Christians......Please tell me it is not so......?

Question

I am a Christian, (Catholic to be exact), but I do not accept all the dogma, because some of it is simply silly. For example, the teaching that the only way that we can be saved is to accept and acknowledge Christ to be our Savior. In other words, no matter how good and compassionate a life you lead, unless you accept and acknowledge Christ to be your savior, you are doomed! Please tell me that this isn't so. For example,

1. What happens to the baby who lives only 1 hour after it is born, then dies without having accepted Jesus?

2. What happens to the mentally retarded who do not have the ability to even understand what this is all about, and dies without accepting Jesus?

3. What happens to the child who is born in a village deep in the mountains of Indonesia where the only faith is the Muslim faith, and who dies without even having heard of Jesus?

Just can't see these people not being saved, if they have otherwise lived a good and humanitarian life. What do you say?

Answer 1

Hello. Thank you for your questions- they are good ones.

They are solved quite easy. The truth is, Jesus is NOT the only saviour. For there have been many GREAT SOULS on earth, and there are still, who PRESENT GOD on earth. The important thing, is, that we believe in the DIVINE- wherever you can find it. When you find it in Krishna, Buddha or someone else it is good. It even is good if you believe in the DIVINE in yourself and reveal it. That is the true point of JESUS- he wanted to show us, what we can achieve as human beeings,- he wanted to show the POTENTIAL of humans. The Jesus- one and only was built by a church with supreme power will. They even declare that they are sinners- what a NONSENSE! We are born divine, and are always divine, because we are created in the image of God. And God does not judge us,- never. He loves us, and that is what he does...

Another Truth is Reincarnation. I know, that reincarnation was taught at the times of Jesus, but was forbitten to believe from the church later. It is more easy to HOLD people if you can frighten them with the concept of hell. What a nonsene again. If God is love, how could he create hell to suffer??? No loving God would to so.

You show great sensitivity with your questions, thoughfullnes and compassion. That is great!!- even intellegenz is here. Super.

The truth is, children who are born for just one hour and die afterwards often receive a gift from that birth and death. It could be that they were good persons in previous lifes, and did die under not good conditions- so the "still" death could mean, that they experience the leaving of earth in a gentle way, and then develop on... So hard it sounds, but often an early children death is a gift for the child (better for the soul!)...

2. Mental retarded people: Often (not always!!!!!) have had missuse of will and power in previews lifes, for they now carry out what they did. I met some, and it was interesting to see, how they still "clinged" on the ideas, they had in previews lifes.

So, the REAL Christians, take Jesus as example and role model, and try to follow him by acknowledging their own devine virtues and gifts and by sharing them in love with others.
As more as you will realize your own POWER and LOVE the more you will feel the love to the other great Teachers, which were like Jesus (Budhha, Krishna)...
Best is, if you raise your consciousness to a peak point, that you will be able to communicate with Jesus and the other Masters clearly, SO you can become true help in REALITY.

love

Answer 2

The first thing we have to consider is our stand on God.

Do I believe in God. Do I believe that the Bible is His True and inerrent Word? Do I trust Him? Do I acknowledge that in the overall scope of existence, I don't know or understand much?

If you trust God and believe His Word, read it for yourself, don't blindly accept what somone else tells you it says. The Holy Bible is not a complicated document if you take the time to study it.

I believe that those who do not have a knowledge of God, will be saved by His mercy. I also believe that it is the duty of every believer on the planet to tell others about Him. Are you performing your duty?

You state "I am a Christian, (Catholic to be exact), but I do not accept all the dogma, because some of it is simply silly".

If you can't accept all of it, why do you believe any of it? You can't pick and choose the Truth. The Bible is either true or it's not. Where do you take your stand?

I agree that much of the doctrine (dogma) tied up in various religions today is "silly". As Paul taught (Acts 17:11, 2 Tim 2:15), check it out for yourself. If the doctrine does not line up with God's Word, walk away from it (that teaching/teacher); it will do you no good (and quite possibly certain harm) to follow false teachings.

The Bible says that Jesus will not come back until all have heard:

Mat 24:14 This good news of the kingdom will be proclaimed in all the world as a testimony to all nations. And then the end will come.

Join me in hastening the day!

