“All I can say is – if and when we get into the next life, we won’t have to worry about meeting Nancy P there.”

No matter how sacreligious, insulting, distasteful, disgusting (take your pick of adjectives) Pelosi’s statement may be, or how abhorrent her willful twisting of Catholic teaching to serve her own political ends may be… it is also Catholic teaching that one must NEVER, ever, presume anyone to be damned.

A person may certainly be in serious danger of going to hell — and it is our duty to warn them if that is the case — but in the end, only God knows for certain who, if anyone, ever actually went to hell or who will end up there.

The Church does formally declare certain people to be in heaven (saints), but has never formally declared any individual to be damned — not even Judas Iscariot, Nero, Hitler, or Stalin. If they don’t make the cut, Nancy Pelosi probably hasn’t made the cut yet either.

You all have every right to be ticked off at her, and to be disgusted by her actions and comments, and I can understand completely if you have a hard time even saying a prayer for her right now. However — and this can be one of Christ’s hard teachings at times — we must continue to hope and pray for her salvation and to desire it as long as she lives.

[I second that. No one knows the state of another's soul, or what happens between a soul and Christ in those infinitismal moments before death. I don't like anyone saying someone will not be in heaven...that's Christ's decision. No one else's. -admin]

So if Benny Hinn or anyone else wants to tear into Joel Osteen for his answer to Larry King, then to be consistent they also need to tear into Dallas Willard, Billy Graham, and Catholic Church teaching.

Christopher Benson asks: “Also, what is the deal with his Star Trek attire – or should I say eschatological fashion?” Well, Hinn is wearing a clerical collar of sorts, no? Actually he looks to be wearing one of those Nehru jackets that were popular in the mid-1960s.

“It is possible for someone who does not know Jesus to be saved. But anyone who is going to be saved is going to be saved by Jesus: “There is no other name given under heaven by which men can be saved.”]

Precisely. He didn’t, either.

Thank you for asking before asking before making any sort of accusations.

Signed, MOOITKFSTUAD

Larry King: “Jews, Mormons, Muslims. What about them?” (Rough Paraphrase)

Billy Graham: “That’s in God’s hands. I can’t judge them.”

Joel Osteen is in “good company” with Dallas Willard and Billy Graham.

Would you say that Dallas Willard didn’t either when he wrote:

“It is possible for someone who does not know Jesus to be saved. But anyone who is going to be saved is going to be saved by Jesus: “There is no other name given under heaven by which men can be saved.”

Jesus words were “I am the way” And the apostles “His is the ONLY name by which men may be saved.” Osteen said, “It’s up to God.” That isn’t saying no but it is a cowardly omission by a man that just wants to sell his self help books and not offend people. Jesus said, “I am a stumbling block.” “IF you do not fall on me and be broken I will fall on you and crush you.” “wide is the path to destruction and many find there way there in, but narrow is the path to life and few that find it.”

Osteen did not deny that Jesus is the only way but he did take the yellow way out of the question.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bx29MRL4L6c

Dear TUAD: I’m changing my online name to “My Opinion on Impossible-to-Know-for-Sure Topics Unites…and Divides.”

People may now call me MOOITKFSTUAD.

Could be what Joel Osteen was referring to too when he answered “That’s up to God” when asked whether Jesus was the only way to Heaven.

Interviewer: “Is Jesus the only way to Heaven?”

Joel Osteen: “That’s up to God.”

And then for giving that response Benny Hinn goes off on a tirade against Joel Osteen.

And all Joel Osteen is saying is the same thing that Dallas Willard is saying: “It is possible for someone who does not know Jesus to be saved.”

Joel Osteen’s answer was actually better than Dallas Willard’s. He simply says that it’s up to God. And Joel Osteen would probably agree with Dallas Willard when Dallas writes: “But anyone who is going to be saved is going to be saved by Jesus: “There is no other name given under heaven by which men can be saved.”

“But anyone who is going to be saved is going to be saved by Jesus” is semantically equivalent to “That’s up to God”.

So if anyone is going to go off on Joel Osteen for his answer, then logically they should also go off on Dallas Willard for his answer too.