Dave's Reply to my Questions about his 'Survey'

1) What happens to those who are truly ignorant of Christianity? The American Indians (both north and south) before the Europeans came? Even some tribes who haven't been discovered yet and have never heard of Christianity? What's the criteria for salvation for these people or do they automatically go to hell? What about everybody who existed before Jesus?

Without a Bible to cite references, you will have to forgive me, plus I don't have the time while at work to reference the online Bible. But I do base my answers on what I believe the Bible to say. The Romans 3:10 says all have sinned and come short of the Glory of God. This is our warrant and death sentence, as I understand it. God not being a favor of persons, leaves no one untouched with this condemnation. In John, Jesus says I am the way, the truth, and the life. No man comes to the father but by me. John 3:16, For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, that WHOSOVER believeth, shall no perish, but have ever lasting life. In Acts, the eunuch comes upon a man in a chariot. The man was reading in Isaiah the prophecies of a coming Messiah. He asked the man in the chariot, What must I do to be saved. The man in the chariot says believe that Jesus is the son of god. Further teachings by Jesus himself say to confess your sins non-ceasingly. All have access to God, whether or not they have had formal instruction or preaching by missionary. The bible says none are without cause for not knowing how to find salvation. The bible talks of people looking at creation and realizing there is a creator, something beyond nature etc. Therefore, I believe the Bible is saying someone can reach salvation without reading the bible and/or being proselytized to. I sincerely believe that.

So to answer the ultimate question in #1, I believe they go to hell, but it's not automatic. Everyone that existed before Jesus' death was under Mosaic law. It is my belief that those who knew anything about law/religious order understood what Mosaic law was. Those who didn't, those in the outer stretches of the world, could find God through their own realization and acknowledgement. After Christ's death, Mosaic law ceased to be the salvation means and the world was under Grace, atonement by faith.

I believe Buddha and Muhammad, if the did not accept Christ, or in their cases probably, did not atone through Mosaic law, are in fact in hell. Again, All have sinned and come short of the glory of God. No man is without cause here. I also believe that any follower of Jesus could be in hell if they did not truly repent, even if this applied to the few chosen that were Jesus' personal friends.

2) How do you explain the religious diversity in the world? What about specific religious founders like Buddha, Muhammad, etc.? Is the Buddha in heaven or hell? What about Socrates? Were these founders just mistaken or misguided?

I explain diversity in the most simple ways I can fathom...people are diverse, as are their perceptions. Being involved in police work for the last 2 years, I have interviewed people with the same exact eyewitness account of something simple, yet I get two totally different accounts. This is how I can explain diversity in interpretations. I also believe in evil, and believe evil forces can be blamed in part to the perversion of the truth.