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Originally Posted by abaya
Isn't there really only one way to be a Christian, in the trans-denominational, core-doctrine sense of the word... to accept Jesus' death, resurrection, and ascension to heaven as historical fact, and to believe that these actions (Jesus' blood covering your sins, etc) will give you eternal life?
I guess I don't see a whole lot of room to argue with Jesus saying "the only way to the Father is through Me," but maybe I missed something in all my years as an evangelical/Lutheran/Baptist/dabbling Catholic.
Regardless of what someone calls themselves (based on the way they were raised, their dominant culture, etc), anyone who does not believe 100% in the absolute foundation of Christianity cannot, as I see it, be a Christian. Including myself.
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I agree with you here, except for your seeming implication that Jesus saying "the only way to the Father is through Me" ncessarily implies the existence of hell.
I think arguments arise when certain folks, for whatever reason, have a difficult time coming to grips with the fact that the word "christian" is a great deal more general than they had previously thought, that they don't have a monopoly on the word.