“For I and he are of such different kinds that no service which is vile can be done to me, and none which is not vile can be done to him. Therefore if any man swear by Tash and keep his oath for the oath’s sake, it is by me that he has truly sworn, though he know it not, and it is I who reward him. And if any man do a cruelty in my name, then, though he says the name Aslan, it is Tash whom he serves and by Tash his deed is accepted. Dost thou understand, Child?”

C. S. Lewis, The Last Battle

“For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call on him. For ‘everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.’ ”

Romans 10:12-13

“Not everyone who says to me ‘Lord, Lord’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.”

Matthew 7:21

What’s in a name? A worthy question in Shakespeare’s time as in our own. “Who are you?” is a deeply profound question, to which the answer “I’m (insert your name here)” is woefully inadequate. That is what you are called; but who ARE you? The question is referring to your character, not your title, and it is a question that no human can answer.

When Paul says, quoting the prophet Joel, that “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved,” he is talking about something much more real than a title. There is nothing magical about the word “Jesus”. Like any other word, it is a symbol; though in this case a very profound one. Any other word could have been chosen to represent the living character of God, and any other word may still be used. The symbol is important only for communication and understanding among people: it is an arbitrary sign pointing to a reality of utmost importance.

To call on ‘the name of the Lord’ is to call upon God’s character, not his title. It is entirely possible to use the word “Jesus” without any understanding whatsoever of who he was or why he came. As atheist Gore Vidal points out, “More people have been killed in the name of Jesus Christ than any other name in the history of the world.” It’s true. The history of Christianity is filled with people saying “Lord, Lord” while committing brutal acts of violence and hatred in his name. They somehow missed the words of John:

“If anyone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen.”

1 John 4:20

Just as it is possible to use the name of the Lord without seeing or understanding his character, so it is also possible to see and understand something of his character without knowing his name. Paul, speaking of all mankind, says that

“For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made.”

Romans 1:19-20

All the religions of the world have some element of truth. Some of them go horribly, wickedly wrong; and all of them, Christianity most certainly included, go wrong in places. Nevertheless, no human society has ever existed or ever will exist that is completely without knowledge of who God is. They do not know the name “Jesus”, and they do not know the story of his death and resurrection, but then neither did Abraham, Moses, David, or any other of the Old Testament heroes. Even we who know the story of what he has done for us do not know very much. All that we do know comes to this: that God has done everything for us, and that anyone who calls on his name will be saved. God’s name is his character, and his character has been perceived…since the creation of the world. Jesus truly is the only way to God: all who come to God do so only through his death and resurrection. Yet not all who come to God have heard the story, and of those who have, not a single one has understood it. Death, resurrection, and eternal life are symbols of things beyond our experience and comprehension, and if we are honest we will admit that we do not know what they mean. That is why we call on the name of the Lord, on his character, on his goodness and holiness and love, to complete in us the incomprehensible work of salvation. And if “we” can call on what we do not know, then so can “they”, for there is no “we” and “they”, but there is no distinction: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:22-23).

I am not in any way saying that all religions are true. I am saying that all religions are ultimately false, and that only God is true. I believe that Buddhists, Muslims, and Christians alike may be saved; I deny that they any of them can achieve it through their religions. It is God alone who saves, and who will save anyone who calls on him—not by title but by character. The Christian picture is the most complete—but it is still a picture, and the knowledge gives us no salvation “advantage”. Christianity itself tells us this, though it is not always well-recognized from within.

It is not by good actions that we are saved, but good actions are evidence of a relationship at some level with God. As John says,

“Love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.”

(1 John 4:7-8)

A loving Pagan knows much more of the ‘name of the Lord’ than a hating Christian. It is entirely possible to have all the words and miss the meaning, just as it is possible to miss the words and catch the meaning.

I am fully aware that my position on this is contrary to the usual teachings of the churches. Discussion is welcome and invited.