As a Universal Life Church minister (Christology), I sometimes hear things from "lost soul, repent of this false faith having no apostolic succession upon discernments, advanced degrees, and seminary, or face damnation even though you preach Christ's words and do good", to things public blogs don't let you post. All taken in stride, as I continue to say all you have to do is follow God's principles as Jesus defined same, and you're a brother or sister of Jesus even if you "follow" Him in your own non-New Testament way...no matter who you are. In fact, I espouse that anyone coincidentally in compliance with Jesus' teachings can be saved simply by internally earnestly inviting Him as the Son of God...no outward rituals or vocal prayers, not even water baptism(s) needed, as whether ala turning water to wine at Cana or declaring a Roman's son healed without seeing him, Jesus can do anything merely by intending it. Again, some Christians chide me saying Christ is self-limited as set forth in apostolic letters, can only work through special clergy, and anyone not part of "right" Churches will taste eternal Perdition.
Well, to such clergy, laity, and even officials who question "sincerity" of the simplicity of ULC for essentially preaching doing the right peaceable things re our Creator, I say more CONSERVATIVE, prominent USA clergy support my kind of Christology.
Two days ago, I received a copy of the October 2008 "The Torch", a quarterly gazette put out by "Christians United For Israel" (CUFI); its executive board is therein described as Pastor John C. Hagee, George Morrison, Gary Bauer (of American Values and Reagan Undersecretary of Education/Chief Domestic Policy Advisor), Keith A. Butler (Word Of Faith, broadcast worldwide), Pastor Mac Hammond, David Brog (former director, US Senate Judiciary Committee), Michael Little (president, CBN), and Rev. Jonathan Falwell (executive vice president of spiritual affairs, Liberty University). The relevant issue manifestly describes about CUFI's July 2008 "Night To Honor Israel" in Washington, DC; therein photos depict GOP stars Mike Pence, John Cornyn, and Rick Santorum as CUFI enthusiasts.
To be clear, I absolutely do not tolerate anti-Semitism nor "anti" anybody at all peaceably upon earth. In that spirit, I puzzle when my own detractors say of CUFI in nature of: "Aw, if you read Romans Chapter 14-16, you'd know Paul stresses harmonious relations betweens Jews and Gentiles, meaning Iranians who were once Babylonians who enslaved Jews, not Jews and Christians...see, real clergy know Christ wants heathens to quiet down, not be blessed for unfaithfulness to apostolic writings and successions and daring to say THEY are capable of Godly clergy not seminary trained after Christian discernments...those Jews and Iranians are as bad as Godless ULC people!".
Not true of CUFI, one hopes; whereas even Romans is filled with suggestions...after Christ's earthly time...by Paul that God blesses Jews despite non-belief in Jesus' divinity (but requires belief by Christians), one must consider but not misconstrue all of Matthew Chapter 23. Therein Jesus excoriates ONLY Jewish clergy who teach counter to His teachings simple, yet without word one that failure to exult Him by other Jews leads to eternal condemnation. Thus, Paul seems to say that even non-clergy Jews, and Jewish clergy where apropos, are as blessed as Christians, all together simply needing to live by analog to what Jesus said to merit God's smile. Surely, otherwise referring to non-Jews globally simply as pagan or non-pagan Gentiles, and wanting all mankind to be analogous to Christ and not see themselves better or less than Jews, Paul was not preaching Calvinism of any kind.
Some may still say: "But that 'Torch' issue has an article attributed to Mac Hammond's wife, and she says whole nations are 'goats' (accursed by God) if picking on Israel...that means every Muslim in Syria or Iran or wherever de facto is of no value to God because of their governments!". Not true; I point out that even re Sodom, the angels and God tell Abraham that for the sake of even just ten good citizens thereof, had any been there, Sodom would be spared anyway (Genesis 18:22-32). Since the rulers of Sodom enforced a false homosexuality (Genesis 19:5) as a credential proving allegiance to official credo social justice was unnecessary (Isaiah Chapters 1, 3), the dislocated and disadvantaged didn't matter (Ezekiel 16:46-51), and that true power came from worshipping evil (Jeremiah 23:9-14), again non-innate homosexuality being the anointed badge, recognized by Sodom's leaders, God said He wouldn't destroy it if He found just ten people whose hearts behind badges weren't truly centered on adoring evil simple...the goal of Sodom no matter its badges.
This is where I as a Christian go foggy on the concept of "Iran's government, Qaeda, and Hamas are inter-cultural threats, thus all Muslims on earth are permanent goats"; neither do I see how an alleged "badge of Sodom" minus any devotion to evil is "proof" of evil itself. Being a Muslim or any faith or atheist not seeking evil; being straight or LSBGT and not seeking evil, siding with Paul that superapostles have no greater connection to God because of money or slick credentials/ephemera; saying that God is spirit and our souls (not shades, shapes, challenges of bodies) are His image; earnest failure to see how God gives a soul much before delivery, given nature of stillbirths and miscarriages...these seem not such "badges of evil" earning God's wrath where no evil to liveborn is sought...nor do true badges of true evildoers, in God's words, seem to be held against even ten or more of an evildoer's race, gender, nation, what have you, who do not seek evil.
For these reasons, I continue to concur with Conservative Christians no Biblical requirement for God's blessings exists other than simple analog living as Christ espoused, that no apostolic network from Christ through to believers is required for salvation or clergy efficacy, and that Judaism is not a per se menace to the world; but I respectfully submit there is no Biblical case for claiming only Christians or Jews earn salvation through good works analogous to Christ, nor for withholding fellowship from anyone at all so living without harming the liveborn, nor for saying a few bad apples of any collective spoils the bunch itself living analogous to Christ. I cite St. Augustine, "On Christian Doctrine", Book I, Chapter 36, point 40 re my belief that Holy Scripture must always be interpreted in a way which builds up twofold love of God and neighbor.
That said, I continue to pray for God's blessings and mercy upon CUFI members and all people of earth, and I have posted the within foregoing opinion as fair comment re President Obama's new rules for faith-based initiatives and non-discrimination.