ANSWERS: 53
  • There are theological exceptions for people who live in places where the Gospel has not yet reached. However there are very few places that Christians havn't gone with the Gospel of Christ.
  • Catholicism does not preach this. In the Compendium to the Cathechesis Catholic Church #171 states that there is no salvation outside the church, and those cannot be saved if they refused to enter or remain within the body of the church. However, it also states "...those who through no fault of their own do not know the Gospel of Christ and his Church but sincerely seek God and, moved by grace, try to do his will as it is known through the dictates of conscience can attain eternal salvation." I interpret this to mean that the people you address in the question (who have not had a chance to get to know Jesus and the Gospel)will still be saved if they are good people.
  • As a Christian I believe that I will go to Heaven and that my sins have been forgiven because I have accepted Jesus as my savior and have repented of my sins. Of course I still sin, but am trying to obey God's words and commands. This is something that you should examine for yourself to decide if it is for you. I have no doubt that if someone was raised by people who were not believers and therefore they had no concept of God/Jesus that upon their death He would accept them as one of His sheep. Hope this answered your question. God Bless, <:))))<><
  • If you don't believe in God, you don't believe in heaven or hell... As an atheist, I always find it amusing how people threaten me with an abstract concept of a place that I don't even believe exists.
  • In order to find out the official view of christianity, not necessarily what any one denomination says, you have to go back to the "textbook", the Word of God given to humans, the Bible. Any doctrine of any denomination ought to refer back to biblical truths. In the Scriptures, a good section to look at is found in the first Chapter of the Book of Romans, 18The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness, 19since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. 20For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse. 21For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools 23and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles. ========= In this passage, the apostle Paul, writing under inspiration, says that there is no excuse for not knowing God, (That is why God is angry), because God has revealed enough of himself to all humans for them to make a response based on what they observe. eg In nature, we see the hand of a Creator, a Preserver, an Eternal One, a Carer, an Ordered One...all the most basic attributes of God. It is well established that on many occasions, when the Gospel of Christ was first taken to isolated areas of the world, people came forward to say "I always knew this God. I just didn't know His name. Thank you for telling me" Even the deaf and blind Helen Keller, when she learnt the word God, and asked her teacher, Annie, what God was, smiled and said something to the effect that "I knew that someone was there with me in the darkness, but I didn't know who it was." So, at this basic level, there are those who turn to God throughout history and throughout the world, with no other teaching than nature itself. BUT, once further teaching came, it was their duty to respond. When God called ABraham, Abraham left his city, his home, his family and went 1000 km to Canaan, such was his response to God's command "GO!" And we see mentioned throughout the Old Testament people who responded to this further revelation, people like Moses, like the Egyptians/cushites that joined the people of Israel as they left Egypt, like Rahab the harlot of Jericho, like Tamar, like Ruth the Moabitess, like Naaman the Syrian and no doubt many many more who joined the company of Israel. When the final revelation came in Jesus, more information was given and another call made to respond. Many did, 3000 alone after the first sermon at Pentecost, and many thousands of others over he next months and years, so that it was said that christianity was turning the world upside down. I hope this answers your question, at least in part. Feel free to ask me more if I haven't explained well enough. Cheers.
  • That's what they tell all the gullible Christians who prefer to be motivated by fear. Most agnostics and atheists and folks who reject orgnaized religion in general are not ignorant of religion, including Buddhism, Judaism, etc. They have made a conscious choice.
  • God definitely wants to give everyone a chance to know him. why else would he wait this long to come back? and i believe that if you haven't heard about Him then he will look at your heart and decide. but just by looking around you and seeing such magnificent handiwork you should know that God does exist.
