Into the Wardrobe

Thanks Vicki!

Now I am starting to wonder if the people "on the bus" in the Great Divorce were either in Purgatory (already saved) or in Limbo (already damned).....but that they didn't recognize it yet.

Salvation after death? Then all shall be saved, for only an imbecile would reject God when it no longer takes faith to accept Him.

Just to clarify the official Church (Roman Catholic) teaching on purgatory and salvation after death: ahem...

Catechism of the Catholic Church, paragraph 1030:
"All who die in God's grace and friendship, but still imperfectly purified are indeed assured of their eternal salvation; but after death they undergo purification, so as to achieve the holiness neccesary to enter the joy of heaven."

Death is the moment that determines your destiny, which is why it is so important to pray for a good death, even though it sounds sort of morbid.


Sarah

I think Lewis held these beliefs, yes.

I don't think it's too late at all for those who die not having pledged faith to God, in Christ. Fundamentalists are the ones who limit the reach of the Christian faith.

I am not going beyond scripture or adding anything. I look at scripture, and God promises through the prophet Isaiah that "all humanity will see God's salvation." God does not break his promises. Jesus promised to return and fully inaugurate the Kingdom of God.

I believe in God's Kingdom and that when it arrives on Earth, that is, when Jesus returns, and all the dead are raised, those who are good of heart and have not believed will see and know God's salvation. All humanity, all who have ever lived and ever died, and who lived according the Jesus' way, love, compassion, understanding, sacrifice, they will all see the Kingdom. God will recover them all.

As John writes in Revelation 20:12-13
"And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books. The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and the earth gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what he had done."

Our Lord's mercy is such that those who live in accordance with the Gospel, although not a part of Christ's church, will know salvation at the End.

I dont think Emeth is really being saved after death. i think he was following Aslan with out knowing it. It is similar to the famous Shakeasparian quote, "A rose by any other name smells just as sweet", or in this case the opposite of the quote. Aslan tells Emeth that you have always served me, and which he did, but he thought he was serving a diferent god. I had this same question when i first red that part of LB. I think Emeths case the question should rather be phrased like this. Does CS Lewis think that people that never hear the name of god can be saved. I specifically mean the name of God as Jesus, IMO i think it is intirely likely that some indigenous person who never hearing the name of God, can see the nature around him and come to a conclusion of god, but he might know it on a very small level of understanding. Nontheless i think it is worthy of being saved for. Remeber that a lot of harm was done in the name of Jesus, it dosnt mean that it had any thing to do with true belivers.

Dead Atheist: Good grief. Who are you?

God: I'm God.

Dead Atheist: Well, I'm afraid I find that claim unconvincing.

God: (lifts him up and holds him over the lake of fire.) Unconvincing?

Dead Atheist: (nervous laughter) Ok. Right. Sure. I think we can talk...

Hi Jservic,

I don't think God can prove himself, and that's not the point I was trying to make.

In my view, even the threat of Hell presents a very good reason for repenting. Spending a day or so there will change the mind of many a sinner. To say that God would then ignore their cries for mercy is simply monstrous.

We all willing remain in our own private Hells for one reason and another, for one time or another. Hitler grovelling in his bunker was too proud to surrender. But God hadn't finished with him, yet.