A question the religious people could not answer...?

Question

Christians, did all Native American or Indigenous people go to hell before Jesus arrived?
They didn't know who Jesus was/is, how does that work? Or how about modern day tribes people in South America for example, they have never seen a Christian or even heard of old J. C., do they automatically go to hell too because they are not with the 'lords gang'? Just curious how that is rationalized.

**Keep in mind, I am referring to hell as the Christian's define heaven and hell.**

Joseph, why are kids excluded? That makes no sense....

Al, my interest in this matter, is that no one seems to have an answer for me.

Answer 1

And the follow-up question, "did all the Neanderthalls and 15 other hominids that are extinct, also go to hell for not knowing Jesus as well as the homo sapiens prior to 60,000 BC who had no ceremonial burials?"

Answer 2

"Just curious how that is rationalized?"

That's the crux of the matter, isn't it? That the question is rationalized. I trust that you're aware that rationalization is to rational, like "the peoples democratic republic of whatever" is to democracy.

Thus, no one is going to be able to give you a satisfactory answer on this one. Not even all Christians agree on the possibility of 'salvation' before Christ, or that of peoples unknowing of Christ in the two millennia since.

As a non-Christian myself, let me point out, though, that the concept of hell itself is a Christian invention. Not even the Judaic tradition from which Christianity grew had such a view.

I'd say just make your own life what you want it to be, and don't sweat the Christians. All they have is control of what they believe -- a far different thing than a monopoly on the truth.

Answer 3

Yes. They are all in hell. (I'm being facetious with that.)
I think there are loopholes: something about different kinds of baptism in Catholicism, for one thing; God loves everyone, other rationalizations.
But you're right, it doesn't make sense. I would've imagined that as soon as the "New World" was discovered, that would invalidate a religion that didn't account for the existence of all those people. But the Western world just started sending missionaries-- did it occur to them that there was a need to rationalize it at the time, or did they just get right to the work of correcting the misinformed primitives? There will always be round-about ways for Christians to explain these things; and if there's not one-- heck, invent one on the spot! "Jesus loves everyone, so of course they went to heaven!"
Confronting Christians about hell is a bit tricky: not all of them even believe in it, really, and for most of them, their individual concepts of hell don't fit with traditional definitions. Try it--say to a Christian: "If I were to drop dead right now in front of you, you are obligated by your faith to believe that I'm headed straight for eternal torment and hellfire. How does that make you feel?" Many of them can't quite believe it, anyway.

Answer 4

You know, that's a great question. I personally have been a Christian my whole life, but when I saw your question I had to stop and really think about what I believe about that. Ok, so here's my conclusion:

I know that God is a God of justice, but also of mercy and grace. I believe that He gives EVERY SINGLE PERSON an opportunity to follow Him. In the case of Native Americans or other indigenous people, there are TONS of stories of missionaries going to some tribe that had never been reached by people, but they found them following and worshipping God! It's true that they didn't have the Bible, and they may not have even known who exactly they were worshipping, but when the missionaries told them about Jesus, they realized that that was who they had been following.

So anyway, I believe that out of His incredible grace and love for us, God gives EVERY PERSON an opportunity to follow Him and accept His offer of forgiveness and eternal life! Whether or not you decide to accept is up to the individual. Hope that helps!!

Answer 5

Isn't it a hoot when you point out the proverbiable stumbling block they just climb up on it an preach away. Of the 2000 and some religions isn't it amazing that everyone of them truly believe that theres is the one and only way.
Here is a case study for all those christians who know that they are going to heaven. Ask every memeder of your congrigation if you know whether you are going to heaven or not. Then make a record of how many say[ Well yes I am going but there are those in this church (or claimers to be christian) that are not and only think they are]???????????

Answer 6

i believe if you don't believe in something then how would it exsist. if you can reject something you know nothing about and just decide it does not make sense, how can you when you knew nothing about it in the first place. also the bible whether people care to know or not says in many ways that those who have never learned the knowledge of Christ shall not be dammed due to their lack of knowing. all people have believed in some God or something to the nature of a God or the God. you should really see and research what different cultures believe in so you may understand what different forms of religion there is out there. again keep in mind just because you don't say you believe means you go to hell. that is if it is real you will choose your destiny on how you live your life to the end. you can be a non believer and die tomorrow and was a good person in life and go to heaven, if there is one. or vise versa you die today and you go to hell because you were a bad person in some way. religion or no religion is a tough subject either way you look at it. life and how it became to start will never be known for real. we just have theories of how we started and how the world and all in it came to be. best wishes to all out there. believe what you want to believe.

Answer 7

Well there is the Apostles Creed in the Old roman "T" version, it speaks of Jesus descending into hell to release the souls of the righteous.

For the record I am an atheist. So for pure arguements sake, those that never knew Christ would be saved because of his descent into Hell.

And besides only God gets to decide who gets in and who doesn't. He is the penultimate bouncer.

Answer 8

Sure this is curiosity? Hate to think you’re just baiting those kind hearted Jesus people.

OK. I will take your good intentions on FAITH. ;-)

Most Monotheistic religions believe God can do anything.

Christianity though holds that God's intrinsic nature constrains Him to be just.
The Christian God cannot do 'anything', He must be fair.

This is problematic since Christians believe man’s basic nature is corrupt, (not sure I disagree on this point) and since man is corrupt, it’s not only fair for God to send us all to hell, God is compelled to do just that because He MUST be fair. Still with me?

Now God is also merciful, but this doesn’t get man off the hook. God can’t forgive us just because He wants too, it wouldn’t be fair.

So God incarnates a part of Himself in the form of Jesus, and gives him the full Mel Gibson. Then God says. “Listen up you vicious little primates. If you accept the bloody brutal death of Christ as what YOU deserve, I will count it as your punishment.”

So what do Christians think will happen to the uninformed?

Well, they like to think God has some sort of plan to offer the Christ deal to those who die uninformed, but they’re not sure. God does after all have the right to damn the whole lot.

And so Christians evangelize. Just in case ignorance does mean damnation.

And even if it doesn’t, a little Jesus does keep the primitives from sacrificing their virgin daughters in volcanoes, or strapping explosives to their sons.

Answer 9

there is no way you can answer this question since it pertains to the past. we do not know what beliefs they had and we certainly don't know what God told them. If someone has never been told about God they are not punished, how could they be punished for something they did not know. Even a person today that dies and has never know Jesus Christ still stands before God. God alone knows everyone's heart and He will be the one to deal with it. Humans try to act like they are so "knowing" but they are not.

Answer 10

According to most Christian beliefs if you do not accept the Lord as your savior then you will go to hell. Children do count for this and only miscarriages, etc go into limbo. This counts for those who have not heard of him. This is why the Jesuits did not understand why the Native Americans did not want to convert because the Jesuits thought they were saving them from hell.