Evangelising / Missionary work.

[uberd00b]

I've heard it said that those people who have never had a chance to hear of christianity or their need for salvation are given a "by" to get straight into heaven.

My question then is this, is it ethical to evangelise to people? As the take up of the christianity is not likely to be 100% isn't this in fact condemning people to suffer in hell?
Would it not be better to stop missionary work entirely, and just keep really really quiet about this whole religion, so that people can in fact get to heaven?

Any thoughts?

 

[Cerberus~]

8 hours and still no replies. Nice.

 

[sinner/SAVED]

I've heard it said that those people who have never had a chance to hear of christianity or their need for salvation are given a "by" to get straight into heaven.

This is not biblical or a belief of orthodox or mainline Christianity which negates your next question entirely. Evangelization is what all Christians are commissioned to do.

 

[JesusWalks78]

I've heard it said that those people who have never had a chance to hear of christianity or their need for salvation are given a "by" to get straight into heaven.

My question then is this, is it ethical to evangelise to people? As the take up of the christianity is not likely to be 100% isn't this in fact condemning people to suffer in hell?
Would it not be better to stop missionary work entirely, and just keep really really quiet about this whole religion, so that people can in fact get to heaven?

Any thoughts?

I have said it is about TRUTH, we speak the truth there is only one TRUTH, only on WAY and truly in the darkness only one LIGHT and that is Jesus.

Jesus wants to love you, and wants you to love and trust in him.

There I have given you the message, now what you do with it is up to you....though I doubt you will follow the Lord.

and no God told us to spread the news, Jesus was down here to sacrifice himself and also to spread the word, it is our christian duty to tell anyone who will listen about the miracle of Jesus....so no there is no ethical problem because God said it is what he wants.

 

[Cerberus~]

This is not biblical or a belief of orthodox or mainline Christianity which negates your next question entirely. Evangelization is what all Christians are commissioned to do.

So your God sends people to hell who have never had the chance to believe in Jesus?

 

[Cerberus~]

and no God told us to spread the news, Jesus was down here to sacrifice himself and also to spread the word, it is our christian duty to tell anyone who will listen about the miracle of Jesus....so no there is no ethical problem because God said it is what he wants.

He should tell us Himself, that way there isn't any problem with bad witnesses.

 

[JesusWalks78]

Sorry removed post

 

[JesusWalks78]

He should tell us Himself, that way there isn't any problem with bad witnesses.

Yes indeed, there are tose that will show others things that are not in the bible, or even worse say that things in the bible are not correct and then expect you to believe in an omniscient, omnipotent god who couldnt even write his book right (I know my God got everything right in his book because he is omniscient and omnipotent).

There are bad witnesses that say that abortion should be allowed, and bad witnesses that say God didnt say that homosexuality is an abomination....when it is written in his word.

They follow the teachings of Jesus, but not the teachins of Fallable man....yet Jesus never wrote anything, it was all written by fallable man...if we are to follow there logic even the teachings of Jesus would be incorrect, because we dont know. Then they say that God wanted us to use our brains/heart etc...well if that was the case, why bother with the bible anyway?

Yes indeed one must watch out for bad witness.

 

[Cerberus~]

Yes indeed one must watch out for bad witness.

I was thinking more the arrogant ones who disrespect those they disagree with, and disrespect their beliefs. Those that seek to put them in prison, take their freedom and their lives for not living according to them.

Those are the ones we must watch out for and defend against, regardless of what name they call God.

 

[JesusWalks78]

I was thinking more the arrogant ones who disrespect those they disagree with, and disrespect their beliefs. Those that seek to put them in prison, take their freedom and their lives for not living according to them.

Those are the ones we must watch out for and defend against, regardless of what name they call God.

So we shopuld watch out for secular laws that put people in prison for sin?

Sure lets release all the murderers and paedophilles and rapists.

Anyone who does anything that the bible says is wrong should not be prosecuted by law.

We were charges to tell the truth about God, that means to the muslim, the hindu, the jew, the atheist and the agnostic and everything in between......how truthful can we be if we allow them to think that there is any other God apart from Jesus Christ.

 

[uberd00b]

This is not biblical or a belief of orthodox or mainline Christianity which negates your next question entirely. Evangelization is what all Christians are commissioned to do.

