Why does God make it so difficult for some people to be Christians?

[hemahe]

In certain situations, it seems borderline impossible for people to learn about and accept Jesus Christ as their saviour. This is not to say that God does not present every human with the opportunity to accept him, but to propose that every human has an equal chance to accept Christ is clearly absurd. If so, there would be an equal (or at least more even) amount of Christians within every country.

How is a child born in Morocco, who may never even hear of the Christain faith throughout their entire life supposed to devote their life to a God they don't know exists? Similarly, what about those who belong to completely isolated tribes (e.g. North Sentinel Island) where the entire concept of religion may not even exist, let alone knowledge of the Christain faith. Also, severely disabled people who have no mental functionality or ability to understand.

And yes, I understand that God's work is beyond our comprehension but I can't fathom why God allows conditions in which millions of people live and die with minimal to no knowledge of Christianity and no understanding that they are going to go to hell for not believing in a God that they never knew existed due to circumstances of which they had no influence over.

Thank you for all contributions! Just an issue I've been thinking about.

 

[JESUS=G.O.A.T]

In certain situations, it seems borderline impossible for people to learn about and accept Jesus Christ as their saviour. This is not to say that God does not present every human with the opportunity to accept him, but to propose that every human has an equal chance to accept Christ is clearly absurd. If so, there would be an equal (or at least more even) amount of Christians within every country.

How is a child born in Morocco, who may never even hear of the Christain faith throughout their entire life supposed to devote their life to a God they don't know exists? Similarly, what about those who belong to completely isolated tribes (e.g. North Sentinel Island) where the entire concept of religion may not even exist, let alone knowledge of the Christain faith. Also, severely disabled people who have no mental functionality or ability to understand.

And yes, I understand that God's work is beyond our comprehension but I can't fathom why God allows conditions in which millions of people live and die with minimal to no knowledge of Christianity and no understanding that they are going to go to hell for not believing in a God that they never knew existed due to circumstances of which they had no influence over.

Thank you for all contributions! Just an issue I've been thinking about.

My resopnse: I forgot the chapter/verse... but it's in the old testament somewhere in 2 kings and becuase of deeds by one generation later generations got affected by it. But the thing is though there are many people in such situations who end up getting something.



UPC does a great job with this and many other organizations. God has everyone who will make it in the book of life. Some of those people you refer too simply aren't going to accept him anyway... partly becuase of the beliefs they pursue passed down from generation to generation, like with groups of people in the bible. Because of an choice by a generation to turn away from God the generations after do the same and wouldn't turn towards God anyway becuase they believe so much in what they do now.

Also I think the question isn't really why they are there, I think the question is will people step up to the plate and at least let others know about JESUS so we minimize the amount of people who haven't heard about God. There are some who God has written in the book, he's just waiting for a vessel to reach that individual.



I'm just satisfied he bothered to give us anything though... we didn't deserve a single person to be helped yet he chose to die on the cross for everyone.

 

[RC1970]

In certain situations, it seems borderline impossible for people to learn about and accept Jesus Christ as their saviour. This is not to say that God does not present every human with the opportunity to accept him, but to propose that every human has an equal chance to accept Christ is clearly absurd. If so, there would be an equal (or at least more even) amount of Christians within every country.

How is a child born in Morocco, who may never even hear of the Christain faith throughout their entire life supposed to devote their life to a God they don't know exists? Similarly, what about those who belong to completely isolated tribes (e.g. North Sentinel Island) where the entire concept of religion may not even exist, let alone knowledge of the Christain faith. Also, severely disabled people who have no mental functionality or ability to understand.

And yes, I understand that God's work is beyond our comprehension but I can't fathom why God allows conditions in which millions of people live and die with minimal to no knowledge of Christianity and no understanding that they are going to go to hell for not believing in a God that they never knew existed due to circumstances of which they had no influence over.

Thank you for all contributions! Just an issue I've been thinking about.