Answer 3

Myself also being a Catholic (a devout one, at that), let me assure you that it is not Catholic dogma that "the only way that we can be saved is to accept and acknowledge Christ to be our Savior," for precisely the reasons which you have so eloquently named. What the Church does teach is that all are saved through Jesus Christ, as He is the one who merited salvation for the world. Thus, anyone who goes to heaven has Jesus to thank for it, as it was He who opened the gates of heaven. This is far different from the idea which you mention, and which many Protestants and Fundamentalists actually believe.

Answer 4

From what I have gathered from reading the Bible, Christianity is a matter of choice... and according to the Bible, Christ will not return until the gospel has been preached everywhere... in other words, giving everyone the opportunity...

It is logical to conclude then that God will not harshly judge those who did not have the opportunity to accept Him.

Herein lies the problem then: while that may be an acceptable and plausible excuse for children and those without the capacity to understand... that leaves countless millions who have had the opportunity and who did have the capacity to understand... but decided not to... those are the ones we should feel sorry for, because God will take care of those who can't take care of themselves.

Answer 5

I will not lie to you to make you feel better.

You must accept Jesus as your savior that is true. The only exceptions are.
babies and children up to the age of accountability ( around 5) this is more of a mental age so it would encompass those who are mentally retarded. These are allowed into heaven, because they could not make a decision to serve or not.

As for those who have never heard, even all of creation testifies of the glory of God. So no person has the excuse that I never heard.

Answer 6

got a minute?
Simple for all 3 Q's
The contingency plan is easily discerned from the Bible.
After armaggedon,Satan is abyssed for a 1000 years.
The first ressuection(standing up again), occurs.
The 1000 years reign of Christ begins,where all those who did not have a chance to make an informed decision to accept or reject God's rulership, are now given their fair chance.
This would include all of the categories you listed.
After that Satan is loosed one last time to test and mislead all who after learning the truth, still reject God.

This was a mystery to me for years. Why is Satan loosed one last time. But to be fair, all those who are born into a world without Satan's influence(during the abyssing) would not have gone through the same as those who did have to live under the Satanic world we all live in now. Many will be misled by Satan, a final war will occur, and Satan will be once and for all time, destroyed. If any oppose God after these things take place, they will be immediately destroyed as the Right for God to rule will have been firmly established.

Answer 7

It is so. Even an infant is born in sin and needs Christ or is lost. However you're incorrect about salvation. It is by faith alone. A normal person will respond to the command to repent and believe but by responding He is demonstrating his faith not saving himself. Faith is the means of salvation not the response of faith. So even an infant or a retarded person can have the capacity of faith. They can be born again even in the womb and would be saved by that faith even though they never had the ability to use it. However even in infants it is God who has mercy on who He wants. None are automatically saved. We just don't know who when it comes to these people. It is not true that all are automatically saved.
David was born in sin: Psalm 51:5
Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity,And in sin my mother conceived me.
Bottom line is Christ knows His sheep and will find and save them no matter what their circumstances.

Answer 8

As I understand it, God uses a points scoring system (sort of like Answers). So if someone hasn't accumulated enough points to get straight into Heaven but has at least enough points so they don't go straight to Hell then they can appeal to the Divine Points Arbitration Board for a review. This is where extenuating circumstances are considered - you get to give a 5 minute presentation as to why you should be allowed into Heaven (ok, this is a bit tough on babies and retards but, hey, nothing's perfect). It really helps if there is someone you know already in Heaven that you can call as a character witness. It is also VERY WISE to show repentance and look really contrite as all your abominable sins are read out. All in all, it seems quite a fair and good system to me.

Answer 9

a baby tht dies one hour after birth, goes back to heaven where they came from and will be saved. The mentally challenged have the ability to be a whole person agian in heaven, tht means they dont have any problems anymore and can also accept jesus.
the baby born way in the mountains of indonesia, will have the ability to accept jesus in heaven, it all evens out in the end.
If you died without the ability to know jesus now, you will when you get to heaven and you will know him and be able to accept him or not.

Answer 10

Have you ever heard of the age of accountability? It is the age that a person has to reach before he can fully understand what God's word is teaching. All children will be admitted into heaven until the age of accountability. For retarded children, that day could never come.