  • God is a just God. He would never send somebody to hell that did'nt deserve to go there. Every one who goes there goes by chioce. Even the devil and his angels made a choice to disobey God in the most pefect enviorment. Heaven Any scientist who has done much study would know the complexity of the world and universe we live in. All this shows is that there is a creator. You wouldnt walk outside and see a a car and think that it evolved into a car even though it is made up of things from the earth. Somebody thought and spoke the word and their actions followed their frame of thought. Wow a BMW the ultimate diving machine. We can see there is a creator and he is known through his thought omniscience (the laws that govern this world) which became his word omnipotence (the creation) and lastly his word became flesh (Jesus Christ) This is God trying to reveal himself to you. Act 10:1 There was a certain man in Caesarea called Cornelius, a centurion of the band called the Italian band, Act 10:2 A devout man, and one that feared God with all his house, which gave much alms to the people, and prayed to God always. Act 10:34 Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons: Act 10:35 But in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him. Any one who fears God and prays will have favor with God. God heard him before the gospel was even to be preached to gentiles. When the time was right he showed him how to be saved by sending him somebody. He already did what was right before God though because he believed in him. So he loved light rather than darkness. Where are you? Do you seek after what pleases God? If so God will hold you accountable for what light you have recieved till he sends somebody to show you more. Re read Acts 10.35 In every nation! He that fearsHim!! Works righteousness!!! Is accepted. Joh 3:18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. Joh 3:19 And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. May God richly bless You Pastor Daniel T. Salaz
  • If for some strange reason, you have gone your whole entire life without hearing of God or Jesus, you will not be punished for you ignorance.
  • If it's true then hell must be full of animals - they haven't got a clue about him which makes them, non-believers and hell, full to the brim (think how many have died since the start of time).
  • No one is ignorant of the universal God. The idea is innate in every human being and is one of the reasons why people gravitate towards a religion, except those who fight it and suppress it. In addition to that every nation has had access to a prophet or his message. The Holy Qur’an (HQ ) puts it this way in HQ 35:24. " there is not a nation but a warner hath passed among them." The attitude of Muslims would be 'it's your duty to find out about your creator and to make sure you follow the most reasonable path to Him'. You wouldn't buy a car or even a washing machine without asking questions, using reason and making objective comparisons so why not in getting to know your creator, if it really is important to you. Especially these days with so much information readily available and knowledgeable followers of many faiths not very far from one. Don’t jump to conclusion, that just because all those around you are following a certain faith that if you don’t follow the same faith you’ll go to hell.
  • Everyone goes to 'hell' (the common grave). http://www.angelfire.com/hi2/YAHWEHFrank/OhHell.html
  • The Catholic Church believes that those who die never hearing of Christ but have sought the truth and does the will of God as they understand it can be saved. See Romans 2:13-16. (1) If they died before Jesus died for our sins and opened the gates of heaven for us, then they waited in what is called in the Old Testament Abraham's bosom or Sheol. Catholics believe that after Jesus died on the cross, he descended into Sheol, the place of the dead. While there He freed the holy souls who awaited their savior in Abraham's bosom. (2) For more information, see the Catechism of the Catholic Church, (1) sections 1257-1261: http://www.usccb.org/catechism/text/pt2sect2.htm#art1 (2) section 632 and following: http://www.usccb.org/catechism/text/pt1sect2chpt2art5.htm#p1 With love in Christ.
  • I think so.
  • In my religion, we don't believe that ignorance will be an acceptable excuse when judgment time comes. This will be because everyone will be given the opportunity to learn about and accept Jesus as their Savior. If they don't receive this opportunity in mortality, then they will receive it in the spirit world after they leave mortality. Thus, by the time the final judgment comes around, all will have made an informed and conscious choice as to whether they accepted His salvation or not.
  • Allow me to second what Glenn has said. Furthermore, the concept of Hell as a final destination is somewhat inaccurate: the term “Hell” is generally used as another word for spirit prison—the dwelling place of the spirits Peter speaks of in the third chapter of his first epistle general (http://tinyurl.com/5teemx).   While of course not all will be saved, the only people that are not saved in one of Our Father’s “many mansions” (see John 14:2, http://tinyurl.com/5mdrqn) are those that have deliberately rejected the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost (see Matthew 12:31, http://tinyurl.com/57j6fw). HTH!