The question is not, why did he not save more, but why did he save any?

 

[South Bound]

In certain situations, it seems borderline impossible for people to learn about and accept Jesus Christ as their saviour. This is not to say that God does not present every human with the opportunity to accept him, but to propose that every human has an equal chance to accept Christ is clearly absurd. If so, there would be an equal (or at least more even) amount of Christians within every country.

How is a child born in Morocco, who may never even hear of the Christain faith throughout their entire life supposed to devote their life to a God they don't know exists? Similarly, what about those who belong to completely isolated tribes (e.g. North Sentinel Island) where the entire concept of religion may not even exist, let alone knowledge of the Christain faith. Also, severely disabled people who have no mental functionality or ability to understand.

And yes, I understand that God's work is beyond our comprehension but I can't fathom why God allows conditions in which millions of people live and die with minimal to no knowledge of Christianity and no understanding that they are going to go to hell for not believing in a God that they never knew existed due to circumstances of which they had no influence over.

Thank you for all contributions! Just an issue I've been thinking about.

Your misunderstanding is a very common one. The problem is that you assume that conversion is an initiated and it is not.

It is God who elects, God who seeks, and God who saves. It doesn't matter what circumstances a person may be in. If God wants them saved He will save them.

 

[Sketcher]

I don't know how responsible God is for that - there is quite a bit of free will at play. God loves those people more than any of us ever could, and I trust that if anyone goes to Hell, it's his loss more than mine. I am probably not going to be crucified for the sake of one stranger, let alone billions of people who act like they hate me. Yet Jesus came and died for billions of people who have acted as though they hated him. He has also invested more into each person than I ever could, starting at conception. And he knows how bad Hell is. If there is the possibility of a chance after death for an unsaved person to be saved, it would behoove God to make that chance - but we don't know if one truly exists, or how much of a chance it is - perhaps information would be hidden from the soul in question until their decision is made, rather than the no-brainer of seeing God ahead of you and Hell below you. It would therefore be irresponsible at best for us to preach a message where people would count on a chance that we don't know exists, when we know that the people we are preaching to do have a chance right now.

 

[hemahe]

Your misunderstanding is a very common one. The problem is that you assume that conversion is an initiated and it is not.

It is God who elects, God who seeks, and God who saves. It doesn't matter what circumstances a person may be in. If God wants them saved He will save them.

Of course it is through God that anyone is saved. But my question is, then, why does God choose not to save more of those who are circumstantially disadvantaged. God has the power to save anyone and yet chooses to predominantly save those born in free, Western and developed countries who usually have Christian upbringings.

 

[NothingIsImpossible]

Your misunderstanding is a very common one. The problem is that you assume that conversion is an initiated and it is not.

It is God who elects, God who seeks, and God who saves. It doesn't matter what circumstances a person may be in. If God wants them saved He will save them.

That doesn't make much sense then. Then those who want to badly saved, but God rejects go to hell despite wanting to be saved? We have free will for a reason. We can use it to become a christian, let Jesus in and be saved.

Hence those who reject it go to hell. If we go by what you said then why would anyone even seek God if it doesn't matter if He already selected people no matter what they actually wanted.

 

[JESUS=G.O.A.T]

Of course it is through God that anyone is saved. But my question is, then, why does God choose not to save more of those who are circumstantially disadvantaged. God has the power to save anyone and yet chooses to predominantly save those born in free, Western and developed countries who usually have Christian upbringings.

Because as we even see with people in the bible, those that have a christian upbringing, or happen to be in an area where JESUS is or an apostle is is more likely to accept JESUS then someone who grew up atheist or in another tradition or without a bible.

 

[JESUS=G.O.A.T]

That doesn't make much sense then. Then those who want to badly saved, but God rejects go to hell despite wanting to be saved? We have free will for a reason. We can use it to become a christian, let Jesus in and be saved.

Hence those who reject it go to hell. If we go by what you said then why would anyone even seek God if it doesn't matter if He already selected people no matter what they actually wanted.

