Hypothetically speaking which religion?
May 04, 2010
in
Earthquake Questions
I always wondered out of curiosity. Picture a young boy put into a "Robinson Crusoe" situation. Not baptised, just somehow ended up on his own (earthquake killed his parents), raised himself, fed himself, never sinned, and never been exposed to any religion, people or sin. When he dies which religion would take him? Would Catholic God say ok, you can go to heaven , or will He say you have never read my bible or accepted Catholism you are going to hell? Would Muslim God let him go to heaven? Would any religion accept him? Would Buddhism or Hinduism be kinder to him? What about an older Christian religion like Eastern Orthodoxy?
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21 comments
Donna F is back on May 4, 2010 at 9:24 am
"IF" there was a god, it wouldn’t matter. God would be the god of everyone.
meryem T on May 4, 2010 at 9:24 am
He will be considered muslim as islam is the religion of a kid left alone in the jungle would naturally follow.
In islam,he would be admitted to heaven if he has no way to recieve god’s message through any of his apostles-Moses,Jesus and Muhammad
htttp://www.islamreligion.com
MonaLisa Overdrive AM VT wannabe on May 4, 2010 at 9:24 am
They will all tell you that no one really knows, and only God decides. Christians will also tell you that everyone has sinned, we are all born sinners, and that God reveals himself to all before they are judged. Catholics tend to favor the "God knows what’s in your heart" approach, while Protestants and Evangelicals lean towards the necessity for a definite, testified acceptance of Christ as you Lord and Savior. Reincarnation- based eastern philosophies generally lean towards rewards and punishments coming in the nature of your next life.
EDIT: I am truly lost as to why I am getting thumbs down, and would appreciate any comments as to why
20/20 on May 4, 2010 at 9:24 am
probably if everything happened like you say, NO MAN MADE RELIGION would matter
Vanden on May 4, 2010 at 9:24 am
Well, God is God. He will accept him as he is.
sugar and spite on May 4, 2010 at 9:24 am
well i don’t believe in organized religion. isn’t it all suppose to be the same god? lol he’ll just go to purgatory
HAND on May 4, 2010 at 9:24 am
Leave it the hands of God, we don’t and can’t know the answer to that.
CHELLE BELLE on May 4, 2010 at 9:24 am
God will make that decision.
Beatngu on May 4, 2010 at 9:24 am
I am Christian and in my belief, in order to get into heaven, I will have to know My Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. If I shun Him, He will do the same to me. I took Him into my heart and know he will open His arms to me.
Rose on May 4, 2010 at 9:24 am
I know that according to Hinduism at least, you don’t get extra credit for believing in god. Your actions matter more. It doesn’t matter what religion he was. I think I can say the same for Judaism as well as Buddhism.
Fireball... on May 4, 2010 at 9:24 am
i am NOT hypocrite stay on subject
greengo on May 4, 2010 at 9:24 am
This is the classic "innocent native" question.
The answer is that God (in the Christian sense) judges according to the conscience for those who have never heard of Him.
Also, a child before the "age of accountability" is saved.
However, there probably is no truly "innocent" native, or truly "sinless" person, because who among us has never violated his own conscience???
problem on May 4, 2010 at 9:24 am
Read Romans. He would not go to hell. He never heard the message. God would judge his heart.
mattgo64 on May 4, 2010 at 9:24 am
I would say if there was a religion that based good/evil on behavior rather than belief, that one.
Lanosrep Noitamrofni on May 4, 2010 at 9:24 am
In my beliefs we are all "accepted" in the same way. (I can’t classify my beliefs into any one religion)… There would be no god to do the accepting really. It would just happen naturally- the cycle.
Hoosier Daddy on May 4, 2010 at 9:24 am
The doctrines of my own Church, the Orthodox Church, would say that this person would be judged according to his ability to be judged. As St. Theophan the Recluse once wrote:
"Why do you ask about the fate of the heterodox? Do they not have a Savior that desires their salvation? Look, instead, to yourself."
That is, questions like this are really just distractions from dealing with our own flaws, which should concern us much more than idle academic speculation.
Siren5ong on May 4, 2010 at 9:24 am
Luckily this kid would have made it through life without the burden of religion, and when he died he would stop being, just like the wasn’t being before he was born.
So he wouldn’t have to worry about whose cloud he’d get to sit on
the answer man on May 4, 2010 at 9:24 am
well first of all the main flaw in your question is the assumption of other Gods, sorry to inform you there is only ONE God. so in your hypothetical situation above, if someone was trapped on a island never exposed to anything, did not sin, but also did not ever know about the bible, well God is a merciful God and He judges each of us on OUR own lives, so this young lad would have a good chance of making it into heaven. You on the other hand have been told the truth, and have rejected it so far it seems so you would be judged much differently and probably more harshly
ablex on May 4, 2010 at 9:24 am
If he lives alone, "religion" never enters into the picture, as religion is an invention of humans.
Tapestry6 on May 4, 2010 at 9:24 am
In the end our all Loving God judges the heart and soul, those that never had an ‘official’ understanding is like a baby that has been aborted. I truly believe each individual child that has died on those tables, and tossed out with the medical trash, has gone to Heaven and so would your hypothetical child.
Neil on May 4, 2010 at 9:24 am
God (Jesus) always says you will be judged on what you know. He said this generation saw the miracles and did not believe. If the mighty deeds were done in Sodom or Gomorrah some would have believed. If a child dies they go to heaven because of their innocence. I doubt even a person living alone would never sin. But in the end all those other religions with their works will be shown as false. The only one that is the truth is believing on the Lord Jesus. All knees will bow and all tongues confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the father.