  • I am an atheist and i personally don't belive that if you don't belive then you will end up in hell what i think what matter is what we do in our life and not religion i refuse to think that a guy who belives in god but are evil can end in heaven because he got absoulution but a person who has only done good in life will end in hell simply for not beliving i refuse to belive that would be the chase
  • The answer to your question can be found in the book of Revelation 20, 11-15.
  • God has a way of everyone hearing the gospel and if you did not and they died how can they be accountable.Your only accountable for what you know. But the word is being preached in all nations. Its never too late to be able to have that relationship with God.
  • As long as you try and be a good person, thats enough. You shouldnt have to want to be rewarded or be good out of fear of punishment.
  • I thought about this a while back but I believe everyone gets a chance at it, and its a yes or no...
  • i bet u anything when u die u go nowhere....just wait and see like b4 ur born theres nothing
  • I don't believe that at all. Since you referenced Jesus, I'll refer to the Bible to substantiate my belief. . Romans 10:13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. Romans 14:11 For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God. . If everyone that calls on the name of the Lord is saved, and if every knee shall bow and every tongue confess...kind of rules out hell, doesn't it?
  • That is why we are supposed to spread God's word, so that everyone knows about it. John 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
  • The ressurection of the heathen will allow for "the deeds done in the body", whether they were serving God to their level of knowledge.
  • Yes, it is true. Everyone is without excuse. Romans 1:20 For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse.
  • By believing in Jesus you are saved, which means you don't face judgement or Hell. If you haven't heard the Word of Christ or understood it, then you are judged on judgement day and are saved on that merit.
  • It is not proven that the first statement is true. Even if you know about him. It is a question of your personal belief. *They* usually say that you don't necessarily go to Hell if you never heard of Jesus and God.
  • No, it's a fallacy to keep the Christian community more tightly knit, conform and follow the leader. We are all God's people.
  • There is a book that addresses that idea, it's called Eternity In Their Hearts by Don Richardson. I haven't read it (though I know the general idea of it), but if you are interested and find the time, this is the name and description: Eternity In Their Hearts Startling Evidence of Belief in the One True God in Hundreds of Cultures Throughout the World (on the back): "..His story is yet another example of how the concept of a supreme God has existed for centuries in hundreds of culture throughout the world." These and twenty-five other incredible-but-true stories prove the truth of the words in Ecclesiasties: "He (God) has also set eternity in the hearts of men." I talked to my dad about this a while ago. This is what he said: In every culture that anyone has ever studied, they have found the truth about God (the God of the bible). It's in every culture at every time. The author of Eternity in Their Hearts goes back to pre roman times up to when he wrote the book. In revelation, where it talks about the last judgement, it says every mouth will be stopped: no one, when given the opportunity, will be able to say a single thing about God being unfair. He will reveal himself in dreams and visions. About a third of the converts from Islam are people actually seeing a vision of Jesus. He is going to do whatever it takes to reveal himself to those people. God is working so that there will be a Bible in every language (for example through Wicliff (sp?) Bible Translators. We know a family, whom we have supported for years, who is part of the Wicliff team over on Easter Island translating it into the Rapa Nui language. I think they're half way through. We hear from them every once in a while and we hear stories. It's exciting). God wants to have the total bible to everybody. In Revelation it says that in Heaven there will be people people standing there; people from every group in the past and present, there before the thrown. The whole thing boils down to: do you think God is going to be fair?
  • That will not fly. You have Christian TV (TBN). The church. If you are in the USA you have heard of Jesus. Even in foreign countries now know about Jesus. You can not escape Him. And I truly believe no place now since TBN (Trinty Broadcastin Network)with all these satalites all around the world telling about Jesus, and one can tell God they didn't know. And be excused.
  • Today, the name of Jesus Christ is known everywhere so if you do not know who he is it is YOUR fault. There is special verses that tell us about those who didn't know him or had never heard of him & how they are dealt with by God. I can not judge if any man or woman or child will go to hell, but I do know that there is John 3:16 that says, for God so loved this world that who so ever believed in HIM shall not parish but have ever lasting life. SO WE MUST BELIEVE IN HIM!
