Re: Couple questions about Christianity
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1. Before Jesus, were all people sent to Heaven? Or were they all sent to Hell?
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There are no specifics laid out in the Bible about this. Paul, in Romans, states that Abraham is the example for all because he "believed God and it was counted to him for righteousness". Obviously, he didn't have faith in Jesus Christ as we know Him, as He hadn't been born yet. Paul also talks about how God reveals Himself to all people, though he doesn't tie this in specifically to Christ. So orthodox Christianity usually says that God saves those who have faith in Him without trying to lay down a set of rules for those who haven't heard of Christ.
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If this is the case, then how do missionaries justify doing what they do?
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I don't believe anyone thinks that someone will be lost after hearing the gospel who would otherwise have been saved had they not heard. Jesus told His disciples to go to all the world and preach the gospel, so it's not correct to say this causes people to be lost.
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