If you live in an far away island and you never hear of christ, do you still go to hell?

Question

If you were born let's say in New Guinea in the middle of the jungle in a community that has never have contact with the outside world, you are a nice person, you help your community, live in peace, don't kill or steal, when you die, do you still go to hell because you never heard of christ so therefore you don't follow him?

Answer 1

Very good question;sad to say you do not get many satisfactory answers.Suggest that you post this question to the forum at:http://www.bswa.org
You will be suprise with their answers.

Answer 2

First we should always seek the bible for any light on any subject,pertaining to its doctrines and not just personal opinion. After studying it, I do not think the scripture gives a clear answer, but that may be because I am not content to think that such people in all cases should be punished. Yet there are a few mitigating factors.
The scripture certainly testifies that every person needs Christ, the question is, do they have access to Christ other than the through regularly accepted path?
Since the scripture does not provide a definitve answer to this, we base it on Gods revealed will, which is that God wishes the repentance and good of all men.Knowing that we think it might be possible, but don't know how .Knowing this we hope and desire that it is so. Just because I am a Christian doesn't mean that I have an understaning of all the the things that pertain to salvation, or how God will judge men, other than what is revelaed.
Perhaps with a mind guided by scripture it i snot erroneous to conclude that all men have access to Christ , but that clear preaching is a benefit to help them with clear and assured guidance. Perhaps al men can find HCrist on their own, but most will not without the proper motivation due to corrupt societ of most men, and other traditions. The bible teaches that all men are enlightened by the light o f Christ and made in the image of God, and partake of the logos. Justin Martyr a early Christian whose writings can be found in the collection of Ante-Nicene Fathers, through various publishers taught and believed that Socrates was a Christian and expected to meet him in paradise.
So let us do our part and leave the rest to God.

Answer 3

Of course the person does not go to hell. What kind of God would do that. Those who have never heard of Christ are judged the same way people in the old testament days were. Moses and David, for example certainly are not in hell for having not accepted Christ when He hadn't come to earth yet. This doesn't automatically mean the person goes to heaven either. As in all cases, it depends on the individual.
The person you described is someone who knows God in their heart, where it matters most.

Answer 4

Although the American Indians never heard of Jesus Christ until Europeans came to America, they knew something much bigger was out there that made them and earth. I go along with some on here that have answered Romans 1:19&20

Answer 5

No, only if you heard of Christ and deny to love Him. Some of us tends to use that as an excuse to live without Him. Remember that He loves us all. If you love Jesus you would follow Him 'cause you desire to so, I think the people from let's say New Guinea in the middle of jungle...hey someway He lives in their hearts just because He is God and knows everything, but He knows that we have all the access and calls us to love Him.

Answer 6

To really answer this question would take a vast amount of time. But i will give you the short take on it. All people will be judged for knowing or not knowing Jesus. We are the ones who are to take the knowedge of Jesus to them. But God has solved your problem by sending Jesus to hell to preach the Gosple. Now when Jesus when to hell many think he went to hell in a literal time frame to preach to the dead. But the bible does hold this ti be the case. Jesus went to hell as conclusion of hell meaning he went to hell and preached the gosple at the end of the ages. Or after all the people had been sent to hell. Thus no one will not be given the Gosple. The inclusion list is everyone. With God there is not time problem he rules over time.
So to make it eaiser to understand Jesus came at 4000 years into this current age. Died and stepped over into the 6000 year of the age in hell and preached to all the captives. Then stepped back over into 4000 year and resurrected then assended. This takes a great deal of study. You Got a few dozen years, i could explain it better.

Answer 7

I believe that GOD only requires us to walk in the light that we have been given. In the situation you ask about, I believe that if the norm is to worship some idol, if you declare I will not worship something I made with my hands but I will worship the one that did make all things I think GOD will then reveal Himself more and more to you.

One example I have heard is about Helen Keller. No one was able to communicate with her for much of her early life. When a way was found to do so, someone told her about JESUS. She responded...I have known HIM for sometime..I just did not know HIS NAME!

Do YOU know Jesus as Helen did? Check the link below.

Answer 8

Different Christians (and sects of Christianity) have answered this question differently, over the years.

For instance, following Catholic theology, Dante imagined that the "Virtuous Pagans"--good people born *before* Christ's ministry, and therefore unable to accept him (whatever that means)--would be in Hell.

So... that's one answer. :)

Other Christians that I've talked to over the years have suggested that, no, good pagans would get into Heaven... but they still seem awfully keen on "spreading the good word" which is weird, when you think about it, right? I mean, if you can be a good pagan and get into Heaven, then why all the missions, right?

Most have said (and will probably say, here) that: no one can know whose going to Heaven but God, and that we can't presume to know or decide for him. Fair enough, but most of those same Christians usually seem fairly confident in "presuming to know" what God wants on other issues, such as same-sex marriages or Islam or fill-in-the-blank-issue. I've found that most "God works in mysterious ways"/"we can't think as God" type replies are saved for when the question makes the Christian uncomfortable, because they know the answer will sound bad.

In short, I think Christianity tends to be on the "good pagans go to Hell" side... but they'll be squeamish to admit it, and instead say something like "hey--that's up to God, not me," washing their hands of it, Pilate-like.

Answer 9

That's the reason why missions is so important to get the Word out. All will be given the chance to accept Jesus. You do not go to heaven by being good. Only by believing Christ suffered in your place so that you can go to heaven.

Answer 10

Good question! I will ask at my next Bible study because I cannot honestly answer this question, although I have been told that every person of every nation will know the Gospel of Jesus Christ before they leave the earth and that it will be their choice if they accept the gift or deny it.

Answer 11

here's the problem with this: if you say YES YOU GO TO HELL, then you're saying that god is unjust by condemning someone who had no chance. if you say NO, GOD ISN"T LIKE THAT, then the BEST thing a christian could do is keep their religion to themselves and never tell anyone about it, because if none of us knew in the first place, none of us would be sent to hell.