What about the millions of people who lived during and after the time of Christ, who never knew he existed due to geographical location? Seems rather arbitrary and unfair to condemn people for that.
I think thats were the Judgement Day part comes in.
Well, isn’t that who Jesus went to rescue across the River Styx between his death and resurrection.
You see there are answers to every question. Just ask a true believer. The answers don’t have to make sense, because it’s all faith and magic.
“What about the millions of people who lived during and after the time of Christ, who never knew he existed due to geographical location? Seems rather arbitrary and unfair to condemn people for that.”
I strongly believe that grace through the death of Jesus Christ is the only way to heaven. However, can this is Grace be provided to someone who has never heard of Jesus is a different question.
Most Christians would say that a baby will not go to Hell— not because it is born without sin, but because they believe that God’s grace is made available to this baby. In the old testament, there is a pagan harlot named Rahab that the Bible says had righteousness attributed to her.
I’m not saying everyone goes to heaven, but I’d say no one really knows in the end exactly what happens according to God’s law, grace, and plan.
Catholicism takes these people seriously and lays out a method by which they are saved...the same with people today who are unable to hear the word of Christ
Great question; and how about people who existed before Christ's earthly birth?
That has always bothered me.
What about the millions of people who lived during and after the time of Christ, who never knew he existed due to geographical location? Seems rather arbitrary and unfair to condemn people for that.
I know the Bible says that knowing Jesus is the only way to get to heaven. But there are people in remote parts of the world who may never get a chance to hear about God or Jesus. What happens to them when they die?
You’re right, the Bible is clear that apart from Christ, you can’t go to heaven. Jesus said, “No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6).
How does this apply to someone who never hears the gospel? The Bible says, “The truth about God is known to them instinctively. God has put this knowledge in their hearts. From the time the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky and all that God made. They can clearly see his invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse whatsoever for not knowing God” (Romans 1:19-20, New Living Translation).
No one has an excuse for not knowing God. That knowledge comes to us naturally—much like the way we instinctively reach for water when we’re thirsty. It’s not something we have to learn.
And it’s not just instinct that draws people to God. God uses visual aids too—his creation. We can see God through the divine design of nature.
When someone responds to these instincts and “visual aids” and truly reaches out to God, God will make sure that person understands his or her need for Christ. God, who loves us beyond comprehension and wants everyone to go to heaven (2 Peter 3:9), will arrange the details for that person to know the gospel—through a missionary, a tract, a Bible, whatever.
You might think, But what if a missionary never visits that island, or a tract never falls into those hands. What then? If those things never happen, we can be assured that God, who is loving and just, is still in control. God is sovereign, and he will always do what is right.
God is an awesome God, and nothing will stop him from getting the good news to even the most remote parts of the world, “to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8). And as if to prove it, God even gave John a glimpse of heaven, where he saw people “from every tribe and language and people from every nation” (Revelation 5:9).
The bottom line: God is obviously able to reveal the truth about himself to anyone, anywhere. But he often uses us to do it. That’s why Jesus’ last words to us were instructions to tell everyone, everywhere, the good news of God’s love (Matthew 28:19-20).
God calls all of us to share his love with the people around us. Maybe he’s even calling you to take this good news “to the ends of the earth.” Wouldn’t that be exciting?
http://www.christianitytoday.com/iyf/advice/faithdoubt/what-if-someone-never-hears-about-jesus.html
I don't think God is fair, do you? If God Is totally righteous (which He is claimed to be), and absolutely fair, I would have been dead a lo-o-ong time ago, judging on my mistakes.
Well, I've done the sinning, and He's done all the saving. so I'm still alive, at least for a little while.
God says the truth is planted in ALL of our hearts. We all know the truth of who He is.