What happens to the people who haven't heard of Christianity when they die?

Question

What happens to the people in the world who haven't heard of the religions such as Christianity(others too) that say you have to accept the Lord into your heart to go to heaven? Such as the Native Americans before the Europeans came and brought religion. And other cultures cut off from the rest of the world without having heard of any of these mainstream religions. Where do they go when they die?

Some of you say f they had faith in something they would go to heaven? Chances are they would probably polytheistic and pagan, which I do believe the Bible says things against. What then?

Answer 1

According to the Bible and your religion, your answers will be different. I was raised Catholic and taught that people who weren't baptised went to a limbo where they stayed til the end of the world.

My personal belief is that it is how you live your life that is the true meaning of "accepting the Lord." Not that you accept that there is this one Supreme Being described in the Bible, but that your life reflects your belief in how you should live - making the most of your God-given talents to benefit the rest of humanity. Just saying the words "I believe" has little meaning without the actions to back them up.

Answer 2

Well christians will tell you the bible says that "all will hear" which it does say but that is unrealistic! The natives, the aboriginies, countless others have never heard the gospel, so how can a just God send them to burn in hell? the bible is wrong! It was a book written by men, sinful men. So many different authors from so many places and time periods. Name 1 man in todays world you would trust to be inspired by God and write it all down and then call it the inspired, inerrant word of God? I cant think of any so how can you trust what any of these wrote, and not only the authors but the group of people who chose which books to include and put together the modern bible. To much room for error if you ask me. It is a good book with many lessons and good ideas but by no means it is the words of a supreme being

Answer 3

No one knows what happened when you die, even when Catholic people believe there is a heaven or some reward for your good actions, we can't be completely sure, but whatever it is, it will happen for all of us.
If there is a heaven for good people, you go there, no matter what you believed while alive, whether Christian or no. Remember that Christianity isn't the only religion that talks about being a good person. But, if nothing happens and you disappear completely, then you disappear no matter what you are.
Now mostly religion talk about a reward after you die if you were a good person, so, I suppose something inside us try to tell us to be good as we might be rewarded by our Gods after our deaths.

Answer 4

Its really quite hard to say. However the fact is we Christians were given the quest of the Great Commission.

People say, that if you haven't heard the Gospel you'll go to Heaven because you were never able to choose. However I don't think that's true.

If that's the case we need to pull out all the missionaries from everywhere, close down every church and not talk about Jesus, so everyone can be saved. Just doesn't work that way.

We can't do the judgment of these people but these people are still sinners in need of a savior. Its tough to say, but for these people I cannot speak.

You never know, but I have the tends to think that the blood of them are on our hands, the believers hands. Because we have not spread the Great Commission fast enough.

In Addition

It's not Jesus's Christ quest to condemn everyone possible, however the fact is legally he just can't always save these people because they are sinners. The case is different for the mentally ill and children BTW. Like I said they are still sinners in need of a savior. That's why Jesus told them get out there! Spread the Gospel!

Jesus Christ, just can't come down and sweep up all the people who have never been confronted with Jesus Christ and take them to Heaven, that would be breaking his own law.

There is a difference of never hearing the Gospel and not being able to comprehend and make the choice (in the case of children and mentally ill) just wanted to make that clear.

Answer 5

What about those who have never heard the Gospel?
That is a good question. The Bible says that God is a just God. We know that whatever He does is right. When it comes to those who have never heard the Gospel, He will do what is right, whatever that is. But as for you, you have heard the Gospel and He will judge you according to how you respond. He is calling you to repentance, to turn from sin and come to Him.
Romans 2:11-16 speaks about those who have never heard the Law of God, and how they will be judged according to the law that is written in their hearts. The Law written in their hearts is the knowledge of right and wrong. Perhaps God's judgment of those without a proper knowledge of Him is included there where it says that they will be judged according to their own consciences that "bear witness, and their thoughts alternately accusing or else defending them." All I know is that God will do what is right, and the only way to have your sins forgiven is through Jesus.
Jesus is only one of many great men of history.
Granted, Jesus was a great man of history. That is a fact. But, He is different from all the other great men of history. How many great men of history rose from the dead, calmed a sea, walked on water, raised others from the dead, healed sickness, and forgave sins? There aren't any others that I know of. Do you know of any? These things make Him more than great. They make Him special and unique.
You are right, Jesus was a great man. But let me ask you. If He were great, would He lie? Of course not. If He were great, would He be insane? No. You see, Jesus said He was God (John 1:1,14; 10:30-33; 20:28; Col. 2:9; Phil. 2:5-8; Heb. 1:8). If He were lying, we shouldn't listen to Him, and we couldn't call Him great. If He were insane, then we shouldn't listen to Him, and again, we couldn't call Him great. If He is great, then He must be telling the truth. And He was great, right?
John 1:1 says, "In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God." Verse 14 says, "and the Word became flesh..." The Word is Jesus. This means that Jesus is God in flesh. If this is so, then He cannot be merely "a great man of history." He would be far more than that.

