Pope Says Sincere Atheists Will Go to Heaven

In an open letter to a newspaper editor, Pope Francis says that sincere atheists will be accepted by God. Writing to Eugenio Scalfari, founder of La Repubblica, the pope said: "You ask me if the God of the Christians forgives those who don't believe and who don't seek the faith. I start by saying--and this is the fundamental thing--that God's mercy has no limits if you go to him with a sincere and contrite heart. The issue for those who do not believe in God is to obey their conscience" ("Pope to Atheists: See You Upstairs, "National Post, Canada, Sept. 12, 2013). This statement made big news, but there is nothing here that evangelicals have not been saying for decades. In fact, this is yet another way in which Roman Catholics and evangelicals are "coming together." It is another aspect of the building of the end-time, one-world "church." The book More Than One Way, published in 1996 by Zondervan, offered "four views on salvation in a pluralistic world," and three of those views offer hope for those who do not personally trust in Jesus Christ. In his 2011 book Love Wins, "evangelical" Rob Bell taught that atheists can be saved without being born again. Richard Mouw, President of Fuller Theological Seminary, told USA Today that "Rob Bell's Love Wins is a fine book and that I basically agree with his theology" ("The Orthodoxy of Rob Bell," Christian Post, Mar. 20, 2011). For decades Billy Graham has been saying that it is possible for someone to be saved without personal faith in Jesus Christ, and there has been no outcry from evangelicalism, including from Graham's own denomination, the Southern Baptist Convention. In an interview with McCall's magazine, January 1978, entitled "I Can't Play God Any More," Graham said: "I used to believe that pagans in far-off countries were lost--were going to hell--if they did not have the Gospel of Jesus Christ preached to them. I no longer believe that. ... I believe that there are other ways of recognizing the existence of God--through nature, for instance--and plenty of other opportunities, therefore, of saying 'yes' to God." Graham repeated this sentiment in interviews in 1985, 1993, and 1997.

(Friday Church News Notes, September 20, 2013, www.wayoflife.org , fbns@wayoflife.org, 866-295-4143)

---