Good question, Oresen, and welcome to TLC.

I know we've had discussions on this question before, although none recently. I'm moving your question to the faith section, because it is a potentially controversial faith-based question and I want our faith mods keeping an eye on the discussion. I presume you are talking about Emeth from the Last Battle, who was admitted not to the beach (which was the entrance to Aslan's Country in Voyage of the Dawn Treader), but to the Stable (the entrance to Aslan's country in LB).

As a reminder, so we don't get off topic, here are some of Aslan's words to Emeth.
"Son, all the service thou hast done to Tash, I account as service done to me...For he and I 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...Unless thy desire had been for me, thou wouldst not have sought so long and so truly. For all find what they truly seek."

It is a tricky topic. A lot depends on how we interpret the passage and how Lewis intended for us to take it. Was Lewis really making a point about faith, or are we dealing with a different world with different rules to ours? In direct answer to your question, I don't know of any biblical passage that would suggest that merely serving the wrong god with the right intentions is enough to be granted access to heaven. But is this actually what Lewis is saying?

I believe that God is just and will not unjustly condemn people (Genesis 18:25 says "Shall not the judge of all the earth do right?"), but at the same time I believe that salvation comes through faith in Jesus and that the bible makes that clear (Jesus said "No man comes to the Father but through me). I think our responsibility is to tell as many people the truth as possible, and leave the rest to God.

*pretty much agrees with everything Ajjie said*

I wish Lewis were here to explain the passage.
(And I'm deleting the rest of my post because I think college is starting to get to me explaining my faith. I do believe believing in Jesus is the only way to be forgiven of sins, but I didn't write that in the post earlier, sorry.)

I have more trouble with this passage than with any other in the Chronicles. Not all of Lewis' theology (not just in Narnia but in his other writings) lines up with what I would call sound doctrine, though many of his works are edifying and inspirational--and eminently quotable. Of course if each of us knew where our doctrine was wrong, we would (hopefully) correct it and not be wrong anymore. I would place a reminder that, where/if Lewis disagrees with Scripture, Lewis is wrong.

I've seen far too many people who I felt tried to use this passage as an excuse not to believe (Because if you're basically a good person, you don't need to believe in Aslan specifically, right?). It also leans toward the very popularized idea that if your good works outweigh your bad, you'll be granted access to heaven, which is patently false.

The mystery of unreached peoples in in God's hands, but in no way should affect our practice. We have heard the truth. We are told to preach. We are told to place our faith in Christ Jesus, and him alone. We have heard the Truth and are without excuse.

What Kristi said. You put into words what I couldn't. 🙂

While I do love the Chronicles I've always had trouble with that particular passage and sometimes wish that it could have been written differently. It might serve, as Kristi said, as a "stumbling block" of sorts for those that believe that doing good deeds allows for passage into heaven or those that may not be very firm in their faith. I can't say too much more since Kristi pretty much summed up my thoughts. 🙂

As everyone's differing posts imply, I guess the meaning of the passage is one of those things that only CS Lewis would be able to fully explain. But more importantly, what that passage symbolizes, which is who receives salvation and who is condemned, is a mystery that we just have to trust God will decide in His absolutely loving yet absolutely just way.

The question of Emeth is a deep one. Is Jesus the only way, or is there another way to God besides Christ? And what about those people who have not had the privilege of hearing the good news of Jesus before they die because culturally they are far from a living vibrant witness?

Here are a couple of principles that I find helpful when thinking about those far from the sound of the gospel.
1. Each person is judged not by what she does Not know about Jesus, but by what she knows about God and how she responds to the light of truth that she has.
Romans 1:18-19
But God shows his anger from heaven against all sinful, wicked people who suppress the truth by their wickedness. They know the truth about God because he has made it obvious to them. For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God.

Unfortunately this chapter goes on to explain how most people take the truth that they can learn about God in creation, and instead of worshiping Him they choose to worship creation instead. So their hearts become darkened rather than drawn closer to the light. But this is not to say that someone could never keep responding to God even though his information and understanding is quite limited. An example of this is Acts 8 with the Ethiopian leader who did not understand scripture, or in Acts 10 with the centurion who respected God but did not understand about Jesus until God told him to send for Peter.

