In religion class, my teacher asked a question : "Were not people saved through other religions before the time of Chritianity. ?". He meant that because we believed in God, we are saved, but imagined ancient people who believed in idols or no God, were they not saved !
I've contemplated about the question and I had my own answer for it but I want to see other perspectives.
So please answer in details. Thank you.
2007-12-11 06:09:45 · 4 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Religion does not save people; never did. Never will.
2007-12-11 06:14:47 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
Whether "before" the Incarnation or not, it is clear from God's revelation (Scripture and Tradition) that 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.
2007-12-11 14:14:43 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I'll try to answer this to the best i could,
Before people came to know God, they are bound by these norms of society that they themselves created. These norms determine which act is rightful and which are, let's say, bad. So if these people follow their culture's norms and lived righteously, then I think God will save them.
Like the first answer here, we are accountable to God by our actions.
But honestly, OGK which ones will be saved, and it is not the religion per se that will save people, it's their faith.
2007-12-14 13:31:09 · answer #3 · answered by Kyosukiel 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
According to the apostle Paul, most notably in his letter to the Romans,before Jesus, people were saved based on their faith in the God of Abraham (who just happened to be Jesus, but no one knew that yet). After Jesus came, people were (are) saved based on their faith in the God of Abraham (who is Jesus).
The sacrifice of Jesus is applied retroactively to the sins of the people who died before Jesus came, but who had faith in the God of Abraham.
The Old Testament makes it clear that there is no salvation from any other god.
2007-12-11 14:23:02 · answer #4 · answered by Randy G 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