of liberation and pluralist perspectives, argues that engaging in interreligious dialogue is part and parcel of the ethical responsibility at the heart of liberation theology. He maintains not only that any liberation theology ought to be pluralistic, but also that any adequate theory of religious pluralism ought to include an ethical dimension oriented toward the goal of resisting injustice and oppression.

"Knitter claims that, if members of diverse religions are interested (as they should be) in encountering each other in dialogue and resolving their conflicts, this can only be done on the basis of some common ground. ..."

Knitter sees suffering as that common ground: "Suffering provides a common cause with which diverse religious traditions are concerned and towards which they can come together to craft a common agenda. Particular instances of suffering will, of course, differ from each other in their causes and effects; likewise, the practical details of work to alleviate suffering will almost necessarily be fleshed out differently by different religions, at different times and in different places. Nevertheless, Knitter maintains that suffering itself is a cross-cultural and universal phenomenon and should thus serve as the reference point for a practical religious pluralism. Confronting suffering will naturally give rise to solidarity, and pluralist respect and understanding can emerge from there."

Knitter also sees the planet as a source of literal common ground for us all: "Earth not only serves as a common physical location for all religious traditions, but it also provides these traditions with what Knitter calls a 'common cosmological story' (1995, p. 119). ...Knitter makes a case that different religious traditions share an ecological responsibility and that awareness of this shared responsibility, as it continues to emerge, can also serve as a basis for mutual understanding."

When Knitter and other liberation theologians speak of suffering or earth care as rallying points for interreligious solidarity, it's important to point out that such solidarity doesn't happen automatically: it is something we have to choose to commit to. We have to be courageous about challenging those who would pin suffering on another religious or cultural group. We have to be courageous about having difficult conversations, again and again. We have to learn how to work together for common goals even while accepting where we differ.

How to end this long ass post?

My hope is that as you read (or skimmed) all this, you were thinking about your own personal beliefs: where, if anywhere, do they fit among all these ideas? where would you like them to fit?

And, in the end, did I really address anon's question about whether it's disrespectful to people of other religions to assert that everyone is loved by God, or gets into heaven? Not really, because I don't know. I think it probably depends on context, and how one puts it, and how certain one acts about their ideas about God and heaven.

For me, it always comes down to humility about my own limited perspective, even while asserting that we all have a right to our personal beliefs, including ideas about what comes after this life.

When I imagine all human beings together in whatever comes next, I hope I do so not out of a desire for assimilation into my religion, but a desire to continue to learn from and alongside all kinds of people and beliefs. I hope I remain open to learning about how other people envision both what comes after death, and more importantly, what they think about life here and now. What can I learn from them about truth, kindness, justice? How can we work together to achieve those things for all creation, despite and in and through our differences?

I'll end with Eboo Patel's description of religious pluralism, which sums up much of how I feel, from his memoir Acts of Faith: The Story of an American Muslim:

"Religious pluralism is neither mere coexistence nor forced consensus. It is a form of proactive cooperation that affirms the identities of the constituent communities while emphasizing that the wellbeing of each and all depends on the health of the whole. It is the belief that the common good is best served when each community has a chance to make its unique contribution."

___

Further resources:

Explore my #religious pluralism tag for more thoughts and quotes

You might also enjoy wandering through my #interfaith tag

Two podcast episodes that draw from Eboo Patel, Barbara Brown Taylor, and other wonderful people: "No One Owns God: Readying yourself for respectful interfaith encounters" and "It's good to have wings, but you have to have roots too: Cultivating your own faith while embracing religious pluralism"

My tag with excerpts from Holy Envy

Post that includes links to various questions about heaven

Here’s a post where I talk about why I don’t believe in hell

My evangelism tag (tl;dr: I’m staunchly against prosletyzing to anyone who doesn’t explicitly request more info about Christianity)

#feel free only to read the tldr anon -- the rest goes way beyond your actual question! #exclusivism #inclusivism #religious pluralism #long post #essays #theology #other faiths tag

[rent-a-car-satu-mare]

Aceasta este Skoda Octavia 2025

Cu o istorie bogată și o prezență constantă în segmentul hatchback-urilor, noul Skoda Octavia 2025, generația a patra, își face intrarea triumfală printr-un face-lift care redefinește standardele eleganței și tehnologiei în acest domeniu iar biroul de închirieri auto aeroport Satu Mare vă arată în rândurile de mai jos motivul pentru care acest model este lider pe piața hatchback. Fiind o apariție în mijlocul ciclului de viață al modelului, acest facelift aduce cu sine nu doar modificări minore de stil, ci și inovații tehnologice menite să răspundă cerințelor unei clientele din ce în ce mai exigente. Aspectul exterior proaspăt al noii Skoda Octavia 2025 este evidențiat de schimbările subtile ale designului, inclusiv barele de protecție față/spate revizuite și grila frontală modernizată, reflectând o atenție deosebită pentru detalii. Farurile LED Matrix de a doua generație, alături de stopurile spate cu indicatoare animate, adaugă un plus de rafinament și funcționalitate estetică. Cu o paletă de opțiuni noi de jante, noul Octavia se impune ca o alegere stilată în cadrul gamei de hatchback-uri:

https://www.rentsilvania.ro/b-skoda-octavia-2025-generatia-4-facelift-este-aici

#skoda octavia

[sorcerous-caress]

Semi-related to the bob debacle I really hate pepole that label the companions as ayersexual/tavsexual they are all queer individuals! That shouldn’t be erased and ignored but it especially egregiously for poor Bob who canonically has male love interest.

