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From what I know, I think this is very possible. To me it's very spiritual but non religious. Which is more my bag. Religion in my opinion is man-made to control people. Especially poor people and women.
It appears we agree on religion, but I don't see you as being very spiritual.
According to many Christians, yes. Anyone who didn't get baptized and 'saved' went to hell. Even if they never had the opportunity to learn. Says a lot about their religion right there.
What does it say about Christianity, exactly?
Say everybody in the world was eating poop and got stomach-aches. And then one wise man came along and told his tribe to stop eating poop. Would it be wrong to say that all the poop-eaters (past and present) are wrong? That if you don't follow the wise man's way, you are condemned to suffer stomach-aches for eternity?
Mind you, I am playing Devil's (or should I say God's) advocate here, but I believe this is the Christians' position. Wrongs done unknowingly can still hurt you and others. Doing them knowingly is no better either. Convert or roast. Your choice.
According to many Christians, yes. Anyone who didn't get baptized and 'saved' went to hell. Even if they never had the opportunity to learn. Says a lot about their religion right there.
That is why we are supposed to do things like that missionary. Go to an Island with that Tribe who isn't part of the modern world, has never heard of Jesus, to spread the 'Good News'. Otherwise, their blood is on our hands. As I understand it, that idiot died but he relived himself of his responsibility by trying. You can tell I think this is dumb, but I am pointing out the 'logic' behind people who don't know being punished. That is our fault. For not getting to them in time.
And if we go and tell of Jesus and they reject it, then they did have a chance and now it's on them. However, they will get another chance. That is the other loophole. When Jesus comes a second time.
All the Muslims and Jews and non-believers will get 'Left Behind' and have another shot.
That is why we are supposed to do things like that missionary. Go to an Island with that Tribe who isn't part of the modern world, has never heard of Jesus, to spread the 'Good News'. Otherwise, their blood is on our hands. As I understand it, that idiot died but he relived himself of his responsibility by trying. You can tell I think this is dumb, but I am pointing out the 'logic' behind people who don't know being punished. That is our fault. For not getting to them in time.
And if we go and tell of Jesus and they reject it, then they did have a chance and now it's on them. However, they will get another chance. That is the other loophole. When Jesus comes a second time.
All the Muslims and Jews and non-believers will get 'Left Behind' and have another shot.
He was stupid to do what he did. I don't think the first missionaries did that. Those people repelled many others who tried to do the same thing. He first needed to find one person whom the tribe trusted to get their trust.
First, the Bible does not say there is a hell. It says there is a Second Death, which is spiritual death - total destruction of the spirit without parole or remedy. God is not the manager of a subterranean torture chamber. When a sinner dies their spirit is permanently destroyed.
Christ DID reveal Himself to the world - in the person of His apostles and future missionaries of the gospel. As of this writing almost everyone on the planet has heard a variation of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
But what is the gospel?
The word gospel means 'good news'. The gospel of Jesus Christ is the revelation that God will endow eternal life to those who accept Christ as their Lord and Savior. Anyone who does this will be given a portion of God's eternal life. Those that do no will suffer the Second Death.
The Bible does NOT teach that there is some sort of indestructible portion of a human that survives physical death. Quite the contrary, the Bible teaches that only God has eternal life. (1 Timothy 6:16) The Bible also tells us that man is morta and subject to death. "My Spirit will not contend with humans forever, for they are mortal; - Genesis 6:3a
When the question of global salvation arises, the answer that's expected is that one only needs to be good. The Bible says nobody is good. Goodness cannot save. Only the Second Birth in Christ can save.
Is it fair? Certainly not. The Bible never says God is fair. It says God is just and that's quite a different thing.
Each person gets what they want. If they want to live their lives apart from God they will be restricted from eternal life because of their refusal of God during their earthly existence. If a person asks Christ into their lives and seeks to follow His ways during their life on earth then they will be granted God's life in eternity.
God is just and gives life according to what they've done about Jesus Christ.
that's me, hollering from the choir loft....
Good post. I agree with much of what you said here. The concept of hell and eternal punishment just doesn't make sense. There is no reason why God would just keep people locked up in torment forever. It serves no purpose. God's desire is to wipe out all evil and sin for good from all existence. So people who choose to reject God and follow the path of sin will be wiped out. I don't believe that God is going to give people some kind of pseudo physical body that can experience the pain of fire but not burn up to ash, forever and forever. And it would have to be some kind of physical body because of the verses that talks about weeping and gnashing of teeth. Also, Matthew 10:28 says God will destroy both body and soul. That's good enough for me to not believe in a literal unending hell.
I know what they did to the Native Americans, it's not all peaches and cream.
Yes, the state used them but why throw the baby out with the bath water. They were taught to stop doing human sacrifices and about Jesus. Many converted.
Yes, the state used them but why throw the baby out with the bath water. They were taught to stop doing human sacrifices and about Jesus. Many converted.
So the Salem witch hunts and Spanish auto-da-fe's were not human sacrifices because they were done by Christians?
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