So Christians believe that anyone who doesn't believe in Jesus is going to hell?

Question

So Gandhi, Dalai Llama = Hell?

Many, many good people are rotting in hell right now because they didn't believe in Jesus?

And there's nothing wrong with this?

Answer 1

That's the idea. A rich philanthropist who uses science to cure cancer but doesn't believe in Christianity will go to hell, while an insane mass murderer who repents as they close the door to the gas chamber goes to heaven.

And they wonder why more people want nothing to do with their form of "justice."

Answer 2

What we personally believe may not be the issue here since it will be God that does the judging of who will go to hell. If one accepts the promises of Christ Jesus, then Christians can rest with some assurance by faith that their sins are forgiven. I have met many people of other faiths who simply kept on trying so hard to do good and be good in an attempt at reaching Heaven. Now we see strange outcroppings from many faiths who believe martyrdom or self-suicide will buy their way into Paradise. I do not believe that other people will go to hell for not believing what I do, but they sure as heck do not appear to be any closer to Heaven in the exercise of their belief systems. I always pray each day that God keep me close. People have a tendency to wander off like lost sheep.

Answer 3

This is a very good question, and one of the reasons why I am no longer a Christian.

I think there's something very wrong with it, and the primary reason is this: Jesus did NOT come to "save everybody". There were millions of people who were born and died long before He came along, as well as further millions who never had a chance to hear about Him because Christianity, like any other religion, spread by "word of mouth" and other human lines of transmission. If Jesus was so important to eternal salvation, surely God would have been better at getting out the memo, at least in my opinion.

There are answers from within the Christian mythos that say "Jesus went to Hell and saved all the deserving Pagans". This doesn't work for me, for the following reasons.

Let's say you're in Hell, or the "bosom of Abraham" if you prefer. It's reasonable to assume that at that point, having entered the afterlife, you have SEEN the reality of the afterlife and of Hell/God.

Therefore, when Jesus comes to ask you to come with Him, any sensible person, presented with that evidence, would agree to follow Him.

Now let's compare that to the state of affairs with human beings today. We are in a world where the the proof of Hell/God is obviously NOT as evident as it was to those pre-Christian Pagans who were already in the afterlife when Jesus came to them. How can it be fair to ask us to make that same choice and come to the "right" decision, based on our relative lack of evidence?

What it amounts to is that the Pagans in Hell/the bosom of Abraham had a monstrous advantage over us, the people of the modern era. Therefore, this version of God is at best unfair, at worst capricious.

Personally, I prefer to believe that God (if God exists) loves His creation and will turn away no one. I think that the concept of a Hell for unbelievers is a projection of the hopes and fears of His followers rather than a true reflection of His nature.

Answer 4

Basically.
Before Jesus lived on the earth, even the patriarchs trusted in God's faithful kindness for their salvation. God sometimes gave clues to them about their need for more than rules -- their need for a savior due to their sinfulness, because they messed up & the ones really trying to live right realized they fell short of God's perfection & holiness. God sent Jesus to become the "scapegoat" for all the mess we've ever done. He lived perfectly, no matter what the cost ( --His life), so that we could be granted freedom before GOD, in HIS presence, counted as innocent instead of guilty,....because HE in loving & so caring.
Maybe it's like crawling into a storm shelter in Kansas with a tornado heading your way. Will YOU enter in? Do you think others are to blame if you get killed after saying, "Oh, it's just an F4 tornado : I think I'll just sit out here in a rocker with a glass of lemonade." Where would the real fault lie, if that happened? It is YOUR choice, not GOD's. How often little children blame grown-ups when they get in trouble for behaving like buttheads at school, etc., when THEY are the ones choosing what their results will be.
This society is soooo leaning toward an amazing lack of a sense of responsibility & personal accountability these days.

Answer 5

Christians believe that those who deny Christ, when presented the Gospel Truth in the presence of Gods love, will go to hell if they don't repent & confess Jesus Christ their Savior & Lord before they die on this earth.

Regarding Gandhi, it depends on if he denied Christ. The Dalai Llama, I think, has denied Christ at this point in time. But the Dalai can come to God's Saving Grace anytime, if it has been presented to him correctly.

Even one sin will keep someone out of heaven. Even one sin needs to be covered in the Blood of the Lamb. Those that don't have their sins covered, yet never rejected Jesus Christ & Gods saving Grace is in a place of rest until judgment day. They will be judged according to their works (conscience & land laws). Those names not found in the books of life will be thrown into the lake of fire, the 2nd death.

People who thought they were good (actually self-righteous) and rejected God and Gods love, reject God & eternal life. Those people are in hell fire. An example would be a terrorist who denied Jesus Christ died on the cross for sins, denying the resurrection & denied Jesus Christ, the Son of the Living God. Then killed innocent people who he judged as unbelievers & in the name of his god. Or like the milk man who killed school children then himself. They went to hell fire, a place of terror. As Christians we are to forgive them and forgive their families. But God is a righteous judge.


Yes, there is something wrong with your understanding. I am a Christian and I don't believe the way your question suggests.

Answer 6

Hey! those people were given the same chance and choice as everyone else and if you believe in something then that's what you believe. The bible says : Eph 2:8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: I think there is nothing wrong with having a choice in life. Believe in something or not believe. But no one is rotting in hell right now! We haven't seen Armageddon or faced the Rapture. We still have to face God and be Judged by him.I believe in Grace.
G ods
R itches
A t
C hrist's
E xpense
Jesus will be My defense when I'm judged by God! Who will be yours?

Answer 7

That's not true. I'm Christian and that is not what I believe. Nowhere in the bible does it say that Good people go to hell. A person can serve Jesus by doing good even if they don't know it is Jesus they are serving. Jesus himself said this in Matthew 25: 31-46.

God is not impressed with only belief if there is no good works to back it up. There are many Bible verses I could quote you on that one. Jesus said it is only those who choose evil over good who are rejecting Him John 3: 18-21
If you have been led to believe that the Christian teaching is that only belief is good enough and that good people go to hell , that is not the truth.

Answer 8

Well, can you name anyone else that was killed for our sins and rose 3 days later with the keys to death and hell? Everyone else is dead. Jesus rose again and sits at the right hand of the Father, and He gives us the power of the Holy Ghost to overcome! The only thing wrong withthis is that they didn't follow the Plan of Salvation. It is right there in the Bible and has been the same for 2,000 years. You are the only one that can send yourself to hell. God made the way, itis up to us to take it!

Answer 9

I'm a christian and I have a hard time thinking about this one too. But Jesus basically said that anyone who accepts him accepts his father (god) and whoever rejects him rejects god. So it makes sense in a way that if you don't accept christ then why should you spend enternity with him and god.

You have to know gods view on this ..the way the bible writes it something like. We are all good people and god loved us so much that he didn't want anyone to go to hell. so he sent jesus to pay for sins so we wouldn't ever have too. Read John 3:14

Answer 10

The Bible teaches that goodness or wickedness are not determining factors for man's eternal destination.

It teaches that a belief in Jesus Christ is the criteria for getting into heaven. Good works don't count because salvation is based upon grace through faith. However, believing in Jesus Christ has an tendency to make you sin less.

Should you choose to believe otherwise, that is your prerogative.

Answer 11

I believe in Jesus. I also believe that my salvation is my personal responsibility, and not Jesus responsibility, in which I believe is what he did taught. He taught a way, in which translators did not understand which has become the normal ideology of today (sad).

Not accepting Jesus as your personal savior is what Christians believe will lead you to hell, not believing in him, which is a different category all together, and believed to be true to modern Christians.