One person claimed to have Christians "cornered".
He asked what happened to people who were born before Jesus. Will these people go to Hell?
If he actually read the Bible, he would know that the Old Testament talks about a savior coming. The Old Testament authors were clearly talking about Jesus, so they accepted him.
The next atheist argument is that if this is true, then that means only Jews in that lived before Jesus will go to Heaven. This doesn't seem fair when you think about all the people that never got to hear about Judaism.
The rebuttal to this is simple. The prophets tried to get people to worship God and only God, but many people refused and feel away into cults like the ones that worshipped Baal. Many people DID heart the truth.
As far as the ones who didn't, only God knows. We do not pretend to know every single answer.
Agree?
2007-11-06 05:03:36 · 17 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
I am an Atheist and I did not think the other question you are referring to was very thought out or thought provoking.
This not a rebuttal whatsoever he specifically asked that the statement "only God knows" not be used as a logical arguement against his case.
2007-11-06 05:10:05 · answer #1 · answered by deztructshun 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I agree to an extent. They have often tried this argument to show God is unfair. However if you read in Romans you will see those who do not have the law are not judged by the law. When they do the things that the law requires they are a law unto themselves. Thus God will judge those who never heard of Jesus or the Bible by the law which He wrote in their hearts.
Romans 2:11 For there is no respect of persons with God.
Rom 2:12 For as many as have sinned without law shall also perish without law: and as many as have sinned in the law shall be judged by the law;
Rom 2:13 (For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified.
Rom 2:14 For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves:
Rom 2:15 Which shew the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another;)
Rom 2:16 In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel.
2007-11-06 05:14:40 · answer #2 · answered by Bible warrior 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I do agree. It says in the Bible that God will judge people according to what they know. If they have never heard about God or Jesus they can't be blamed for not accepting it. Only God knows what is in our hearts and He will judge us accordingly.
2007-11-06 05:14:46 · answer #3 · answered by Kiana 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
What about the American Indians before the white man came over how were they supposed to get saved? They had no knowledge of Christianity.
2007-11-06 05:12:00 · answer #4 · answered by Small Victories 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
It's a barely adequate rebuttal as most of human population was not Hebrew and indeed had not ever heard of them for many years after Christ was born. Even today around 66% of the population is not Christian and a slightly lower amount has no clue about it.
2007-11-06 05:09:48 · answer #5 · answered by Pirate AM™ 7 · 1⤊ 2⤋
you clearly have very little understanding of christianity, i doubt you even read greek.
dante clearly says in the divine comedy that the justified who lived before the crucifixion are damned (which was standard christian teaching at the time).
in fact before peter abelard the church officially taught that unbaptised infants were condemned to eternal torment (and even after abelard many important christian teachers - including bernard of clairvaux - continued to hold this opinion).
you would like to pretend that christians have always been regular guys.
christians have never been regular guys (have you visited the westboro baptist sites lately)?
2007-11-06 05:13:00 · answer #6 · answered by synopsis 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
there is a verse somewhere in the N.T that mentions
that before Christ those that died without God...die without
God...end of story...
Lets give thanks that we live in the N.T times and Christ
is preached throughout the world...
i often rely on deut. 29:29 as a good answer for most things
we can't figure out.
2007-11-06 05:16:27 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I am fairly sure the point was being made about humans before there was any bible, of any kind.
You have rebutted nothing. No surprise there of course.
2007-11-06 05:27:20 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Jesus never existed
2007-11-06 05:09:00 · answer #9 · answered by neil s 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
my atheism has nothing to do with your god so it's not much of a rebuttal
Of course it goes to prove how silly your religion is - isn't it supposed to have all the answers?
2007-11-06 06:19:03 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