Matthew 25 (the final judgment) begs to differ with your bold claims. I also hate to say it this way, but I think you cheapen the gift of salvation to the extreme.
Of course I disagree with other doctrines you must maintain, such as heaven or hell awaits the soul the moment of death. Maybe…. maybe not. Purgatory awaits uncountable unaware masses, hopefully me too. Too many protestant theologies give themselves far too much credit expecting a direct flight to paradise. (that being my opinion and in the teaching of the Cathoic Church).
Finally, I read too many judgments in your definitive understandings of what our Lord is teaching us through Scripture. It is not one size fits all. Just because someone never knew Jesus does not mean they are not still allowed into heaven through Jesus. I caution you for ever thinking otherwise.
But where si such a concept supported in scripture? AFAIK, the ONE way to heaven is through Jesus and if you do not accept him as your savior you simply are not going to heaven. It is one of the major problems that I have with Christianity as a whole: the gaping hole of what happened to the billions before Jesus, to the billions that live in nations where the possibility of Jesus has been removed from the nation so that there are many that have zero chance to ever even see a bible much less learn about Jesus and finally those that are too young to ever get a chance to accept him. All of these people, far more than those that are even exposed to Jesus, never have a chance to accept him as a savior so they must go to hell? That seems unjust and certainly does not allow for a being that ‘loves’ them. I have not seen scripture that supports the idea that they also have the opportunity to go to heaven.
Hi FAQ2: i agree there is a "gap" or "gaping hole" but it is more in how Jesus/the Bible is taught, while the grace and unity with God through Christ BY DEFINITION must be "universal" and inclusive of ALL people in order to be true, otherwise Jesus cannot be the Messiah/Message/saving grace of "all humanity"
I AGREE with you something is sorely missing in how jesus/christianity is taught if it is unforgiving and leaves out half of humanity. you might want to read Carlton pearson's "Gospel of Inclusion" where he explains his understnading of universal salvation as a valid interpretation of the Bible and Christianity. [My interpretation/understanding is even more inclusive than his, because he leaves out hell, and my interpretation includes that as well but we both agree on the same conclusion that universal salvation by definition of God's will include all people in order to be perfect and all powerful.]
What is missing is Christians are not teaching that Jesus/Justice
fulfills the secular/natural laws EQUALLY as the scriptural laws,
so that nontheists who are under natural laws (including Buddhism,
civil laws, constitutional laws, science, psychology etc) are also
included in salvation where we receive the SAME spirit of truth/justice
that God/Jesus represent.
All the people I know, whether believers or nontheists, have a natural
snese of truth and justice which joins us by Conscience, so this is the
meaning of being joined in Christ by agreement on that unifying truth.
So this process of establishing agreement on truth for sake of justice
IS the same process of reconciling with God through Christ. it is just
done using secular terms and laws when dealing with the Gentiles.
in the bible, Jesus mentions he governs the gentiles as a separate
fold of the same flock and in Christ Jesus there is no jew or gentile
but all are one. so christ jesus fulfills BOTH paths, both the beleivers
under sacred scripture and the gentiles under natural laws. Jesus
was both of God and of man, fulfilling both levels of the laws and reconciling them
in spiritual accord. So where we agree by Conscience or by Christ,
that is where we establish God's universal truth, even if you call it logic or science,
whatever system you use to explain and justify what is true and right, jesus
represents the spirit of justice that fulfills that law or system of expressing right and wrong, true and false, etc.
so gentiles are included in salvation through jesus.
all you do is seek truth and justice, by forgiveness and inclusion of all humanity, not by retribution and rejection or judgment of others, and this is the path of righteousness
that very few shall find. very few seek reconciliation and inclusion of all paths, but most seek the selfish path of destruction by judging other people as wrong which leads to war.
the level of forgiveness it takes the human mind to let go of all our prejudices and grievances against other people or groups who have done wrong is so high,
that is why this is symbolized as divine grace from God through Christ, as something so beyond human ability to understand and forgive that we have to let go and let this higher truth and higher love intervene where we as humans cannot let go and forgive our hurt and anger and fear of each other based on the past experiences and suffering we hold to.
So this is why Christianity calls for us to ask for that divine help with forgiveness to let go.
all people go through this process and finally have to let go because we can't solve the worlds' problems by ourselves. at some point we have to let go and trust the process of justice to work itself out by the goodness of humanity that is stronger than the evil and wrong in teh world. so this is where the divine forgiveness comes into play, that both the secular and the spiritual counselors teach as necessary for recovery and function.
so this is what it means to call on God and Jesus, it is just that nontheists go through this process in another way, such as letting go and focusing on objective points of agreement or correction in the process of resolving issues by the "love of truth". it is still the same process. the bible represents this spiritual process for all humanity, and all people go through it whether we use science, psychology or secular/political laws to explain and define the process of achieving universal justice and truth.