International Plan of Salvation by Gail Purath

I was on the patio of our bed and breakfast in Dubrovnik, Croatia when I met a sweet little old lady from Vienna who spoke excellent English. When I told her I did Christian work in Budapest, she was quick to assure me that she was also a Christian. But she was just as quick to tell me that she believed that people of all religions will get into heaven as long as they are good people.

According to a recent poll, most Americans agree with her. A survey reported in Parade Magazine just this month showed that 59% of those polled believe that “all religions are valid.”* Isn’t it amazing that so many people throughout the world believe in this plan of salvation? Even in cultures where politics and religion are taboo subjects between strangers, I’ve found that people are eager to share this view. I think they genuinely assume that everyone will agree with the “logic” of their plan.

However, I’ve noticed that people who suggest this plan never explain what the specific requirements are for being “good.” Can you miss heaven for lack of one good deed? Do bad deeds cancel good deeds or good deeds cancel bad deeds? Can you do all your good deeds early in life and then take it easy? Do your motives count or only your actions?

Since this Viennese lady didn’t think God cares what or who we believe in, I should have asked her whether “good” was determined by Christian values (say the Ten Commandments) or Muslim values (say the Holy Jihad). The definitions of “good” in these two religious systems are completely opposite in some areas.

Besides being vague, this plan of salvation also seems a bit arrogant. I always get the impression that people who hold the view are pretty sure they fall into the “good” category themselves.

Had I asked the Viennese lady who decides who/what is good, it’s very likely that she’d have said that God does. Then I could have told her that He already has. He says, “There is no one righteous, not even one” (Rom. 3:10), and He emphasizes throughout Scripture that we are saved by grace, through faith and not by works (Eph. 2:8,9). He also says that no one can come to God except through faith in Jesus Christ (John 14:6).

I think the reason so many people all over the globe embrace this view of salvation is because it sounds “fair” to affirm the faith of so many different people. But what this view actually does is deny the beliefs of all religions. For example, the Bible teaches that Jesus is God while the Koran teaches that Jesus is not God. Claiming that everything is true is the same as claiming that nothing is true.

I doubt this little Viennese lady had thought through her belief system enough to realize that her view also makes Christ’s death on the cross meaningless. Why would Christ die for sinners if we can get to heaven on our goodness alone? As C.S. Lewis explained in Mere Christianity, either Christ is the Lord and Savior of mankind, or He was a lunatic and liar.

It’s tragic that so many men and women have staked their eternal futures on this theory that doesn’t really make any sense. It’s also tragic that I’ve heard this view so many times yet never prepared an intelligent, articulate response. That day in Dubrovnik, I mumbled something about knowing Christ, but I didn’t do the subject justice. I prepare myself for so many things in life—why shouldn’t I do the same for the Enemy’s attractive but deadly lies? After all, this little Viennese lady’s only hope is Christ, no matter how well she has lived her life. Next time someone shares this view, I hope to be better prepared.

* “How Spiritual Are We?” Parade Magazine, October 4, 2009, page 4.