Indeed, but what happens to all those people who never get the chance to get saved before they die? Just wondered what your take on it was, every time i ask i get the answer that i gave in the OP, that they get a "by".

 

[uberd00b]

There I have given you the message, now what you do with it is up to you....though I doubt you will follow the Lord.

Good job.

Added by edit: (Haha, i've told you now, neneer neneer? Are you SURE it's God you're working for? Still, far be it from me to come between you and your schadenfreude. )

and no God told us to spread the news, Jesus was down here to sacrifice himself and also to spread the word, it is our christian duty to tell anyone who will listen about the miracle of Jesus....so no there is no ethical problem because God said it is what he wants.

But surely if everybody kept quiet about christianity more people would get into heaven?

Are you sure God wants people to go to hell?

Thanks for your reply.

 

[JesusWalks78]

But surely if everybody kept quiet about christianity more people would get into heaven?

Are you sure God wants people to go to hell?

Thanks for your reply.

I think a more interesting dilema is what do we do if everyone was a christian and followed one doctrine...what then?

However yes it is God i work for, because God told me to spread the message.

No if everyone keeps quiet then the christians would not be following the lord and they would not get into heaven.

Here is where you insert the argument about it being selfish...is it christian for me to want to get in and for you not to.....well I dont see it that way, I am doing my job according to scriptural requirements. It is you that dont follow so you make your own mind up, not me.

 

[uberd00b]

I am doing my job according to scriptural requirements. It is you that dont follow so you make your own mind up, not me.

Well, that's convenient. Are you saying God would rather people here of him and refuse, than get to bypass that whole judgement? Hmm i guess i can see that, maybe he regards it as cheating...

 

[JesusWalks78]

Well, that's convenient. Are you saying God would rather people here of him and refuse, than get to bypass that whole judgement? Hmm i guess i can see that, maybe he regards it as cheating...

God would rather you hear of him and believe.

 

[sinner/SAVED]

Indeed, but what happens to all those people who never get the chance to get saved before they die? Just wondered what your take on it was, every time i ask i get the answer that i gave in the OP, that they get a "by".

Could you give us a real life actual example (not hypothetical) of any person anywhere who never got the chance?

 

[uberd00b]

Could you give us a real life actual example (not hypothetical) of any person anywhere who never got the chance?

Sure, let's say a remote amazon tribe. Or indeed any of the thousands of people (living and dead) far removed from western civilisation.

 

[sinner/SAVED]

Sure, let's say a remote amazon tribe. Or indeed any of the thousands of people (living and dead) far removed from western civilisation.

These are hypotheticals. Do you know of an actual Amazonian tribe or any others at any place or any time that lived their entire life without God being revealed to them and God's grace reaching out to them?

 

[uberd00b]

These are hypotheticals. Do you know of an actual Amazonian tribe or any others at any place or any time that lived their entire life without God being revealed to them and God's grace reaching out to them?

Well i've admittedly never actually met all the historic people in south america, but i daresay everybody before the spanish arrived (at least) had not heard of this Jesus character at all. They were heathens were they not? With a pagan religion?

 

[MikeMcK]

I've heard it said that those people who have never had a chance to hear of christianity or their need for salvation are given a "by" to get straight into heaven.

My question then is this, is it ethical to evangelise to people? As the take up of the christianity is not likely to be 100% isn't this in fact condemning people to suffer in hell?
Would it not be better to stop missionary work entirely, and just keep really really quiet about this whole religion, so that people can in fact get to heaven?

Any thoughts?

I don't know where you heard this, but it isn't what the Bible teaches.

Paul said in his letter to the Romans that God has given every man two witnesses: the external witness of creation, and the internal witness of the conscience, so that no man will be able to stand before Him and say, "But God, I didn't have a chance to respond to the Gospel".

God has made provisions for those who haven't heard the Gospel by providing them with these two witnesses.

Outisde of Christ, everyone of us is bound for Hell. However, it is God who gave the Jews the law to testify to Christ so that they may be saved, Christians the Gospel so that they may be saved, and those who have not heard these two witnesses so that they may be saved.

You can either respond to the two witnesses and be saved, or not respond and not be saved.

Although, in this day and age, I seriously doubt that you'll be able to find someone who's never heard the Gospel.