  • God loves both good and bad,Jesus Christ finds ways to reach us,just if we believe in him.Maybe some people dont know his name but they know good and bad and it means that God is there in good things we do.
  • There is a book that addresses that exact idea: Eternity In Their Hearts by Don Richardson. Description: Eternity In Their Hearts Startling Evidence of Belief in the One True God in Hundreds of Cultures Throughout the World (on the back): "..His story is yet another example of how the concept of a supreme God has existed for centuries in hundreds of culture throughout the world." These and twenty-five other incredible-but-true stories prove the truth of the words in Ecclesiasties: "He (God) has also set eternity in the hearts of men." In every culture that anyone has ever studied, they have found the truth about God/Jesus. It's in every culture at every time. The author of Eternity in Their Hearts goes back to pre roman times up to when he wrote the book. In revelation, where it talks about the last judgement, it says every mouth will be stopped and no one, when given the opportunity, will be able to say a single thing about God being unfair. God also reveals himself in dreams and visions. About a third of the converts from Islam are people who actually saw a vision of Jesus. He is going to do whatever it takes to reveal himself to people. God is working so that there will be a Bible in every language. For example through Wicliff Bible Translators. My family knows and supports a family who is part of the Wicliff team over on Easter Island translating it into the Rapa Nui language. They just visited recently and told us about the exciting progress. God wants to have the total bible to everybody. In Revelation it says that in Heaven there will be people people standing before the throne from every group in the past and present. The whole thing boils down to: do you believe God is going to be fair? " He is restraining himself on account of you, holding back the End because he doesn't want anyone lost. He's giving everyone space and time to change." (2 Peter 3:9) Hell is where people go who choose continued separation from God. God is the source of all good. For those who choose to stay separated from God, there is an existence. It's not an existence you want! Imagine removing all sources of good from your life. But God offers forgiveness to anyone willing to receive him. People choose continued separation from God. He respects what they choose. "We were created to be in a relationship with God in which we can enjoy his love."~David Gregory "This is the kind of love we are talking about - not that we once upon a time loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to clear away our sins and the damage they've done to our relationship with God." (1 John 4:10) "I came so they can have real and eternal life, more and better life than they ever dreamed of." (Jesus) "Don't turn your back on His love, but by a simple prayer of faith commit your life to Christ today." (Billy Graham) http://www.billygraham.org/SH_StepstoPeace.asp
  • Some god. A real god would want you to be happy and free. He would also prove his existence in concrete terms without the threat of eternal suffering for mere ignorance. A god that requires belief without proof is a charlatan. The real hell would be stuck for eternity with a useless entity. I worry less about people ignorant of Christianity than ones that relentlessly follow its precepts.
  • we are without excuse: Romans 1:19-20 "since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse."
  • &quot;they" contain a group of a lot of ignoramuses if they ideed say that. Are the Jews just shit out of luck then? I think it is more accurate to say that if you are not aware of the presence of God not matter what form you see Him as, it can be likened to a hellish existance. Incidentally, they do not really exist do they?
