No Salvation Outside the Church

RhetorTheo said:

What is the Orthodox interpretation of the historic teaching that there is no salvation outside the One Church? For example, are honest, pious muslims bound for heaven under Orthodox theology?

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Salvation is something for God to judge, not us poor ignorant sinners.

Matrona said:

Salvation is something for God to judge, not us poor ignorant sinners.

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I agree.

Michelle

I third that.

Matrona said:

Salvation is something for God to judge, not us poor ignorant sinners.

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the greek orthodox archidioces of america has the same opinion of matrona check here
but i have three objections to this point of view
1- why would the apostles evangelized the ancient world when it doesnt really matter when you make no faults and ignorant of the truth it would be much easier for everyone the apostles and the pagans. they would have gone to them and say be honest dont steal dont cheat and still worship your gods and u will be salvated

2- the pious nonchristians mistook when not searching the other religions and see what they say and the church mistook when not delivering the word of God to them

3- when ur religion tells u to kill and invade other people to force them to enter ur religion or tells u to lie in the time of danger or tells u that paradise will be just a big harlot house or tells u that most of hell people will be women i think it is the fault of the followers of these religions of not thinking about what type of god they are worshipping

these 3 questions i have no answer for and the articles i read about salvation of nonchristians didnt answer them if u have any answer u r welcome

I agree with Matrona that salvation is totally in God's hands, but Super Mickey raised some good questions. If a wavering Protestant may chime in:

Super Mickey said:

but i have three objections to this point of view
1- why would the apostles evangelized the ancient world when it doesnt really matter when you make no faults and ignorant of the truth it would be much easier for everyone the apostles and the pagans. they would have gone to them and say be honest dont steal dont cheat and still worship your gods and u will be salvated

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If salvation were only for after death, and only depended upon living a decent, moral life then there wouldn't have been a good reason for Christ to commission the Church, through the apostles, to go out and make disciples in all the nations. But we know (even we Protestants!) that salvation is for all of life, and is relevant in the here and now, and relevant not only for us, as Christians, but for the good of our nations, for the world should be a better place because God's people are in it.

2- the pious nonchristians mistook when not searching the other religions and see what they say and the church mistook when not delivering the word of God to them

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It's so important to take the Gospel to the whole world, because it is the Truth that sets people free. And we all need that freedom in the here and now.

3- when ur religion tells u to kill and invade other people to force them to enter ur religion or tells u to lie in the time of danger or tells u that paradise will be just a big harlot house or tells u that most of hell people will be women i think it is the fault of the followers of these religions of not thinking about what type of god they are worshipping

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"How will they hear without a preacher?" Yet, the religion of which you speak was begun by someone who had heard all about Jesus, and only accepted what he wanted to believe, rejecting the rest. And, so sadly, he is still deceiving people today.

these 3 questions i have no answer for and the articles i read about salvation of nonchristians didnt answer them if u have any answer u r welcome

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I don't have a pat answer, either, Super Mickey. I only know that I have read in the Holy Scriptures that the only way to the Father is through the Son. They need to hear and believe the truth about the Son.

As St Paul showed on Mars Hill the Greeks worshipped an unknown God and St Paul told them about Him. Just as the Greeks had traces of the true God, so does all of the world's mythologies. We know where the truth is, but we can not tell you where it is not. That is the Heaven's tell forth the Glory of God, as the Psalmist sings, so everywhere is His handiwork. Just as a good Buddhist is not cosigned to hell as a matter of course, an Orthodox Christian does not have a free ticket to heaven either.
Jeff the Finn

I have a soft spot for sede-vaticanist RC who uphold the doctrine extra ecclesiam nulla salus.

This "It's for God to decide!" talk is all well and good, but what is the purpose of having a denomination if you don't take into consideration it's doctrine?