Questions about religions

[spanish_emperor]

The bible and the Koran say those who did not believe in their religion go to hell.
i was wondering did people like Julius Caeser go to hell and others that died before Jesus and Mohammad were born because they didn't believe in any of their religions?
Also, what about those who live in places where they have never heard nor never hear of one or the other and die not hearing about it. Do they go to hell?
What about those babies who have no knowledge of religion or its term and can't even speak yet die so soon, do they go to hell?
And finally, why did God create us but not give us a path to follow (religion). Yet suddenly he sees it is necessary. This would imply he made a mistake to think humans don't need to be guided and therefore he is not almighty and can make errors too!?

[Leeham991]

If you take religion seriously we are all going to hell.

[Fight!]

The bible and the Koran say those who did not believe in their religion go to hell.
i was wondering did people like Julius Caeser go to hell and others that died before Jesus and Mohammad were born because they didn't believe in any of their religions?
Also, what about those who live in places where they have never heard nor never hear of one or the other and die not hearing about it. Do they go to hell?
What about those babies who have no knowledge of religion or its term and can't even speak yet die so soon, do they go to hell?
And finally, why did God create us but not give us a path to follow (religion). Yet suddenly he sees it is necessary. This would imply he made a mistake to think humans don't need to be guided and therefore he is not almighty and can make errors too!?

I am a Christian and will answer these questions to the best of my ability on behalf of my kind until a more knowledgable Christian comes along.

1. To my knowledge those that died before the time of jesus were to wait in purgatory until they could be judged. I'm not sure what they were judged on, but I believe Jews and possibly other monotheists would be accepted into heaven.
2. I believe they would be grouped with those too young to understand (not quite sure "understand" is the correct term, but those below a certain age are believed to got to heaven. This age ranges from 13-18 depending on who you ask)
3. They go to heaven.
4. God made humans as unintelligent (or at least unwise), yet gave us choice. While I have not researched into the theories that some part of genesis may be figurative or something of the sort, according to Genesis: Eve (woman made from Adam, only other human) ate from a tree that God told them not to eat from after being tempted a fallen archangel known as lucifer who appeared in the form of a snake. Because of this, sin was introduced into the world. Religion had actually existed, and before jesus's coming all jews would go to heaven after purgatory. Jesus was sent and religion was merely adjusted.

God is indeed almight, but if he made a mistake that would not imply that he is not almighty. Being almighty means he can do anything you could possibly imagine and then some. He is also Omniscient and Omnipotent.

[Monarchist]

Unfortunately, nicoisbest, only Roman Catholics seem to believe in Purgatory. What about everyone else, eh?

This is my biggest problem with believing any one religion. I have faith in God - the God, who does not need a Bible to justify His existence, but the trees, canyons, music, etc., all around us. Believe what you will, and hope that God will see you as having been good in the end. There's really no point in asking "Will X go to Hell?" or "Will Y go to Heaven?", because we are just human beings. Let someone else answer that, or let it float on the air in silence and death. Both work for me.

[Fight!]

Actually, I do not believe God intended the bible to come into existence. I believe his followers just so happened to right religious works (with or without his aid I cannot say) and some of those works just so happened to be compiled in what is now known as the bible.

Though I am not catholic, protestants believe in purgatory as well.

[Caledonian Rhyfelwyr]

Though I am not catholic, protestants believe in purgatory as well.

No they don't.

Regarding the OP, God has been in covenant with mankind since the days of Adam. Also, plenty of people were 'saved' before Jesus came, by placing their trust in him as their redeemer. Otherwise, how would King David and all the OT saints be said to be in Abraham's Bosom?

However, obviously not every individual has known of God since then, since mankind continually broke each of the Old Covenants (whether Adamic, Noahide, Mosaic, etc). I do not think that those individuals who never come to accept Christ can be 'saved'. Chrisitanity isn't about the decisions we make and the works we do... it's about being born again, which comes by the faith Christ gives us when he removes our hearts of stone for a heart of flesh.