No what he's saying is that for example there's a deacon at my church who used to kill people and was in jail.

He grew up in a family full of atheism... and then he's in jail and doesn't desire God at all. A person he plays dice with says he will not play with him again unless he goes to hear this preacher. The deacon goes to hear the preacher and the preacher tells him there's a calling on his life and ask if he can pray for him. Deacon denies what the preacher is saying but lets him pray over him.

Deacon Bradly (he's not a deacon at the time of course) allows him to pray over him. The preacher says he will get his pastor to come down to talk with him later.

The pastor comes and tells him he will be set free.


Deacon Bradley has every charge against him dropped in the same day, the pastor takes him to his house and Deacon gets new clothes and such.


He goes to church a couple of times and receives the holy ghost without even knowing what the holy spirit is really. Now he's a yeah.. deacon.



He's talking about situations like that, where the person had no intention of ever pursuing God but God orchestrated something for that individual where God reaches down and pulls up someone who no one would ever expect to become a christian.


Additionally it's intrinsic to understand pre-selection/called.


If someone isn't called it means God knows they will end up not seeking him or they will walk with him for a bit but backslide and never come back. He doesn't force them not to seek him.

He simply knows who will stay with him and who won't/won't even choose him at all.

 

[hemahe]

Because as we even see with people in the bible, those that have a christian upbringing, or happen to be in an area where JESUS is or an apostle is is more likely to accept JESUS then someone who grew up atheist or in another tradition or without a bible.

Yes of course. But what I'm saying is that it is discernibly unfair for those who are born into conditions where Christianity is totally absent. These people have an exceedingly harder task finding God in comparison to people who, as I said before, were born in a free developed country.

 

[Widlast]

God would prefer that none should perish. Try reading Isaiah with an open mind.
When it is all over, God will have dealt with each person fairly and none will be lost who did not truly want to be.

 

[JESUS=G.O.A.T]

Yes of course. But what I'm saying is that it is discernibly unfair for those who are born into conditions where Christianity is totally absent. These people have an exceedingly harder task finding God in comparison to people who, as I said before, were born in a free developed country.

Well as we see in the old testament if some generation chooses to turn away from God it negatively affects the following generations fair or not.


As we see with a man who chooses to blow all his money and get broke it puts those kids in a tougher situation when it comes towards college for example, they can't settle for lower grades like someone from a mid class family.


I guess what i'm saying is it's a norm for some to have higher advantages then others. It's not new. I don't feel it's fair for some body to win the lottery and waste it all in a short period of time when someone else could have used it for better purposes but it happens.


The bible makes it clear life on Earth isn't fair or great. It should be pointed out though that it's even tough to be saved/remain saved in America, it's a very secular society. Sure you're better off then living elsewhere but yeah still tough. Also I mean even I am disadvantaged compared to some others I mean I went to church starting out but we weren't a part of it.


Sure I grew up going to church but my Dad didn't get saved until I was like 14-15 and become a deacon until later. And we skipped church sometimes. Also I had free will really, and this negatively affected my walk. By 14 you already have a sort of uh set mind frame I guess.


But someone else was born into a family with a Bishop for a dad and an evangelist for a mom and a family that set a standard.

Additionally as I stated in another response God pulls people out of circumstances you mention, the ones he doesn't find a way to select simply wouldn't choose him anyway. Idk if you saw the response I posted about a Deacon from my church.

 

[wayfaring man]

Of course it is through God that anyone is saved. But my question is, then, why does God choose not to save more of those who are circumstantially disadvantaged. God has the power to save anyone and yet chooses to predominantly save those born in free, Western and developed countries who usually have Christian upbringings.

We live in a somewhat alienated from God world.

