Conversation with a Believer (3): All or Nothing?

 Q:

Either the Bible is God's Word, and presents the truth, or it is false.  If it is true, then your view is without foundation.  The Bible quotes Jesus as saying: "Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat:  Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it." (Matthew 7:13-14)  According to Jesus, therefore, only the minority are in the correct path to Heaven.

A:

If you say it has to be either/or, then I will go with false.

But since I don't believe it's "all or nothing", I can see there are valid truths and there are blatant misinterpretations.

What you quote for example is true in a sense. Only a minority of people will be strong, resolute and dedicated enough to follow the path to the Source without straying in time-wasting detours. How many people truly put God in the center of their lives and live according to their convictions? How many practice meditation or pray every day, don't lie, don't harm, be always compassionate and selfless...?

Most of us don't lead a monastic life and are still involved very much in worldly matters, we get distracted, we lose direction sometimes. There are as many paths as there are people in the world. The Source is the Alpha and the Omega, the Ground of all Being and every path inevitably will lead to it, sooner or later. Some prefer it to be sooner and choose the narrow path, others have different priorities and choose the wide path. 

But does that mean that everyone else is damned? Hell no! 😄 It's not all black and white.

And this fact refers to people of all faiths, not just Christians.