I’ve been struggling with this for some time now, and thought perhaps a few of you guys might be able to help me out here.
Here’s the scenario - a child is born in a small African country in which poverty and starvation are rampant. He lives in a small tribe that is so far out of the way that there are no missionaries who make their way out to them. This child dies at the age of five from starvation, dehydration, and disease. He never heard of Jesus, and thus was never saved.
Jesus said, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one gets to the Father except through me.” It seems to me that means that if you don’t hear the message of Christ that you will go to Hell.
How can a just and righteous God be okay with this?
Simple: You’re trying to be rational, within the parameters of a belief system that’s based on faith. It’s like trying to ascertain the most nutritious way of consuming arsenic. If you choose to buy into that belief system, this is exactly what you should expect.
Well, here’s the thing. When I was a Fundamentalist Evangelical Christian, my answer - and the answer of my church - would have been: they are in God’s hands, and they are only responsible for what they have heard. If they have never heard of Christ, then we have to trust that God is just and will make a just decision, whatever that is.
There are also some Christians out there who believe that the aforementioned child would be doomed to hell, and that is the impetus for evangelism.
Many Christians would consider your question “How can a just and righteous God be okay with this?” to be out of line at best. You don’t question God, ya know?
OTOH, may other Christians, both mainline and liberal would say that God’s love conquers all, or that Hell is metaphorical anyway.
Soup_du_jour, you took the words right outta my mouth! I believe it’s in Revelation or Acts, not really sure. So when literally, everyone has heard it, is that when the Final Judgement will occur. Yes, Christ died for all of our sins, and since most of us weren’t there during that time frame, we weren’t believers yet, so in an answer: Yes, he died for ALL of our sins, including non-believers. (Originally posted by Lord Ashtar)…is it a sin to not believe in something you’ve never heard of?
Well if you’ve never heard it, then how can you believe in it?
This will require a lengthy reply, so bear with me.
First, it’s important to recognize that scripture indicates that somehow, at least SOME people from every nation on earth end up in heaven:
And they sang a new song: "You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased men for God from every tribe and language and people and nation. Rev 5:7
And not just one, two or a few, either:
After this I look and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. Rev. 7:9
Many will come from outside historical Jewish focus:
When Jesus hear this, he was astonished and said to those following him, “I tell you the truth, I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith. I say to you that many will come from the east and the west, and will take their places at the feast with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven.” Matt 8:10-11
And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet call and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other. Matt 24:31
God is good to all creation:
The LORD is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in love. The LORD is good to all; He has compassion on all He has made. Ps 145:8f
He will judge the world in righteousness and the peoples with equity. Ps 98:9
He has revealed Himself in nature:
The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of His hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge. There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard. Their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world. Ps 19
The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness, 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. Romans 1:19-20
We are bringing you good news, telling you to turn from these worthless things to the living God, who made heaven and earth and sea and everything in them. In the past, He let all nations go their own way. Yet He has not left Himself without testimony: He has shown you kindness by giving you rain from heaven and crops in their seasons; He provides you with plenty of food and fills your hearts with joy. Acts 14:15-17
Indeed, when Gentiles who do not have the law, do by nature things required by the law, they are a law for themselves, even though they do not have the law, since they show that the requirements of the law are written on their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness. Romans 2:14f
God "will give to each person according to what he has done. To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality, He will give eternal life. But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger. There will be trouble and distress for every human being who does evil: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile; but glory, honor and peace for everyone who does good; first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. For God does not show favortism. Romans 2:6-11
Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait till the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of men’s hearts. At that time each will receive his praise from God. 1Cor 4:4f
All a man’s ways seem innocent to him, but motives are weighed by the LORD. Prov 16:2
To sum up:
Heaven will full of peoples from the entire world.
God’s judgment is completely fair. He has revealed Himself through multiple means over generations of time.
God deals with people according to the information they have, with knowledge of the heart of a man.
First, let’s define non-belief as those having heard and rejecting truth:
He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe is condemned.” Mark 16:14
Second, let’s be clear that your unbelief in God does not negate His response, or otherwise free you from the repercussions. God will know your actions and your heart, and will judge accordingly.
What if some did not have faith? Will their lack of faith nullify God’s faithfulness? Not at all! Let God be true, and every man a liar…But if our unrighteousness brings out God’s righteousness more clearly, what shall we say? That God is unjust in bringing His wrath on us? (I an using a human argument.) Certainly not! If that were so, how could God judge the world? Someone might argue, “If my falsehood enhances God’s truthfulness and so increases His glory, why am I still condemned as a sinner?” Why not say…“Let us do evil that good may result”? Their condemnation is deserved. Romans 3:5-8
Many Christians say a righteous God such as theirs would save this child as it would anyone who never had the oppurtunity to hear the message. You hear about missionaries all the time going into foreign lands spreading the Word to thousands, and a certain number accept his message. If they preached to say 1,000 people who had never heard of Jesus until they came, and out of that number, 50 were saved, then what about the other 950? Did they just send 950 to Hell for not accepting his message? Wouldn’t a Christian save more, by just keeping their mouth shut?
Seems to me that this question has been the foundation for all manner of excuses to invade, colonize, and convert “heathens” all over the world, usually to the detriment of the aforementioned heathens. Once there, of course, one may as well plunder the wealth of said countries.
“Interestingly enough, the gods of the Disc have never bothered much about judging the souls of the dead, and so people only go to hell if that’s where they believe, in their deepest heart, that they deserve to go. Which they won’t do if they don’t know about it. This explains why it is important to shoot missionaries on sight.”
–Terry Pratchett, Eric
*Matthew 11:25
At that time Jesus said, "I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children.
Matthew 21:16
“Do you hear what these children are saying?” they asked him. “Yes,” replied Jesus, “have you never read, " ‘From the lips of children and infants you have ordained praise’[Psalm 8:2] ?”
Mark 10:13
People were bringing little children to Jesus to have him touch them, but the disciples rebuked them.
Mark 10:14
When Jesus saw this, he was indignant. He said to them, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. *
Obviously, The Lord would not agree with your assessment.
I Peter 3:18. For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the spirit:
19. By which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison
I Peter 4:6. For for this cause was the gospel preached also to them that are dead, that they might be judged according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the spirit.
Romans 10:9. That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
Philippians 2:10. That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;
11. And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Revelation 22:
14. Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.
15. For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie.
16. I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star.
17. And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.
(the relevance of this is that I believe V 17 is addressed to those outside the Heavenly City in V 15.)
Instead of just quoting scripture, it might make for an interesting debate if people explain their interpretations of the scripture and how it relates to the OP.
OK- the I Peter references say that the message of Christ WILL come to all, even those who die without it, so that they might live in God even if they die as humans, and the Revelation passage invites those willfully languishing outside Heaven to come in.
Did you forget that God is the supreme being and our souls when our physical forms die, go to God? Whether you’re Christian, Muslim, Jewish or what have you. No prior person’s death will save your soul, it will assymilate with God eventually. Only by living a true, honest life on Earth will make your soul rejoice, but not necassarily navigate where you will end up after death. Life is what you make of it, whether it be heavenly or hellish. I say, make the best of what you have with where you are, treat all humans in kind and remember the golden rule. As for the disfortunate lives in third world countries, let us hope that in due time all humans will help one in other as the good book instructs us to do.
