1492, 1400 years after Jesus died. what happened to the hundreds of thousands of native american indians who lived during these 1400 years, did they go to hell because no one sailed over and told them about Jesus?
and if God found a way for them, what's stopping him from finding a way for the daoists, and buddhists, and hindus, and so forth and so on
2007-05-02 15:54:51 · 23 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
my personal thoughts on this:
All religions have a God. If you research many different religions will will find massive similarities (although different terminology) within the Gods. Odds are we are all worshiping the same God.
Native Americans are in general, deeply spiritual. That is one thing that has remained constant throughout time.
All religions may not worship the exact same ideals, but with the research the odds of them worshipping the same God is huge. You say potato, I say potatoe.
2007-05-02 16:48:39 · answer #1 · answered by Chrissy 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
He has found a way for the daoists, buddhists and hindus and so on to get into Heaven. Jesus said, "I am THE way..." He didn't say He was one of many, but THE way to the Father. The only way to Heaven is to accept Jesus as our Savior. Thus, it is our responsibility to spread the Word of God around the world.
As far as those who haven't heard the Word preached God did make provision for them. Since we are created of God, the Bible tells us that God's Word is written on our hearts. There also is the witness of God's creation. Every morning there is a sunrise, flowers blooming, birds singing, a child cooing... there is a witness of God's truth.
A good example of this is Abraham. The Bible doesn't talk of Abraham's family being highly religious. No where does it say that anyone in his family served God. All it says is that the Lord spoke to Abraham. Yet, somehow Abraham realized the truth about God and came to know Him and serve Him with great Faith. God made Himself known to Abraham and God can make Himself known to those He choses.
2007-05-02 23:18:26 · answer #2 · answered by ComicWriter 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
That is a very good, but extremely complicated question.
First, the big picture answer, which I know will not satisfy you, but it needs to be stated anyway, is that God has it under control.
Second, the Bible says that some are created to be saved, and some are created for destruction. This means that there are people out there who are simply not "destined" to be saved, and I postulate that the people you speak of may perhaps be one of those.
Now, if we examine that second idea, then one could conclude logically, that it is extremely unfair for God to sentence a person to an infinite burning, searing, agonizing eternal existance by fiat because that's what they were created for. Such a doctrine is a slap in the face of what God really is and what he stands for.
The reality is that nobody is going to be sentenced to an infinite time in a burning sulfur pit for a finite list of offenses. That was all scare tactics used by the medieval church to get converts.
Another important concept is that of predestination, which tells us that some are predestined to be saved and the rest are not. The good news is, that after the burning of the chaff is done, the chaff will no longer exist, and the wheat will no longer remember them.
2007-05-02 23:11:06 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
After Jesus died on the Cross, when People Seek GOD, but there was no way to Learn about Jesus, but they Sought GOD and Believed in HIM (like the Indians did, "Great Spirit") They Got Born-Again, later they found out Who made it Possible.
GOD is Mercyful.
All you gotta do is give HIM a Chance, HE'll get you to Heaven!
Ditto....................
2007-05-02 23:21:51 · answer #4 · answered by maguyver727 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
God is not so unrighteous as to judge those who never heard of him. In the Resurrection of the dead after the Armageddon, then the unrighteous (those never knowing God) will be resurrected and given a chance to be taught rightness
in Gods new order.
Then if they still choose to be disobedient to God they are gone, if they are teachable and humble, then they choose everlasting life in Gods Kingdom.
That even includes the Aztec Priest who cut out living hearts for sacrifice. Ignorance, in Gods eyes is an excuse for retraining! But, don't screw up twice!
2007-05-02 23:03:40 · answer #5 · answered by bugsie 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse. - Romans 1:20
All who sin apart from the law will also perish apart from the law, and all who sin under the law will be judged by the law. 13For it is not those who hear the law who are righteous in God's sight, but it is those who obey the law who will be declared righteous. 14(Indeed, when Gentiles, who do not have the law, do by nature things required by the law, they are a law for themselves, even though they do not have the law, 15since they show that the requirements of the law are written on their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness, and their thoughts now accusing, now even defending them.) 16This will take place on the day when God will judge men's secrets through Jesus Christ, as my gospel declares. - Romans 2:12-16
2007-05-02 23:01:16 · answer #6 · answered by Snowman paul 1 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Nice two part question.
I've heard the 'desert island' response used many times by Christians. I don't know the biblical foundation, but basically, babies, and people who are incapable of understanding the Jesus concept, and people who were never told about Christ: are all exempt from damnation because they weren't given a choice. They will be judged as assumedly saved, if they were given the choice.
Optimism.
2007-05-02 23:00:05 · answer #7 · answered by cwecksrun 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
No one will go to hell because they haven’t heard of Jesus Christ. The heathen will go to hell for murder, rape, adultery, lust, theft, lying, etc. Sin is not failing to hear the gospel. Rather, "sin is the transgression of the Law" (1 John 3:4). If we really care about the lost, we will become missionaries and take the good news of God’s forgiveness in Christ to them.
2007-05-02 23:15:07 · answer #8 · answered by Jason M 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
What I have heard is: God reveals Himself through what a person knows and has experienced. If a person has never been taught about Christianity, obviously, they can't believe in it. God takes care of ALL and doesn't abandon anyone. We are held accountable for what we know and have experienced. If a person, who has never been introduced to Christ, has really lived their lives as best they can from what they have been taught - then they are living they way of Christ.
2007-05-02 23:10:03 · answer #9 · answered by AutumnLilly 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
"Christ died for the sins of all mankind". This includes everyone who has or ever will live. God is the Judge, not us. We know what we need to do to be saved, but from there it's obviously Gods business and His alone.
2007-05-02 23:08:59 · answer #10 · answered by expertless 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