lot's of emphasis on Jesus and his Teachings on this thread and that is good.
as a descendent of a bunch of old-line calvinist types, it's come to my awareness that god in his infinite forms can save anyone and everyone he so chooses, and we can't do a single, solitary thing about it, pro or con.
that is, god runs his own show. we know that. he can save anyone he wishes, or not. after all he is running the operation as god would run such an operation.
we can define salvation as coming from the mighty war=god YHWH, his son Jesus, or the Holy Ghost (spirit?). or, any and all combinations, you choose. we couldn't avoid salvation if we tried, if god wanted us to have it, could we? beware: calvinistic thought is beginning to enter the picture.
of course if one accepts (& believes) that ritural & belief is enough, then so be it. no problem. just carry=on.