Especially when it's people who never paid attention to his dialogue or done his romance who claim that bobtarion isn't queer with a clear preference for men.

People can't deal with bi/pan characters fr. They either claim he never liked men bc they didn't see it, so it must have never happened! So he is straight in their views.

Or people who ignore the word "preference" and instead run to the hills with the rest of the sentence, claiming he is strickly gay and any bobtarion ships with women and non-men are homophobic.

I'm literally bi with clear preference for men, yet I've mostly dated women. Being bi with preference isn't hetro/gay with extra spice.

Like I genuinely believe that even in a world where playersexual wasn't the norm, bobtarion would still be queer and like all genders.

The playersexual thing started as a good thing in games, especially with their accidental inclusiveity by making everyone and their grandma bi or pan. But now people are using it as a cheap excuse to erease character's queerness?

Saying the company is just pandering to the audience and not actually being inclusive so you should definitely believe their headcanon when they tell you this character is straight/gay and ignore the canon.

Like fuck dude why are you walking backwards? Even if that theory was correct, why erease the accidental queer representation??? Why force this biphobia on something because the company may not have had the purest intentions.

Also just so we are clear, Larian doesn't do playersexual, not until Divinity 2 and Baldur's Gate 3. All their old games besides it had a romance restriction based on gender.

So I genuinely believe they actually meant it in a queer way when they made the characters attracted to all genders. Because they never did it before in any other Baldur's Gate game! They had no reason or expectation to do it now. They're not in it just for the money either because Baldur's Gate was a cult classic rather than a known title like Assassin's creed. The game in early access flew under the radar for so many years! And all characters were queer since day fucking one!

And each character expresses some of their queerness in their own way. The most vocal about it is bobtarion, so it's so fucking wild to me how people go "actually it's problematic of you to assume he is queer just bc he is flamboyant" my brother in christ what plane of existence do you live on? Did we play the same game?? When did him being flamboyant or feminine ever come up in this conversation of his queerness? I swear half these people didn't even bother playing the game, and the other half never did his romance.

No one is "headcanoning" bobtarion as bi and queer bc we saw a hint of eyeliner on his upperlid. We literally know he is queer bc he metaphorically is screaming it at the top of his lungs during all of the acts. He literally flirts with Wyll and Gale during Act 1 so many times.

Shadowheart hits on Karlach! Which is besides the point, but I felt like bringing it up because she too gets treated as "fanon lesbian but canon hetro" character when she is so fucking bi/pan in canon.

People are so used to companies never including queer characters that they are ereasing actual queer representation by lumping it as merely "playersexual pandering" and belitting their queerness by claiming it's just headcanons when it is in the fucking game in canon.

#♡bob #♡bob slander

[wisdomfish]

Mixing genuine divine grace with pagan beliefs and rituals raises serious questions as to whether inclusivism may not be a trapdoor to religious pluralism.

Samples, Kenneth Richard. ‘Without a Doubt: Answering the 20 Toughest Faith Questions.; p. 182

#mixer #genuine #divine #pagan #raising canes

[officialromaniantranslatiuni]

Eu, plimbandu-ma prin centrul orasului

3 domni pe la 50 si ceva de ani: si ce pla mea cautau soldatii romani in armata austriaca? erau mercenari?

o fata de 12 ani cu parinti pe la 40 si: deci exista mai multe tipuri de persoane, inclusiv persoane intersex si de gen adica nu se identifica cu un gen anume

#mi-am uitat castile acasa si imi place sa ii spionez pe altii

[holidaytourmures]

𝐂𝐈𝐑𝐂𝐔𝐈𝐓 𝐃𝐄 𝐆𝐑𝐔𝐏

🌼 𝐂𝐎𝐋𝐔𝐌𝐁𝐈𝐀 - 𝐓𝐚𝐫𝐚 𝐂𝐚𝐟𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐢 ☕

Columbia , o țară cu peisaje diverse și moștenire culturală bogată , oferă o multitudine de destinații de călătorie captivantă !

Începem călătoria în capitala vibrantă , Bogotá , unde cartierul istoric La Candelaria și impresionantul Muzeu al Aurului ne invită la explorare .

Trecem prin Medellín , un oraș renumit pentru transformarea sa urbană inovatoare și grădinile botanice uimitoare .

Regiunea pitorească a cafelei , inclusiv orașe precum Salento , ademenește cu plantațiile sale luxuriante și priveliștile uluitoare ale Anzilor . ☕

#camping #road trip #travel #traveling #vacation #travel photography #destination #tourism #travel blog #explore #tourist #travel tips #mountains #highway #family travel #family trip #family traditions #trip #peru #turismo #travel destinations #beautiful destinations #vacations #destination wedding #japan destinations #final destination

[diaely]

Nu mai pot... simt tot mai mult că cedez... Nu știu cât mai rezist. Am încercat în ultimii ani, chiar am încercat, dar devine tot mai greu... Totul devine din ce în ce mai apăsător...

Nu mă mai suport... Sunt un om oribil, toxic, am rănit și eu la rândul meu oameni, iar asta mă apasă constant. Nu știu de ce mă mai ține pământul... Ar fi trebuit să dispar când am avut ocazia...

Acum sunt o lașă și nu știu dacă mai pot s-o fac. De ce nu am făcut-o atunci? De ce nu am făcut-o la momentul potrivit când îmi adunasem în sfârșit curajul să dispar definitiv? Nici măcar asta nu am fost în stare să duc până la capăt. Sunt un eșec tot mai mare... pentru toată lumea, inclusiv pentru mine.

#depresie #anxietate #feeling depressed #anxitey #dead and alive