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Answer 6

Where did Native Americans come from, we all came from the same set of parents. I believe we all came from God and have the chance to live our life for the best. Even if I didn't know God, would I know how to be a good person? I believe there are good people in all nationalities, being called a christian doesn't get you a ticket into heaven. You can look at nature and know there is a higher power even if you don't know God. We have to live our life to be good servant.

Answer 7

Always an interesting thought...and consider how the Europeans brought religion. Anyway, to answer the question, it actually depends on the religion you believe in, but the most logical (and in my mind the most fair) description I've heard is that there is a spiritual world where they are given lessons on Jesus and God...at that point they still have free will to deny or accept it.

Answer 8

Don't worry about that, God is loving, and he is also just, etc., but remember, the only attributes of God that is optional on his part is MERCY. It is true God is merciful, but this is optional on his part, the scripture says in exodus "I will show mercy to whom I will show mercy ..."

However here are the Judgment that is mentioned in the scriptures.

1. Judgment of believers sins in the cross of Christ (John 12:31-32)
2. Believers self judgment throughout his life
3. Judgment of Israel of many centuries of rebellion
4. Judgment of angels for rebellion against God
5. Judgment of believers work (BEMA) the judgment seat of Christ (Rom 14:10, 2Cor 5:10)
6. Judgment of the living nations (Matthew 25:31-46)
7. Judgment of the wicked dead (Rom 2:16, Rev 20:11-15

Basis of Judgment

1. Law of conscience (Roman 2:12)
2. Law of memory (Luke 16:25)
3. Law of Moses (Roman 2:12-16)
4. Law of Character (Heb 3:8-10, Eph 4:19)
5. Gospel of Christ (Rom 2:12-16)
6. Records of Personal Acts (Matthew 12:36, Luke 12:2-9, John 3:18, Rev 20:12
7. Books of Life (Rev 3:5, 15:21, 17:8, 20:12-15, 21:27, 22:18-19)
8. Word of God (John 12:48)
9. Judge
a. God the Father (Rev 12:20, 6:10, Rom 2:12-16
b. Jesus (2Tim 4:8, Rev 13:11, John 5:12-27)

Purpose

1. To get man a fair trial before his eternal punishment
2. To judge the secret of man (Roman 2:16)
3. To judge the idle word (Matt 12:36)
4. To judge all the works, actions, though, and sins of man

Results

Sent to the Lake of Fire

Answer 9

Makes no difference. They're 'judged' by actions in their life. If it turns out the be the Baptist's version of heaven/hell or the Atheist's vision of nothing it STILL make no difference. We can't see beyond 'the veil', if there is one, for a reason. Whatever the 'machinery's of the heavens' are (however we're 'processed' upon physical death) it's going to happen regardless of our belief system. To me there are no 'chosen ones', whether Jew, 7th Day Adventist, Mormon, Buddhist or anything else; we are all equal. Christians don't have the franchise on God or living your life as a good pereson!

Answer 10

The same thing happens to those who haven't "accepted the Lord" as to those who have. If people would stop thinking about stuff like this, the religious fundamentalists would have only half as much raw material to work with (I suppose they would then work on people's fears about sex instead of death - now it's divided 50-50 between the two subjects). And that would be great for all peoples of the earth while they are actually living their lives on earth.