Monday, February 23, 2009

Tough Questions for Christians # 17: Never Heard of Jesus

A 6th century mosaic of :en:Jesus at Church Sa...Image via Wikipedia

The Christian community is divided on exactly what happens to people who don't hear about Jesus. Some very Orthodox views state that these people are simply unfortunate enough to be born into a non-Christian household or non-Christian country, and unless they fix that - and become Christians themselves - they will go to Hell and be punished for their crimes — because God will only forgive Christians.

Others, like KingTheist in your responses to my questions 1 & 2, you appear to be saying the ONLY unforgivable sin is actually consciously rejecting Jesus. Therefore those who never hear about him don't have a chance to knowingly reject him. Therefore they also can be saved in the afterlife.

For those who think that someone will be tortured in Hell for not accepting a story they never heard, your God is a monster - so this question doesn't really apply to you.

For the rest of you, for those of you who believe that if someone never hears about Jesus they can still be saved, this question is addressed to you.

According to that view, people who haven't heard of Jesus are saved automatically, that means a person is born with a free ticket to Heaven because they're born without hearing about Jesus. It's only when missionaries come and tell you about Jesus that you get the opportunity to reject him. If you're never given that opportunity, then you can never consciously reject Jesus, and you can never be sent to Hell.

If that theory is correct, and people are saved - who don't know about Jesus - because they can't consciously reject him, then why would anyone knowingly spread the gospel? Why would anyone share the story with someone else and give them the opportunity to sentence themselves to eternal torture?

If people are saved without knowing about Jesus, why would you ever tell them?

TOUGH QUESTION FOR CHRISTIANS #17
If people can ONLY be damned if they consciously reject Jesus, why tell anyone about him?


originally posted on YouTube at: www.youtube.com/azatheist



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2 comments:

  1. UnknownMarch 13, 2009 at 2:21 PM

    Having no knowledge about Jesus is no excuse for transgressing God Law. This is why we have the great commission to go out to the four corners of the world to preach the gospels. If you committed a crime that you did not know existed and you said to the judge that you did not know that it was a crime should the judge let you go free. I think not.

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  2. AshleyOctober 6, 2009 at 4:35 AM

    Yuck at the last response.

    I am still trying to figure out this question myself. After having truly met Jesus ("became" a Christian at 7, lived the life, but just met Him at 22).

    Our idea of a judge is not necessarily an accurate depiction of God as judge. God is not up there behind a giant podium condemning those who honestly have no idea. That is not love. I know Jesus can present himself to anyone in the middle of the jungle (because God meets us where we are at, I have a hunch that He will present himself in such a way that the person of that culture can understand Him). This still does not answer the question at all, but I think gives another altnerative

    But having been freed from perfectionist, black and white fear-based thinking in regards to God, and having met Him and experienced His saving love and grace in a very real way, I know that the answer is probably very simple, I just haven't heard it yet.

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