Anyone who does not have such a transformation cannot enter Heaven. And I don't see why this makes God unjust... remember, sin is just an act, it is a condition, and the natural one of all mankind.

[CtrlAltDe1337]

The bible and the Koran say those who did not believe in their religion go to hell.
i was wondering did people like Julius Caeser go to hell and others that died before Jesus and Mohammad were born because they didn't believe in any of their religions?
Also, what about those who live in places where they have never heard nor never hear of one or the other and die not hearing about it. Do they go to hell?
What about those babies who have no knowledge of religion or its term and can't even speak yet die so soon, do they go to hell?
And finally, why did God create us but not give us a path to follow (religion). Yet suddenly he sees it is necessary. This would imply he made a mistake to think humans don't need to be guided and therefore he is not almighty and can make errors too!?

These are important questions but easily answered. People before Jesus could be saved the same way people after Jesus are: by believing/trusting in the Savior, Jesus Christ. In their case, the savior who should come in the future; in our case, the savior who has already come.

About places where they have never heard the Gospel; they have the witness of their conscience to show them what is right and wrong. And nature declares the glory of God no matter where you live. No one has an excuse for offending God, and so all may be justly punished. If they are sorrowful and desire to repent, God will make a way for them to be saved, either by bringing them to the Gospel, or by bringing the Gospel to them. And that is what is happening as missionaries carry the word of God unto the uttermost parts of the earth.

About babies; we don't know, honestly. And I do not like to speculate. I would like to think they go to heaven, but I don't know.

About your last point I don't know what you mean. God has given you a path to follow; he has given you the creation to gaze upon and see the handiwork of the Creator, and he has given you a conscience to tell you what is right and wrong. And all men have a desire for spiritual things, even if they aren't quite sure what exactly they are looking for. I don't know what else he could do without setting up a giant "RELIGION 101" billboard.

[Monarchist]

These are important questions but easily answered. People before Jesus could be saved the same way people after Jesus are: by believing/trusting in the Savior, Jesus Christ. In their case, the savior who should come in the future; in our case, the savior who has already come.

About places where they have never heard the Gospel; they have the witness of their conscience to show them what is right and wrong. And nature declares the glory of God no matter where you live.

My friend, as much as I respect you, I cannot agree with you. If God's glory is all over the world and man's conscience shows them what is right and wrong, why did God even send Jesus down at all? Your second paragraph doesn't even need Jesus to have existed. God made conscience, and the glory of nature has existed forever.

The first paragraph also bothers me. How could people before Jesus believe/trust in the Savior when He had not been born? Isn't that difficult?

[Fight!]

Let me rephrase my statement, some protestants believe in purgatory.

[Tiberius Tosi]

The Bible itself even says that sin is relative, hence if someone lives in a time and culture in which suicide is seen as honorable they will not be punished the same as someone who is Christian and knows that it is treated as a sin. Likewise if someone lives in a time and place in which Christianity was not presented to them, they therefore could not have known about God and are not to blame for not believing in him, and only God knows their true potential for if they would have or wouldn't have if given the opportunity, and are judged accordingly to that and their sins that they did knowingly commit. A sin requires it to be intentional and knowing, and while not believing in God (or more correctly, rejecting God, technically not believing may not be a sin depending on how you read it) may be a sin, if one does not know it is and does not know that that God "exists" (in the abstract term not to offend or say any religion is more correct than the other) then it is not a sin.

However having knowledge of and rejecting (a) "God" is.

As for other religions, it is my belief that as long as someone believes in something and are trying to better themselves and be closer to "God" (be it God or an abstract idea like Nirvana) then they are living a life of God only in a different way. Just as almost all Christians have differing opinions, it is my opinion that other religions are just differing opinions that appeal to different cultures.

Newborn babies do not go to hell.