*************************

Behold, the LORD'S hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear:
But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear. <---> Isaiah 59:1-2

*************************

Also, it is not now altogether self-evident who it is that is saved and who is not. We are told that many who strongly believe that they are saved will be rejected by The Lord; therefore, there may well be many who are / will be accepted by The Lord, that few if any did expect / anticipate would be so...

*************************

Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?
And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity. <---> Matthew 7:22-23

And I say unto you, That many shall come from the east and west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven.
But the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. <---> Matthew 8:11-12

**************************

See Luke 12:42-48

 

[Wolf_Says]

In certain situations, it seems borderline impossible for people to learn about and accept Jesus Christ as their saviour. This is not to say that God does not present every human with the opportunity to accept him, but to propose that every human has an equal chance to accept Christ is clearly absurd. If so, there would be an equal (or at least more even) amount of Christians within every country.

How is a child born in Morocco, who may never even hear of the Christain faith throughout their entire life supposed to devote their life to a God they don't know exists? Similarly, what about those who belong to completely isolated tribes (e.g. North Sentinel Island) where the entire concept of religion may not even exist, let alone knowledge of the Christain faith. Also, severely disabled people who have no mental functionality or ability to understand.

And yes, I understand that God's work is beyond our comprehension but I can't fathom why God allows conditions in which millions of people live and die with minimal to no knowledge of Christianity and no understanding that they are going to go to hell for not believing in a God that they never knew existed due to circumstances of which they had no influence over.

Thank you for all contributions! Just an issue I've been thinking about.

If they live a decent life, with the conditions that they are given, I highly doubt God would send them to hell simply because they never had the chance to hear about Christianity.

That would essentially make God into a terrible person, which He is not.

We are not to decide who is going to heaven and who isnt. That is up to God, and He can accept anybody He wishes into heaven.

Dont try to think too deeply into it. Its honestly not worth it.

 

[NothingIsImpossible]

No what he's saying is that for example there's a deacon at my church who used to kill people and was in jail.

He grew up in a family full of atheism... and then he's in jail and doesn't desire God at all. A person he plays dice with says he will not play with him again unless he goes to hear this preacher. The deacon goes to hear the preacher and the preacher tells him there's a calling on his life and ask if he can pray for him. Deacon denies what the preacher is saying but lets him pray over him.

Deacon Bradly (he's not a deacon at the time of course) allows him to pray over him. The preacher says he will get his pastor to come down to talk with him later.

The pastor comes and tells him he will be set free.


Deacon Bradley has every charge against him dropped in the same day, the pastor takes him to his house and Deacon gets new clothes and such.


He goes to church a couple of times and receives the holy ghost without even knowing what the holy spirit is really. Now he's a yeah.. deacon.



He's talking about situations like that, where the person had no intention of ever pursuing God but God orchestrated something for that individual where God reaches down and pulls up someone who no one would ever expect to become a christian.


Additionally it's intrinsic to understand pre-selection/called.


If someone isn't called it means God knows they will end up not seeking him or they will walk with him for a bit but backslide and never come back. He doesn't force them not to seek him.

He simply knows who will stay with him and who won't/won't even choose him at all.

Ah I understand now. So sort of like my ex best friend who was a hardcore atheist. Grew up in a christian family in a very christian city. Didn't believe in God. Then later found his uncle (was a pastor) was molesting kids at church. So that him hate cihristianty all together. As a teen he got kicked out of homeschool groups because he was offensive as a atheist.

After that he met me (though going though a rebelling phase myself, well just mad at God but still believed in Him). Thought I could influence my friend. But in the end he didn't budge. And last I heard hes still a hardcore atheist and living a really bad life.

So people like him will not get to heaven because he literally has no desire at all. Where as Gods chosen will always have a desire. Makes sense now. Its like I tell people who mess up as christians "If you are posting on here worried that you messed up as a christian, then it shows you are good christian because one who REALLY messes up wouldn't care about failing or what God thinks!". When God chooses you, He works on you even if you have struggles.

 

[hemahe]

If they live a decent life, with the conditions that they are given, I highly doubt God would send them to hell simply because they never had the chance to hear about Christianity.