  • This is why I was happy to find reference to reincarnation in Scripture. You simply keep reincarnating until you get an honest opportunity to say yes or no to Jesus. (Matt. 17:10-13)
  • There is a book that addresses that exact idea: Eternity In Their Hearts by Don Richardson. Description: Eternity In Their Hearts Startling Evidence of Belief in the One True God in Hundreds of Cultures Throughout the World (on the back): "..His story is yet another example of how the concept of a supreme God has existed for centuries in hundreds of culture throughout the world." These and twenty-five other incredible-but-true stories prove the truth of the words in Ecclesiasties: "He (God) has also set eternity in the hearts of men." In every culture that anyone has ever studied, they have found the truth about God/Jesus. It's in every culture at every time. The author of Eternity in Their Hearts goes back to pre roman times up to when he wrote the book. In revelation, where it talks about the last judgement, it says every mouth will be stopped and no one, when given the opportunity, will be able to say a single thing about God being unfair. God also reveals himself in dreams and visions. About a third of the converts from Islam are people who actually saw a vision of Jesus. He is going to do whatever it takes to reveal himself to people. God is working so that there will be a Bible in every language. For example through Wicliff Bible Translators. My family knows and supports a family who is part of the Wicliff team over on Easter Island translating it into the Rapa Nui language. They just visited recently and told us about the exciting progress. God wants to have the total bible to everybody. In Revelation it says that in Heaven there will be people people standing before the throne from every group in the past and present. The whole thing boils down to: do you believe God is going to be fair? "He is restraining himself on account of you, holding back the End because he doesn't want anyone lost. He's giving everyone space and time to change." (2 Peter 3:9)
  • Don't buy into the ridiculous Heaven/Hell thing in the first place. Nobody knows what happens after you die; maybe nothing, maybe something. All the rest of this post-life theology is mere speculation and you should not believe any of it.
  • It is not God's wish that any man die without Jesus Christ. The answer I've been given about your question is that man's basic nature - wherever he may be - is to believe in God. The Bible states that "The very heavens proclaim His greatness." The problem is that man has been led astray by the forces of satan, who provides false religions for them.
  • Jesus Christ who?
  • Ask yourself this fundamental and rational question, Why should a religion--any religion--have fear as the chief appeal? Imagine that! A "loving" and "merciful" God who would get very angry, like an ordinary mortal, and threats you with sending you to a hell-fire to burn for eternity if you [choose] not to believe in him! How much more INSANE and IRRATIONAL could that be? My gosh! A "loving" and "generous" God who bestowed upon you the right and will to choose, but if you choose contrary to "his wishes" he'd crack your head! This is an asininity! These people have a vision of their own and will not part with it even though they have to close their eyes to see; and no matter how absurd and irrational may be! I will say this, and all you religious zealous downraters get you fingers ready to press the negative key 'cause I'm about to let you have it. The orthodox teachings ARE SO FALSE, that they have made the utterance of truth a blasphemy; and all the proclaimers of truth blasphemers! If you or me or anyone alse oppose their savage theology, we'll be denounced as an atheist (not a bad thing though). You expose the folly of their dogma and you'll be labeld as an infidel all around. Deny their purported "miracles", and they damn your morals. Religion has never ceased to proclaim the "hell-fire" if you don't accept someone they call "Jesus" as your "savior". It has never ceased to proclaim the Apocalypse and the alleged "day of of judgment". These things have been a constant trope ever since the first witch dictors and shamans learned to predict eclipses, and to use their half-baked celestial knowledge to terrify the ignorant. Yet we have no way to assess the damage done by telling tens of miilion of children that jercking off will "make them blind". or that "impure thoughts" will lead to an eternity of torment........while at the same time molesting them and raping them. They should be thankful--and I know they are--that the hell-fire they preach is only one among their wicked lies or else they would rot in that same hell..........Oh no wait a minute! No they wouldn't! 'Cause all they have to do after they mess with young boy's booty is repent and ACCEPT JESUS!
  • Listen for athiests here, get out please =/ We have enough people questioning our faith and don't be so ignorant as to deem something imposssible. I here believe in predestination. God knows the future and if there is a knowledge of the future, everything is predestined. We are still responsible for what we have done as we were made that way and we rebelled against God. In a place that no one knows of Jesus, they go to hell, no questions asked. God has elected christians as we all deserve to go to hell. Let's put it like this. There are two hobos on the street. One is named Christian and the other is named Tom Cruise. If God was a rich guy and walked by and gave 5000 dollars to Christian and skipped Tom Cruise, he did nothing wrong. They didn't deserve anything, who's buisness is it if he decides to be gracious to one and let the other one get what he deserves? it's not fair? Then every kind act that you have done that was not to the whole entire world isn't very fair either. However, that is why it is on our shoulders to shape destiny into accepting more and more elects from this world. We should go out and preach the word to everybody, even people who are already Christian, to increase faith in our lord and saviour Jesus. If God is gracious to one man, and let's the other get what he desrves, it is fair. So what we do is with what we have recieved from God we give to others so as many people as possible are destined for heaven.
