Different Religions

[Bryce]

Random thought I had in school today.
--
When people who faithfully follow there religions and live there lives in accordance to their 'Gods' will, when they die do they go to heaven, or no?
Ex:
In the year 1921 [Africa], an African was born into a tribe that worshipped the sun, his whole life he followed what the interpreters of the 'Sun God' commanded. Later in life, still faithfull he passed away. Never heard the name Jesus in his life or knew what a 'Bible' was.
Is he condemed to hell? Or perhaps God would allow him to enter heaven. =/
Is it un-awnserable?
Let the debate begin!

 

[Dunamite]

Random thought I had in school today.
--
When people who faithfully follow there religions and live there lives in accordance to their 'Gods' will, when they die do they go to heaven, or no?
Ex:
In the year 1921 [Africa], an African was born into a tribe that worshipped the sun, his whole life he followed what the interpreters of the 'Sun God' commanded. Later in life, still faithfull he passed away. Never heard the name Jesus in his life or knew what a 'Bible' was.
Is he condemed to hell? Or perhaps God would allow him to enter heaven. =/
Is it un-awnserable?
Let the debate begin!

You are presuming that there is more than one god. This is a presumption that I am not willing to make.

 

[Laudate Dominum]

God is loving and merciful. I don't think he would hold such a person responsible for not following His Word when he never had a chance to hear it. I cannot presume to know whether he can get into Heaven or not- that is up to God. All else is speculation.

 

[MISFIT]

God is loving and merciful. I don't think he would hold such a person responsible for not following His Word when he never had a chance to hear it. I cannot presume to know whether he can get into Heaven or not- that is up to God. All else is speculation.

This is pretty much what I was going to say. It's not up to us to decide who gets into Heaven and Hell, it's all GOD's call. After all could you imagine what would happen if we did chose?

 

[freeway]

to me, doing the will of God is to believe in and follow Christ, that is the will of God, as Jesus said, " I am the way truth and life, ""no one"" comes to the Father but by me..

now as far as people on an island that has never heard the name Jesus. That will be a debate until Christ comes back.. But I also think that if someone is truly looking for God and salvation, God will show up, and show them, somehow. As for me, I am very thankful that God has chosen to put me in the USA at this time on the prophetic clock. I think of the time and place He could have put me, its scary..

Thank you Lord Jesus,,

 

[Rick W]

There's another side to this.
If someone hadn't heard of Christ well, that's to our shame is it not? What's our mission? To go out and spread the gospel. We may not be as immune to this situation as we might like to believe.

 

[freeway]

There's another side to this.
If someone hadn't heard of Christ well, that's to our shame is it not? What's our mission? To go out and spread the gospel. We may not be as immune to this situation as we might like to believe.

Sadly, but very true...

 

[MISFIT]

There's another side to this.
If someone hadn't heard of Christ well, that's to our shame is it not? What's our mission? To go out and spread the gospel. We may not be as immune to this situation as we might like to believe.

Sadly, but very true...

I agree with both of you, we all need to do more to reach the lost and we all need to spend less time condemning each other.

 

[Rick W]

People have this preconcieved idea of a "Dr Livingston" type of contact in the Congo or Amazon meeting natives never seen before by civilized man. But today that just isn't the case.
For the most part it's political, opression and restriction of what the people can do or say. In many countries any talk of the biblical Christ is outlawed punishable by all sorts of disciplinary actions. The Word needs to go "underground". There are successes and of course there is failure. Many have died being executed for their efforts. Stateside we're really not aware of that front to further the gospel. The spread of God's Word and the results of doing so is not a topic the general media is likely to be interested in. On top of that clandestine activities in another country is not a matter generally accepted.
Isolation these days isn't geographical but geo-political.

An observation:
Those against Christianity support the suppression of The Word then turn around and ask about those that haven't heard about Jesus as if it's some kind of evidence or something. It's like someone taking a hammer to the engine of your car on a daily basis then saying your family doesn't know much about you because they haven't seen much of you.

 

[Timf]

When people who faithfully follow there religions and live there lives in accordance to their 'Gods' will, when they die do they go to heaven, or no?

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:

We know that people are condemned for rejecting God that is revealed in creation. We do not know if this revelation is sufficient to bring someone to salvation. It may be that higher infant mortality rates in areas that have not received the Gospel may be a result of God bringing home those whom He would save.

 

[DavidLee]

When people who faithfully follow there religions and live there lives in accordance to their 'Gods' will, when they die do they go to heaven, or no?

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:

We know that people are condemned for rejecting God that is revealed in creation. We do not know if this revelation is sufficient to bring someone to salvation. It may be that higher infant mortality rates in areas that have not received the Gospel may be a result of God bringing home those whom He would save.

