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What if you died prior to Jesus? Or you're legitimately insane and the voices have convinced you that someone else is God? Or if missionaries never find you? Or you die at birth? Or an evangelical tells you that God hates you?

Don't get me wrong, I think salvation is a wonderful concept but the limited way that some people people present it seems to leave a great number of innocent people unsaved.

You presented excellent questions; I had questions very similar to yours in the beginning of my Christian theology studies. In the end, I located a website that I have found to be very useful; I still utilize it today. I hope the hyperlinks I provided help bring resolution to your questions; the website has always served to be a great source of information regarding Christian theology. It virtually answers all questions that come to mind.

What happened to those who believed in God before Jesus?

www.gotquestions.org/before-Jesus.html

Do mentally ill people go to heaven? Does God show mercy to those who are mentally retarded, challenged, disabled, or handicapped?

www.gotquestions.org/mentally-challenged.html

What happens to those who have never heard about Jesus?

www.gotquestions.org/never-heard.html

Where do I find the age of accountability in the Bible? What happens to babies and young children when they die?

www.gotquestions.org/age-of-accountability.html

I like that God saves us from God's wrath. The irony is priceless. It's like a drunk parent attacking his children, but with enough inner awareness to yell "jump left" as he punches right and hopes we avoid.

Originally posted by DigiMark007
I like that God saves us from God's wrath. The irony is priceless. It's like a drunk parent attacking his children, but with enough inner awareness to yell "jump left" as he punches right and hopes we avoid. Ha. Awesome analogy.

Originally posted by DigiMark007
I like that God saves us from God's wrath. The irony is priceless. It's like a drunk parent attacking his children, but with enough inner awareness to yell "jump left" as he punches right and hopes we avoid.
You must remember that while God is eternally loving, he is also eternally just. When Adam and Eve betrayed his command in the Garden of Eden; His eternally just self would not allow it to go unpunished. This is why he sent Christ, Himself in human form, as a sacrifice to appease that original sin.

The manner in which God provides salvation preserves man's free will--the freedom to make choices. We are not robots; and God saves us from ourselves--our own defiance. This is an important part of Christian theology; you professed to be Catholic. You should understand this; at minimum, you should know enough not to be jovial. If you think salvation of this manner is silly (or hard to swallow) keep it to youself, please. There is nothing wrong with having a different opinion on matters, but please be respectful. You certainly do a lot of name calling on this forum, and it really needs to stop. Please, there is no other way.

But there is nothing to be saved from.

According to Christian theology, God saves mankind through His Son (Jesus the Christ) from eternal seperation from God Himself (hell). But mankind cannot receive salvation on one's own merit; it's impossible. Hence, Jesus the Christ. Salvation is a gift from God; simply realize that you are a sinner, repent, and ask for God's forgiveness--in Jesus' name of course. If your heart is true, you will be blessed with the Holy Spirit (adding conviction in your life) to serve God. You will be "born again." You will not be perfect, but sin will no longer be the corner stone of your life; sin will be an exception. Even Mother Theresa sinned, but she was (and is) saved. God's redemptive plan is simple.

Originally posted by DigiMark007
I like that God saves us from God's wrath. The irony is priceless. It's like a drunk parent attacking his children, but with enough inner awareness to yell "jump left" as he punches right and hopes we avoid.

Originally posted by ushomefree
You presented excellent questions; I had questions very similar to yours in the beginning of my Christian theology studies. In the end, I located a website that I have found to be very useful; I still utilize it today. I hope the hyperlinks I provided help bring resolution to your questions; the website has always served to be a great source of information regarding Christian theology. It virtually answers all questions that come to mind.

What happened to those who believed in God before Jesus?

www.gotquestions.org/before-Jesus.html

Do mentally ill people go to heaven? Does God show mercy to those who are mentally retarded, challenged, disabled, or handicapped?

www.gotquestions.org/mentally-challenged.html

What happens to those who have never heard about Jesus?

www.gotquestions.org/never-heard.html

Where do I find the age of accountability in the Bible? What happens to babies and young children when they die?

www.gotquestions.org/age-of-accountability.html

Thank you.

