There is a general opinion that those born outside of the church, who are called the nations, or heathen, cannot be saved, because not having the Word they know nothing about the Lord, and apart from the Lord there is no salvation.  But that these also are saved this alone makes certain, that the mercy of the Lord is universal, that is, extends to every individual; that these equally with those within the church, who are few in comparison, are born men, and that their ignorance of the Lord is not their fault.  Any one who thinks from any enlightened reason can see that no man is born for hell, for the Lord is love itself and His love is to will the salvation of all.  Therefore He has provided a religion for everyone, and by it acknowledgment of the Divine and interior life; for to live in accordance with one’s religion is to live interiorly, since one then looks to the Divine, and so far as he looks to the Divine he does not look to the world but separates himself from the world, that is, from the life of the world, which is exterior life.{1}

{Footnote 1} The heathen equally with the Christians are saved (n. 932, 1032, 1059, 2284, 2589, 2590, 3778, 4190, 4197).  The lot of the nations and peoples outside of the church in the other life (n. 2589-2604).  The church is specifically where the Word is, and by it the Lord is known (n. 3857, 10761).  Nevertheless, those born where the Word is and where the Lord is known are not on that account of the church, but only those who live a life of charity and of faith (n. 6637, 10143, 10153, 10578, 10645, 10829).  The Lord’s church is with all in the whole world who live in good in accordance with their religion and acknowledge a Divine, and such are accepted of the Lord and come into heaven (n. 2589-2604, 2861, 2863, 3263, 4190, 4197, 6700, 9256).

319.  That the heathen equally with Christians are saved any one can see who knows what it is that makes heaven in man; for heaven is within man, and those that have heaven within them come into heaven.  Heaven with man is acknowledging the Divine and being led by the Divine.  The first and chief thing of every religion is to acknowledge the Divine.  A religion that does not acknowledge the Divine is no religion.  The precepts of every religion look to worship; thus to the way in which the Divine is to be worshiped that the worship may be acceptable to Him; and when this has been settled in one’s mind, that is, so far as one wills this or so far as he loves it, he is led by the Lord.  Everyone knows that the heathen as well as Christians live a moral life, and many of them a better life than Christians.  Moral life may be lived either out of regard to the Divine or out of regard to men in the world; and a moral life that is lived out of regard to the Divine is a spiritual life.  In outward form the two appear alike, but in inward form they are wholly different; the one saves man, the other does not.  For he who lives a moral life out of regard to the Divine