What happens to non-Christians, atheists, and agnostics when they die?

Question

Many Christian fundamentalists will say that only those who believe in Christ as the Son of God will go to heaven. Do they believe that people of other faiths end up in hell? That athiests and agnostics end up in hell? That would mean that countless billions of souls are going to hell. And what about people who are raised in other faiths and have never been exposed to Christianity?

What do you think? What do you believe?

It has often been said that when those who have not heard the Gospels die that they will be afforded an opportunity to hear them and experience them. Basically, God will give them a chance to accept Him. But when you think about it, it would be impossible for someone to refuse that offer. At that moment you would know that it is indeed God. Perhaps that would be a just predictament for one who never did even hear about God in their life. But what about those who have been exposed to the Christian message but refused it? Couldn't they too get a second chance? Maybe people do not become Christian simply because of cultural circumstances.

I also think that an important point about this question is that there is a Bible passage (I foeget where it is) where Christ descends into hell after being crucifed. There, according to some people, he preaches to those souls who came before him and never had the chance to know him.
Does a loving God ever turn his back on anyone?

Answer 1

Same as what happens to Christians. The lights go out, our consciousness shuts down, and the body starts to decompose within about two minutes of death.

What planet do you live on where you imagine that atheists think there is a HELL?

Answer 2

Wow what a good question!! Congratulations two times! First because with your question you have also given the answer, you have just spelled out how ridiculous the whole thing is. Secondly because now you have given yourself more space to do your homework on what is really going on, and you will find your answer as long as you do not follow the rest of the herd. Conventional wisdom is what is out there, and if everybody know the same thing to be true it is probably wrong. The answer is that there is no hell just as there is no god, at least not in the sense of the bible's stories. Ever wonder what if the word god should have been just called LIFE? We all came from it and we all return to the same place! Do not worry about man, god's crazy!

Oh no wait, i should not have said that because now I wont find heaven through the clouds nor the key to heavens door.
Do you really believe billions of people are going to hell? Seriously! When a believer tells you that you are going to hell, because i have been told that myself, i never argue them because it is an utter waste of time, i just let it be, you see misery needs company. It does make me wonder with expressions like that though, could they be the devil himself?

Take care brother and be well, good luck, life and health!

Answer 3

Jesus himself said "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father but through me."
He did not say that he was a way, a truth, or a life.
He was either who he claimed to be (the Son of God) or he was a wacko. No in between.
I believe Christianity is the truth and there is no other way to be saved except by believing in Jesus for the forgiveness of sin.
Most people who have ever lived will end up eternally separated from God. I know that for most this sounds like nonsense or repulsive but the truth can hurt.
Romans 3:23-24 "all have sinned and fall short of the glory of
God"

Answer 4

No, Christians have no power to say who will go to hell or to heaven...only God knows that. But I have read in the Bible that people that did not know Christ and did not hear about Christianity will be judged by God according to how they listened to their conscience because they have the Law of God written in their hearts..the conscience

Answer 5

Do you believe in Heaven and Hell? According to God's word we cannot even enter His presence but through his Son, Jesus Christ. So how can we enter Heaven without the Son?

Answer 6

All people are accountable to God whether they have “heard about Him” or not. The Bible tells us that God has clearly revealed Himself in nature (Romans 1:20) and in the hearts of people (Ecclesiastes 3:11). The problem is that the human race is sinful; we all reject this knowledge of God and rebel against Him (Romans 1:21-23). Apart from God's grace, God would give us over to the sinful desires of our hearts, allowing us to discover how useless and miserable life is apart from Him. This He does for those who reject Him (Romans 1:24-32).
In reality, it is not that some people have not heard about God. Rather, the problem is that they have rejected what they have heard and what is readily seen in nature. Deuteronomy 4:29 proclaims, “But if from there you seek the LORD your God, you will find him if you look for him with all your heart and with all your soul.” This verse teaches an important principle: everyone who truly seeks after God will find Him. If a person truly desires to know God, God will make Himself known.
The problem is, “there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God” (Romans 3:11). People reject the knowledge of God that is present in nature and in their own heart, and instead decide to worship a “god” of their own creation. It is foolish to debate the fairness of God sending someone to hell who never had the opportunity to hear the Gospel of Christ. People are responsible to God for what God has already revealed to them. The Bible says that people reject this knowledge, and therefore God is just in condemning them to hell.
Instead of debating the fate of those who have never heard, we, as Christians, should be doing our best to make sure that they hear. We are called to spread the Gospel throughout the nations (Matthew 28:19-20; Acts 1:8). The fact that we know people reject the knowledge of God revealed in nature must motivate us to proclaim the good news of salvation through Jesus Christ. Only through accepting the Gospel of God’s grace through the Lord Jesus Christ can people be saved from their sins and rescued from an eternity apart from God in hell.
If we assume that those who never hear the Gospel are granted mercy from God, we will run into a terrible problem. If people who never hear the Gospel are saved…we should make sure that no one ever hears the Gospel. The worst thing we could do would be share the Gospel with a person and have him or her reject it. If that were to happen, he or she would be condemned. People who do not hear the Gospel must be condemned, or else there is no motive for evangelism. Why run the risk of people possibly rejecting the Gospel and condemning themselves – when they were previously saved because they had never heard the Gospel?

Answer 7

All people will have their own chance to hear and accept or reject the gospel. Some will only have their full ability to hear about the gospel just previous to the final judgement. Most people will receive some level of heaven.

Answer 8

I can tell you what will happen to this atheist. My brain will cease to function. I will donate my body to science. Everyone darn well better be grief stricken that I am gone! ;-)

I do not believe in an afterlife. I have no fear of hell, because only a monster would create such a place and I have no desire to spend eternity with a monster, even if I did believe.

Answer 9

As a Christian I believe that if they were truly a kind and genuine person, then God will accept them into heaven. This world needs love and God knows it.

Answer 10

I don't think they go to hell i think lee greenwood said it best when he sang the battle hymn of the republic: sifting out the hearts of men before his judgement seat. I believe that it doesn't matter what faith we are of, but what is in our soul and hear when we die. Upon that we are based, and not our faith. I also believe my creator places me where i need to be whether that be in heaven or in hell if such places do happen to exist. But truth is relative and we each need to find our truth.