If you believe in another religion, does God count that service towards him?

I was thinking about this for awhile.

What if there was a child who was born into a place with no knowledge of Christianity or they've never even heard the name "Jesus Christ" and they grow up to be another religion, and they dutifully obey all the rules and practice all the prayers in that religion. Then the child dies, and still has no knowledge of Christianity.

Does that mean that he goes to hell for not believing in God and believing in another God? That seems really unfair, because they never had the chance even. I don't think God is that cruel either.

OR does God count the service the child did as service for him and accept him if the child chooses to go to Heaven with God?

Really confused about this. Can anyone help me understand?

Thanks.

Also, please, please, please no rude answers about religion or whatever.

I'm talking about Jesus Christ. Sorry for not mentioning that.

Service counts for nothing in regards to salvation....it is a free gift for anyone who receives it and cannot be bought or earned.

I have never read or heard anything that really answered this questioned satisfactorily
for me.

I have thought about this too, and I really don't have a definitive answer, but I think that God is just and people will be judged according to the revelation of the things theyve been given. How can they believe in the one they have not heard? But there is natural law, that teaches every human heart basic right and wrong and also the beauty of creation and it speaks to each of us-- in short I dont know but just adding to conversation i suppose.

I believe that all religions are essentialling praying to the Divine creator and that whichever guise that be that they are bought up in does not alter their devotion. If the child was a good soul, who did not harm others on purpose and was devout to whatever god/goddess they worshipped then said child would be treasured in the afterlife along with everyone else.
I hope this brings you some peace
Blessed Be

Only if you love, there's no substitution for it.

1 John 4:7
Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.

I know many loving people, from devout Christians to complete Atheist, from Buddhist to Muslims and Hindus and many more like Zoroastrians and Jains. Anyone that teaches intolerance and hate knows nothing about God at all even if they are convinced they work for him.

After all....

1 John 4:8
He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.

To love is to be "Born again."
To think it's about a set of knowledge or a pledge is to believe in dark magic and superstition.

Salvation is a finished work of God. He planned it even before the foundation of the world.
If you intend to save someone, would you not do everything and every possible way to carry out your plan of Salvation?
God is al powerful and all knowing,He came to seek the lost.
John 10:29
My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand.

No, it doesn't count as service to Him. It will burn away. While it might have temporary usefulness, it won't remain eternally.

Only those things a saved person does unto Jesus will remain

God doesn't judge anyone. It is extremely sad that some people believe God will judge the child you described. Such people obviously have false beliefs. I can't believe anyone would want to worship such an evil god.

It clearly states that if you do not worship HIM and HIM ALONE

then it is hell for you

=-)

nice religion there

G-d has put THE measure of faith in all, therefor if it were possible to never hear the truth you may still gain access

God is loving- he is not going to punish anyone that does not know about him.

To which god do you refer? On account of there have been thousands of them through the ages.

I have a different perspective, my point of view comes from the LDS (Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) perspective.

The answer that I learned, being a member of this church, is that after people die the spirit goes to a spirit world. The spirit, your soul, continues to grow and to develop. In the Spirit world you meet Jesus Christ and you learn of Him and what he did for the world.

In the LDS religion, we get baptized in proxy (in place of) the person that passed away, taking upon ourselves their name. We believe that they can either reject or accept this ordinance done for them. They would know (unlike us in life) for a certainty that Jesus is the living Christ. Yet, they still have the agency to accept him or not.

We all get an opportunity to know of Him and to accept him as our Savior or not, in this life or the next.

Romans 1:20 says "For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities鈥攈is eternal power and divine nature鈥攈ave been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse."

Such a child that understands the divine nature of God will be judged by what he knows of God. His "righteous acts", however, are still filthy rags to a Holy God.

Matthew 12:31-32 says "And so I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven. Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man [Jesus] will be forgiven, but anyone who speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come."

Only God would know that spiritual nature and intent of this child's heart.

My concern is less for the obedient child that pursues a relationship with God as he understands Him than for the person who has HEARD the name of Jesus and yet refuses to believe. That person is held to a much higher level of accountability than the one who has never heard.

Most people, however, do not choose to pursue God.

This idea is known as "General Revelation."

The Bible nowhere gives any hope that those who have never heard the Gospel are fully believing the truth about God available through general revelation. Again, the Bible describes the lost as being in rebellion against what they already know about God, not seeking for more truth about God. However, there is always the question, 鈥淲hat if?鈥?IF a person who has never heard the Gospel truly and fully believed what can be known about God through general revelation, would that person be saved? IF such a person did exist, it would seem consistent with the love, mercy, and grace of God that such a person would be saved. Again, please understand, this is a hypothetical that Scripture does not support. (see "gotquestions.org" for complete discussion)

Hope this helps. It's not a "pretty" answer, but it's the truthful one.


Have a blessed day.

Not being rude but there are other religions besides Christianity that don't accept Jesus as their saviour.And for those that believe in him well thought he was loving so why should he condemn an innocent child to hell??

It's hard believing some Christians say Hitler will go to heaven but not an innocent baby..

My religion Judaism believes not in original sin but one's judged by their actions & good deeds while on this earth..Not only Jews but every human being.

I understand your confusion & also think it would be unfair..Your caring is a good deed..
G-D Bless

Man-made god has no power to reveal himself, therefore a man-made fable surrounding the stories of Jesus has to be conceived. It ultimately led to another indoctrination known as "faith". Because the entity of god in Christian beliefs can and will never be able to reveal himself; how can he reveal himself if he is not physical? Even if he is incorporeal, what power he has over physical things? And that, by its own conclusion, contradicts that he can mess with virgin birth! An incorporeal entity, non-physical, with the ability to intervene in physical womb? Why not intervene in countless cases of innocent deaths that occur from beginning of mankind till now? Nothing of that sort can happen.
In the same token, Christians denying all other religions is similarly denying its own. Simply no proof of the divine, except by questionable events that history itself did not have records.
And in an ethical note, most religions are more above-board than the manipulated one with self-serving, politically-driven, power hungry fabrications instilling fear of eternal punishments for non-believers. This form of coercion is not needed by the TRUE omniscient, omnipotent and omnipresent entity. The true entity does not need your acknowledgement, acceptance, prayers and praises. It should be the other way round - it is for you to be in harmony with truth and nature, and to seek truth and enlightenment (not closing in to blind faith).

if you don't love and worship God, you will go to hell end of story. sorry. good deeds don't get you anywhere