Heaven: Jane Fonda Thinks Ted Turner's a Shoo-in

Have you ever met anyone yet who has not had some thoughts about life beyond death? Regardless of their beliefs or their denials, I have never yet met a person who hasn't at least thought about the afterlife. There's a reason for such a phenomenon. We are hard-wired for eternity.

Ted Turner - a media mogul, philanthropist, environmentalist and quite a few other things - has reached the stage in life where he is seeing more in the rear-view mirror of his life than in front of him. He has reached the 75 benchmark. If you read some of the current news about Mr. Turner it seems he is asking himself: "where to from here?"

Despite a difficult childhood and the emotional injuries he sustained - Ted Turner fought the odds and achieved many successes in life. What seemed like a far-fetched idea to some, is taken for granted today. He started the world's first 24 hour television news network - CNN. At one point in his career his fortune climbed to $10 billion. In 1992 TIME selected Turner as 'Person of the Year' joining the ranks of presidents, popes, queens and the likes of Albert Einstein. He is also the second largest private land-owner in North America.

Christianity is a Religion for Losers

At one stage in his life he loudly announced he was an atheist. Although he has since apologized, Turner is on record as having said: "Christianity is a religion for losers." One might suspect the extension of that thought was that Christianity wasn't for him because he wasn't a loser.

In more recent years he has been giving back to the world much of what he has earned - millions and billions. He has given $1billion to the United Nations. He throws his support into many environmental concerns and conservation initiatives. He has worked hard to preserve some endangered species and has heavily invested in saving the buffalo.

For someone who has been so adamantly opposed to Christianity and God, is it possible the list of good deeds above might earn Mr. Turner some 'spiritual' credits in the later years of his life? Does he think about 'where to from here?' and whether or not he is prepared?

No Hell for Me Please

Mr. Turner is on record as having said very recently: "I sure don't want to go to Hell." He has also confessed to praying for his friends who have been stricken with cancer - in case there is someone listening out there.

One of his former wives, Jane Fonda, believes there is no chance that Ted Turner (whom she continues to love) will go to Hell. She believes he is a shoo-in for Heaven. Here's a lengthy quote from a CNN story:

Fonda said [Turner] does want to get into heaven. And, she said, he's a shoo-in.

Finally, with our 23 minutes with Turner ticking down, we've gotten his full attention. We let him in on what Fonda has told CNN about his heavenly prospects:

"Given his childhood," Fonda said, "he should've become a dictator. He should've become a not nice person. The miracle is that he became what he is. A man who will go to heaven, and there'll be a lot of animals up there welcoming him, animals that have been brought back from the edge of extinction because of Ted. He's turned out to be a good guy. And he says he's not religious. But he, the whole time I was with him, every speech -- and he likes to give speeches -- he always ends his speech with 'God bless.' And he'll get into heaven. He's a miracle."

Turner listened intently. There was a long pause. Was he tearing up? Finally, he spoke.

"She said that?"

Another long pause.

"Well, I sure don't want to go to hell."

Pause.

"Did she say I was gonna buy my way in?"

The old Ted Turner -- the one who made billions and won the America's Cup and the World Series and launched CNN -- probably would have tried to buy his way in. But the do-gooder Ted is earning his way in by saving bison and other endangered species and fighting for the oceans and preserving 2 million acres of ranch land and standing up for women and supporting causes near and dear to the United Nations.

That Ted Turner gets into heaven, by Jane Fonda's accounting. (1)

But that's by Jane Fonda's accounting. However Fonda herself has little time for the God of the Bible and for the sin-bearing death on the Cross of His Son Jesus Christ. She likes to call herself a Christian but sees no need for her salvation or being born again as required by Jesus in John Chapter 3. She lists Jesus as one of the awakened ones down through the ages along with Muhammad, Buddha and Allah. (2)

Jane Fonda does not have the last word on whether her good friend and former husband Ted Turner gets to Heaven.

Five Reflections

Hard-wired for eternity? Yes - every human! The Bible says God the Creator has 'put eternity into man's heart.' Ecclesiastes 3:11. That's why you have thoughts about the after-life. One hundred years from now you will be somewhere in God's eternity - Heaven or Hell.
Ted Turner's honesty: "I sure don't want to go to Hell." No one in their right mind wants to go to a place of conscious eternal suffering-lost from God forever. The only reason anyone ends up in such a place is their sins. The only thing God has against anyone is their sins. Jesus said, unless a person repents of their sin, they will perish. Luke 13:5
Although Jane Fonda, so far, does not want to accept that Christ died for her sins - that was, in fact, the very reason why Jesus came down from Heaven. "Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners." 1Timothy 1:16. "Christ died for our sins." 1Corinthians 15:3. Without Christ no one is a shoo-in for Heaven. Without Christ, Heaven is not even a possibility. Christianity is for those who don't want to be losers but winners in this life and for eternity. The losers will be those who gain many other things but reject Christ and lose their own souls. (Mark 8:36)
The thinking that Ted Turner, or anyone else for that matter, could buy or even earn their way to Heaven is dead wrong. Saving buffalo is not the way. The Bible very clearly states that our good works have absolutely nothing to do with a person getting closer to God or getting into Heaven. Ephesians 2:8-9 "...not of works, lest anyone should boast."
Ted Turner would be welcomed into the family of God with delight and without reservation if and when he is willing, as a sinner, to receive Christ as his very own personal Saviour. The same goes for Jane Fonda and you too. "But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name." (John 1:12)

Heaven: Jane Fonda Thinks Ted Turner's a Shoo-in

Christianity is a Religion for Losers

No Hell for Me Please

Five Reflections

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