  • Who says this? I thought they say to "turn the other cheek.."? I'm confused.... They is not all or even the majority.
  • A vast number of people believe ABOUT Jesus Christ - that he really lived and died 2000 years ago. However, that is the sum of their belief. Christians believe IN Jesus Christ as the ONLY true and living son of GOD; that he was miraculously conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary; that He died on the cross in atonement for the sins of ALL who believe in him as Savior; that He rose from the dead after three days in the grave; that He will return "with a shout" to claim all who have trusted Him as Savior. In today's world, with instantaneous communication, there are probably relatively few peoples who have not had opportunity to hear His message of salvation which, in its most basic form, is simply, "Believe on me, and you will be saved." Christ will NOT return until ALL men have had opportunity to hear his word... and accept Him. Therefore, it is His promise that all men have equal opportunity. He plainly states that NO MAN knows the day or the hour of His return, but that in that instant the whole world will know...and it will be too late for all who have denied Him. No one will be able to plead ignorance of His message or person.
  • i say 'i' would die forever without knowing and believing in HIM...HE is MY only way and HOPE to eternal life.... there will not be any who have not heard of HIM and yet still refused to HEAR....innocent children but they get a 'free ride' so to speak anyway....
  • Yes, and how about the poor buggers who lived before Jesus was born?
  • reality is only what you can percieve...
  • It's true. Jesus is your ticket to Heaven. John 3:16-18 "For God so [greatly] loved and dearly prized the world, that He [even] gave His [One and] only begotten Son, so that whoever believes and trusts in Him [as Savior] shall not perish, but have Eternal Life. 17 For God did not send the Son into the world to judge and condemn the world [that is, to initiate the final judgment of the world], but that the world might be saved through Him. 18 Whoever believes and has decided to trust in Him [as personal Savior and Lord] is not judged [for this one, there is no judgment, no rejection, no condemnation]; but the one who does not believe [and has decided to reject Him as personal Savior and Lord] is judged already [that one has been convicted and sentenced], because he has not believed and trusted in the name of the [One and] only begotten Son of God [the One who is truly unique, the only One of His kind, the One who alone can save him]." Amplified Bible
  • So are you talking about you or someone else. Because if someone else your real question is "Is God as good as me?" -- and I won't bother to answer such a pompous question.
  • They will be given the opportunity in the afterlife to accept or reject the gospel.
  • The problem here is that false religion teaches that hell is a place where you're tortured in the fire. You know most people has never bothered to read and study their own Bible they only believe what some preacher standing up on the platform tells you. But this is what the Bible tells you it tells you this before anything else back in the Old testament. You must never teach your children that when they pass that they will go through the fire to be with the god Molech that's the God of fire by the way. For such a thought is an abomination to me it is something I never commanded you to teach and such an idea would never enter into my mind. Later God tells Moses make sure that anybody teaches such a thing is put to death. God's that serious about this anybody that teaches the lie about hellfire is to be put to death! This is what God says about hell in the New testament don't be afraid of men who can only kill your body and then do no more to you rather be in fear of The God who after he has killed you can destroy your soul in hell. Hell is a lake that's on fire. But notice the scripture again God kills you first before destroying your soul in the lake of fire. Because God does not believe in torturing people or burning people to death to God that is a cruel inhumane punishment that will not enter the mind of God to do like it says in the Old testament. When you're dead God cremates your remains in the lake of fire. The word hell is derived from the word s h e o l. It means nothing more than the common grave. The Bible says that the dead are dead and conscious of nothing. So when God throws what's left of you in hell you're dead already and what's left of you burns up that's the end of you.

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