Couple questions about Christianity

[Double Down]

Hi. Non Christian here wondering if someone could answer a couple questions for me.

1. Before Jesus, were all people sent to Heaven? Or were they all sent to Hell?
If they were all sent to Heaven, then why would God send Jesus down? Why create this opportunity for people to go to Hell? Also, if they were all sent to Heaven, then who if not humans were in Hell before Jesus?

2. I was always told by my Christian friends that those who did not have an opportunity to find out about Christianity and therefore can't accept Jesus (such as indigenous peoples in remote areas) are given the benefit of the doubt and get to go to heaven. If this is the case, then how do missionaries justify doing what they do?

[Double Down]

Anyone?

[Peter666]

To answer:

1. Neither. Those people who died with a good conscience and no sins against the commandments or natural law that were not repented for either went to purgatory or limbo. Heaven was not open until the Ressurection of Christ.

2. They get the benefit of the doubt but do not go to Heaven unless they fit the criteria above and would have wanted to be baptized if possible. Without the missionaries providing grace with the sacraments, it is very difficult to get to Heaven.

[RJT]

DD,

May I hijack this thread for a second? (Especially since I think Peter answered your question).


Peter,

I got the feeling in your post under the abortion thread that you felt that the New Catechism of the Catholic Church had some parts in it that you considered heresy. Yet, this statement here of yours is similar to wording of the CCC regarding non baptized infants and limbo (or rather CCC not talking about limbo and infants): “ They get the benefit of the doubt…”. Perhaps it is the rest of your sentence “… unless they fit the criteria above and would have wanted to be baptized if possible”, that is not included and because it is not included is heretical? Is this what you were saying there? If not, then what was your point back then regarding non-baptized infants and heresy?

I was going to start a new thread, and we can if you want - we might have to - we can also discuss your new debate with Bluff regarding doctrine if need be. Seems you are itching to get into this matter (heresy) anyway.

RJT

[whiskeytown]

I feel it is my duty to inform that these beliefs are more Catholic then Christian and the vast majority of Protestant demoninations don't believe in purgatory - soulsleeping is another matter, but there isn't a single case in the OT or NT for a Purgatory.

RB

[DavidL]

Re heaven and hell, search for my post under the recent topic "A bizarre twist on morality (abortion)".

David

[Lestat]

<font color="blue"> Heaven was not open until the Ressurection of Christ. </font>

Then why was it created before Christ?

[Lestat]

I wish I followed these things more intently, so I knew the exact subject matter you guys are talking about. Because without this knowledge it seems so laughable to declare one piece of heresay as "heresay", and not the rest.

[RJT]

[ QUOTE ]
I wish I followed these things more intently, so I knew the exact subject matter you guys are talking about. Because without this knowledge it seems so laughable to declare one piece of heresay as "heresay", and not the rest.

[/ QUOTE ]

Stat,

I can imagine. That is why I am hesitant to get into this discussion with a new thread. It is really a matter of details within the Christian community and not quite sure if this forum is the proper place to get into a “family feud”. Although, I might post anyway, if for no other reason than for David’s entertainment. I think he enjoys the show, as some do in watching professional wrestling (or like Kramer on Seinfeld enjoys a “cat fight”.)

RJT

p.s. To whiskeytown, Sorry, I didn’t mean to omit the protestant version when I said that Peter pretty much answered the OP’s question. I am not very familiar with details of Protestants and hadn’t realized this was the case.

Its been a while for me on Christian Theology, but I'll chime in on this one. Its a good question and one that challenges the fairness and rationality of the theology behind how people are judged.
The key phrase to look for in theology is "Dispensation Theory".
On the question of whether people who don't have a chance to accept Christ automatically go to heaven - my understanding was that the answer to that is no. An automatic pass into heaven if you've never heard of Christ makes no sense at all as you have pointed out. According to the theology that I am familiar with, how they are judged depends on when they lived and what circumstances they were in. If they lived before Moses' Laws, then they are in the so called "Dispensation of Concience". The same criteria goes for non-Jewish people (called Gentiles by Paul)who have never heard about Christ Here's a quote ...
Romans 2:14-15, " For when Gentiles who do not have the Law do instinctively the things of the Law, these, not having the Law, are a law to themselves, in that they show the work of the Law written in their hearts, their conscience bearing witness and their thoughts alternately accusing or else defending them,"
Now if you are Jewish before Christ - then you are under the Mosaic Law (Dispensation of Law).
And there are other dispensations that cover other categories.
Now I am not sure how widely dispensation theory is accepted by different denominations - which ones believe it or which get outraged by it.
I've never been a fan of the tendancy of some denominations to emphasise converting people and crusading above all else. So I've asked these kinds of questions too.