I know this is an old thread, but I wanted to add to Tim's post.

“For all who have sinned without the Law will also perish without the Law; and all who have sinned under the Law will be judged by the Law; for not the hearers of the Law are just before God, but the doers of the Law will be justified. For when Gentiles who do not have the Law do instinctively the things of the Law, these, not having the Law, are a law to themselves, in that they show the work of the Law written in their hearts, their conscience bearing witness, and their thoughts alternately accusing or else defending them, on the day when, according to my gospel, God will judge the secrets of men through Christ Jesus.â€Â
(Romans 2:12-16 NASB)

 

[Catholic Crusader]

God is loving and merciful. I don't think he would hold such a person responsible for not following His Word when he never had a chance to hear it. I cannot presume to know whether he can get into Heaven or not- that is up to God. All else is speculation.

You are correct:

CCC 847: "....Those who, through no fault of their own, do not know the Gospel of Christ or his Church, but who nevertheless seek God with a sincere heart, and, moved by grace, try in their actions to do his will as they know it through the dictates of their conscience - those too may achieve eternal salvation."

http://www.vatican.va/archive/catechism/p123a9p3.htm

 

[Deep Thought]

There's another side to this.
If someone hadn't heard of Christ well, that's to our shame is it not? What's our mission? To go out and spread the gospel. We may not be as immune to this situation as we might like to believe.

What happens if the Muslim missionaries get there first?

 

[freeway]

There's another side to this.
If someone hadn't heard of Christ well, that's to our shame is it not? What's our mission? To go out and spread the gospel. We may not be as immune to this situation as we might like to believe.

What happens if the Muslim missionaries get there first?

deep thought, don't know if that was meant as a joke or serious.. if a joke :-D . if serious well that could end up being a very long debate, but both Christian and Muslim believe in there God, My God is Jesus.. theirs is Allah, or what if an atheist evolutionist get there first and tells them they climbed down from the trees millions of years ago.. :-D

8-) 8-)

 

[Rick W]

That's assuming they believe the first thing they hear and assuming they will hear of nothing else at all during their lifetime and assuming they won't/can't change their minds when they hear something else.

These other religions... if I repeat a sin am I still forgiven? Or do I have to start all over again?

 

[therealsuperman64]

There's only one way to heaven and that's Jesus Christ. They may have lived and followed their religion to the fullest but their only one way to the kingdom. Religion itself is more corrupt than the political world but that's just a discussion for another time.

 

[knerd]

What works for me is encapsulated in John 14:6: "I am the Way, the Truth and the Life."

I don't see Jesus being overly concerned with his own personality and ego--nothwithstanding the complex theology and distinctiveness of the Book of John. Jesus is love, compassion and forgiveness of sin. And with that definition, Love, Compassion and Forgiveness ARE "the Way, the Truth and the Life."

 

[Catholic Crusader]

There's only one way to heaven and that's Jesus Christ. They may have lived and followed their religion to the fullest but their only one way to the kingdom... .

Its not about them following their religion. Its about them responding correctly to whatever grace and light God gave them in their hearts. Anyone can be saved: God is judge.

...Religion itself is more corrupt than the political world but that's just a discussion for another time.

Religion is only corrupt because man is corrupt, and therefore the biggest church is no more corrupt than the man who prays alone at home, for all have sinned and fallen short.

 

[knerd]

There's only one way to heaven and that's Jesus Christ. They may have lived and followed their religion to the fullest but their only one way to the kingdom... .

Its not about them following their religion. Its about them responding correctly to whatever grace and light God gave them in their hearts. Anyone can be saved: God is judge.

...Religion itself is more corrupt than the political world but that's just a discussion for another time.

Religion is only corrupt because man is corrupt, and therefore the biggest church is no more corrupt than the man who prays alone at home, for all have sinned and fallen short.

Great post, CC ! You put it all down in a succinct, elegant way.

I don't beleive Jesus was so self-centered and egotistical that he wanted us to follow his body and ego rather than the spirit of God that he actually preached. Early followers of Jesus called their movement "the Way" for a good reason. Christianity is not just a system where you merely assent to a list of beliefs--It is a Way of Life.

 

[topcourt]

How can we know we are a part of the correct religion?
There are so many different denominations to chose from. Some people say,"Just make sure they preach Christ as the only way". Well, there are many who say that but they also add ,"you must speak in tongues" or " you can't dance". It seems religions pick on different things to make being saved a complicated thing. Why isn't there one Christian church with people proclaiming to be christian. If being a follower of Christ is all that matters then why the divisions?
I asked this question to someone who's is very knowledgeable of the bible and theology.
She said, "When we have "one christian church" that will be a sign that the anti-Christ is here.
Because that's what the anti-Christ will do on earth.
So there is no winning seems like.