2. Those that sincerely seek God will find Him. God promises to be found by those who earnestly search for Him.
Jeremiah 29: 12, 13
Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart.

Thus God sent supernaturally sent Philip to explain prophecy about Jesus's suffering and sacrifice to the Ethiopian in Acts 8; and through a dream God told Cornelius that his prayers and gifts to others had been received and that he should send for Peter in Joppa. Similarly in the Last Battle, Emeth entered the stable and encountered Aslan, and found it was the Lion whom he had been seeking and trying to serve all his life.

Matthew 25:34-40
“Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the creation of the world. For I was hungry, and you fed me. I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger, and you invited me into your home. I was naked, and you gave me clothing. I was sick, and you cared for me. I was in prison, and you visited me.’
“Then these righteous ones will reply, ‘Lord, when did we ever see you hungry and feed you? Or thirsty and give you something to drink? Or a stranger and show you hospitality? Or naked and give you clothing? When did we ever see you sick or in prison and visit you?’
“And the King will say, ‘I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!’

Just as Aslan revealed himself to Emeth and he responded in faith, in cultures in which minimal scriptural truth about Jesus is available God can extend grace and information through dreams or unexpected messengers to help true seekers come to him. I personally know a person who grew up in the countryside of an Islamic country, whose journey toward Jesus began with a longing and a heart seeking after God, and God used dreams in a miraculous way to help him connect with those to help him to the truth.

The way I see Emeth is not that he was admitted to Aslan's country because he was devoutly serving the Light although he called it "Tash." Rather, I see him in process journeying toward the light, responding as best he could to the light he had, longing for what Lewis might term "Joy" although Emeth did not know the true source or Being drawing him onward and upward all his life. Ultimately he entered the stable door seeking to find his god, but instead in there encountered the true light of Aslan and made the joyful discovery that it was Aslan he had been seeking all along. He continued to respond to Aslan after this encounter, and was seeking the Lion when our Narnian friends met up with him.

Psalm 36:9
For with You is the fountain of life; In Your light we see light.

Benisse, I think you've summed up my opinions on the subject beautifully, with some additional value. 🙂 That's fascinating to hear about the friend of yours!

I'm not terribly eloquent or concise like everyone who has shared thoughts here, but I kind of see this passage as an example that God accepts everyone (who has repented and accepted Christ), regardless of what they've done. We know that everyone sins, but the "degree" of your sins will not affect the salvation offered to you. (I know that "degree" is a bad word to use here, since all sin is sin in God's eyes - but I am unsure as to how else to communicate this.)

For example, which is worse? Stealing a candy bar, or killing a man? Society says killing a man, but to God they are both sin and must both be accounted for. Yet both can be redeemed by Christ. I think that Aslan accepting Emeth is how Lewis was trying to say that regardless of what you've done, God will accept your repentance.

As it happens, Emeth "never had a chance of" believing in Aslan before dying/going through the stable door.

In other words, it is about salvation of non-believers. CSL thought this was possible. On CERTAIN conditions obviously NOT fulfilled by any other Calormenes (pagans) in Narnia back then.

Some Catholics have considered CSL as heretical and as personally promoting heresy precisely due to Emeth.

I do - to answer original question - not know any Bible text that so definitely settles the question there is no debate.

When I write my fan fic, the seven friends of Narnia are not "Emeth cases" in regard to Catholicism, but all more or less involved in converting (though Susan is the only who actually does so before a priest), and of course not involved in using the rings. Not even Digory any more.

Deciding to convert is one better than never knowing even one should.

This is quite a difficult question to answer, and it's what has me stumped as I'm writing a LB musical. I've even considered taking Emeth out due to all the controversy about his story.
We can't know the message Lewis really intended to come across concerning Emeth, since he is no longer alive to clarify what he meant. Different people understand the Emeth part of the book in different ways; I know this because it's a lively topic of discussion between myself and a number my friends who are fellow Narnia fans, and we all seem to have quite varied points of view on the interpretation of the section.