That would essentially make God into a terrible person, which He is not.

We are not to decide who is going to heaven and who isnt. That is up to God, and He can accept anybody He wishes into heaven.

Dont try to think too deeply into it. Its honestly not worth it.

I see what you're saying, although that would mean that people who do not accept Jesus as their saviour could be accepted into heaven, which is heavily contradictory.

I admit that I may be overly finicky with this, but it's an issue that I still can't fully understand and wouldn't be able to confidently answer if a non-believer were to ask about it.

 

[South Bound]

That doesn't make much sense then. Then those who want to badly saved, but God rejects go to hell despite wanting to be saved? We have free will for a reason. We can use it to become a christian, let Jesus in and be saved.

Not even remotely Biblical. The Bible says that we do not have the will to seek God because we are spiritually dead until Christ makes us alive. That's why Christ seeks and saves us not the other way around.

Hence those who reject it go to hell.

No. They're already going to Hell. Hell is man's default destination.

If we go by what you said then why would anyone even seek God if it doesn't matter if He already selected people no matter what they actually wanted.

First, it isn't what I say but what the Bible says.

Second, nobody seeks God. Nobody is capable of seeking God without the drawing of the Holy Spirit. That's why Jesus said He sought us and that nobody can come to Him unless the Father draws them.

 

[RaymondG]

Heaven is not just for Christians. And hell is not just for people who dont believe what you or I believe. Yeah it is easy to say I know the way to heaven and follow me or go to hell. But it doesn't work that way.

How can you be sure you know the way to a place you've never been? How can we tell someone else they are going the wrong way when we don't know their end or ours? Blind leading blind.

Most people are just followers, happy with believing and never knowing. The people on that island you mentioned could be writing the same thing about us.

Why are those people so content with following the person in front of them never breaking stride for fear of a hell that no-one they know has been to?

This generation we be fine passing the same rocks in the wilderness for 40 years and no one will dare to question except the young people. They are the ones who will enter the promise land.

"Hey dad! I know we passed this same tree 10 times this year! I know I saw beauty behind those trees over there, right through that narrow path!"
"Nonsense timmy! There are 3billion people on the path we are on....they have to know the way. We are going to continue to follow them!"

 

[SkyWriting]

In certain situations, it seems borderline impossible for people to learn about and accept Jesus Christ as their saviour. This is not to say that God does not present every human with the opportunity to accept him, but to propose that every human has an equal chance to accept Christ is clearly absurd. If so, there would be an equal (or at least more even) amount of Christians within every country.

How is a child born in Morocco, who may never even hear of the Christain faith throughout their entire life supposed to devote their life to a God they don't know exists? Similarly, what about those who belong to completely isolated tribes (e.g. North Sentinel Island) where the entire concept of religion may not even exist, let alone knowledge of the Christain faith. Also, severely disabled people who have no mental functionality or ability to understand.

And yes, I understand that God's work is beyond our comprehension but I can't fathom why God allows conditions in which millions of people live and die with minimal to no knowledge of Christianity and no understanding that they are going to go to hell for not believing in a God that they never knew existed due to circumstances of which they had no influence over.

Thank you for all contributions! Just an issue I've been thinking about.

The scriptures are not all that important, according to scripture.
At best....scripture only claims "to be useful"


19 For what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. 20 For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood from His workmanship, so that men are without excuse.

 

[RC1970]

I admit that I may be overly finicky with this, but it's an issue that I still can't fully understand and wouldn't be able to confidently answer if a non-believer were to ask about it.

God's grace is never a matter of fairness. Fairness is akin to justice (what we are owed), and the only thing that He owes us is damnation. Salvation is a gift (mercy), and when you give a gift, you are not required (justice) to give it to everyone (or anyone). And, the reasons for your giving a gift to one person and not to another are completely within your discretion.

Carefully study Romans 8 & 9