The first section essentially allows the claim that "all religions are a path to god". If we are tasked with interpreting which of the recent revelations are part of God's message wouldn't that make all religions equally valid? Islam and Mormonism, for example, both claim to be expansions of God's word.

I like the answer provided for the questions about the mentally ill.

The answer to never having heard of God poses the same problem as the first one. If it is possible for people in the middle of nowhere to see God in nature and be saved why be Christian?

The question about children seems to contradict itself to seem more empathetic.
It starts with:
"The Bible tells us that even if an infant or child has not committed personal sin, all people, including infants and children, are guilty before God because of inherited and imputed sin." but then discusses an age of accountability. The two concepts aren't compatible, either babies are sinful in the eyes of God or God can recognize their innocence.

Well, are you going to think more about it and study or just hold true to your first gut-reaction?

What is the passage? I'm going to try and show you something.

transfinitum feel free to read my other thread did god set humans up to fail, on the next page

Let me try and find something for you; this is a great time to demonstrate how knowledgeable Bible thologians are.

Psalm 51:5 reads, "Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me."

Problem: David claimed that he was "conceived" in sin in this mother's womb. However, he could not have actually sinned at the moment of conception, since he had no moral consciousness or free will which are necessary for moral acts (see Isa. 7:15; John 9:41).

Solution: This text does not support the view that a human embryo is merely a potential human being, as opposed to an actual human being. This is evident for several reasons.

First, even if it were teaching that humans are potential sinners from conception, it does not follow that they are potential humans.

Second, in whatever sense the unborn are declared sinner from the point of conception, it reveals, nevertheless, that they are human, that is, they are part fo the fallen human race. For it is only by virtue of being part of the Adamic human race that we are conceived in sin.



Give me another verse, and I'll look it up.

I referenced KMC member profiles, and, to my delight, noticed that some have attached pictures; it was nice to put a face to the posts. I decided, in return, to post this picture of Anjali--my girlfriend--and I.

Originally posted by ushomefree
According to Christian theology, God saves mankind through His Son (Jesus the Christ) from eternal seperation from God Himself (hell). But mankind cannot receive salvation on one's own merit; it's impossible. Hence, Jesus the Christ. Salvation is a gift from God; simply realize that you are a sinner, repent, and ask for God's forgiveness--in Jesus' name of course. If your heart is true, you will be blessed with the Holy Spirit (adding conviction in your life) to serve God. You will be "born again." You will not be perfect, but sin will no longer be the corner stone of your life; sin will be an exception. Even Mother Theresa sinned, but she was (and is) saved. God's redemptive plan is simple.
A gift is something acquired without compensation. Some effort or some actions are required by the believer in order to achieve deliverance. It is not a gift, otherwise there would be no need for a prophet to communicate the message of salvation to humanity.

Originally posted by ushomefree
Psalm 51:5 reads, "Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me."

Problem: David claimed that he was "conceived" in sin in this mother's womb. However, he could not have actually sinned at the moment of conception, since he had no moral consciousness or free will which are necessary for moral acts (see Isa. 7:15; John 9:41).

Solution: This text does not support the view that a human embryo is merely a potential human being, as opposed to an actual human being. This is evident for several reasons.

First, even if it were teaching that humans are potential sinners from conception, it does not follow that they are potential humans.

Second, in whatever sense the unborn are declared sinner from the point of conception, it reveals, nevertheless, that they are human, that is, they are part fo the fallen human race. For it is only by virtue of being part of the Adamic human race that we are conceived in sin.



Give me another verse, and I'll look it up.

That doesn't really answer my question.

Symmetric Chaos-

Fair enough; I misunderstood you, possibly. Elaborate on your question.