My guess is that he pulled out John 3:16 (King James Version) – “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

That’s the subject of many bumper stickers, tee-shirts, and vacation bible camp lessons down in this part of the world. I guess it’s their version of a “conversation starter”. A little bit heavy if you are seeking to bring people in (if you ask me).

It is for this reason that the Bible indicates that muslims and hindus, and buddhists, and etc. won’t go to heaven. Because Jesus made it clear in this verse that HE is the ONLY way to be saved. So anyone who rejects Jesus Christ can not go to heaven. Being saved, or a Christian, isn’t about living a good moral life (although if you’re a genuine one, you’ll want to live a good moral life). Our human morality is NOT enough with God. It will work between humans, but not with God. Look at it this way: our human morality is like monopoly money. If you have a lot of it, you win. But you only win in the game of monopoly. But, you can’t, once the game is over, go buy yourself a new car with your monopoly winnings. That money is only good in the game. So it is true with our human morality. It’s only good between people. It won’t work with God.

We need a righteousness that we can’t get from ourselves. The only person we can get it from is Jesus Christ. When He died for us, he made it possible to make a transaction with Him. If we ask, He will take our human righteousness (which the Bible says is like “filthy rags.”), and he will give us His righteousness. Another analogy: If I go to a fancy restaurant where a coat and tie is needed to be seated but I’m wearing a t-shirt. Jesus, in essence, will give us His coat and tie, so that the maitre d will see us as clothed properly to be allowed in to the restaurant. We need the covering of Jesus’ righteousness to get into heaven. He’s the only one that has an absolute perfect righteousness that God is looking for. This is why no one can come to God (or get to heaven) without Jesus.

And for the record, I don’t think churches like this do Christ followers any favors by posting such messages. While I do technically agree with the statement, I think there’s a right way and a wrong way to get that message out. This is a negative, and hateful appearing way to do it. That’s unfortunate!

Anyone today who would make a statement like this or others we have quoted from Jefferson’s writings would be instantly branded an infidel, yet modern Bible fundamentalists are frantically trying to cast Jefferson in the mold of a Bible believing Christian. They do so, of course, because Jefferson was just too important in the formation of our nation to leave him out if Bible fundamentalists hope to sell their ‘Christian-nation’ claim to the public. Hence, they try to rewrite history to make it appear that men like Thomas Jefferson had intended to build our nation on ‘biblical principles.’ The irony of this situation is that the Christian leaders of Jefferson’s time knew where he stood on ‘biblical principles,’ and they fought desperately, but unsuccessfully, to prevent his election to the presidency. Saul K. Padover’s biography related the bitterness of the opposition that the clergy mounted against Jefferson in the campaign of 1800:

The religious issue was dragged out, and stirred up flames of hatred and intolerance. Clergymen, mobilizing their heaviest artillery of thunder and brimstone, threatened Christians with all manner of dire consequences if they should vote for the “in fidel” from Virginia. This was particularly true in New England, where the clergy stood like Gibraltar against Jefferson (Jefferson A Great American’s Life and Ideas, Mentor Books, 1964, p.116).”

and, of course, there’s a lot more where that came from @
http://www.infidels.org/library/modern/farrell_till/myth.html