How does a merciful God send people to hell who do not know him? Perish these thoughts, because God has no desire to send people to hell. Think rather about how not to end up in hell yourself
Also, in the Gospel of Mark 16 Jesus told the disciples to preach the Gospel to every creature. This would include pagans, since they are creatures. If they can be justified outside of belief in Christ, this command would not have been given. Christ continues that those who believe and are baptized will be saved, and those who don't believe will be damned. Belief in Christ is necessary for salvation. The view that sincere people in non-Christian religions can be saved comes out of the ecumenist and Masonic theology of the Vatican II religion, which is not Catholic or Christian whatsoever.
I disagree with this priest when he states: "It turns out that we shouldn't worry about their souls at all. Because, it turns out that many pagans will be justified before God much more than some of us who know Christ and saw him, and heard him, and felt him, and participated in his sacraments. You absolutely should not worry about this."
I totally disagree. We should be very concerned about their salvation. It's called Christian LOVE, a virtue many Orthodox clergy seem to have no acquisition of. Christ told us to take the Gospel to the barbarous and pagan lands for a reason. It is not an apostolic or biblical concept that pagans will be justified. Apostolic Christianity teaches that there is no salvation outside belief in Christ as Lord, and belief in his resurrection. God in his foreknowledge knew that in any situation, many pagans would have rejected the Gospel, so he placed them in circumstances and environments where the Gospel is never preached. However, they will be judged by how they respond to general revelation in nature, as we see in Romans 1. I am convinced that a lot of modern Orthodox clergy do not have a proper understanding of the Christian faith, probably because they do no study Scripture enough.
Also, in the Gospel of Mark 16 Jesus told the disciples to preach the Gospel to every creature. This would include pagans, since they are creatures. If they can be justified outside of belief in Christ, this command would not have been given. Christ continues that those who believe and are baptized will be saved, and those who don't believe will be damned. Belief in Christ is necessary for salvation. The view that sincere people in non-Christian religions can be saved comes out of the ecumenist and Masonic theology of the Vatican II religion, which is not Catholic or Christian whatsoever.
I disagree with this priest when he states: "It turns out that we shouldn't worry about their souls at all. Because, it turns out that many pagans will be justified before God much more than some of us who know Christ and saw him, and heard him, and felt him, and participated in his sacraments. You absolutely should not worry about this."
I totally disagree. We should be very concerned about their salvation. It's called Christian LOVE, a virtue many Orthodox clergy seem to have no acquisition of. Christ told us to take the Gospel to the barbarous and pagan lands for a reason. It is not an apostolic or biblical concept that pagans will be justified. Apostolic Christianity teaches that there is no salvation outside belief in Christ as Lord, and belief in his resurrection. God in his foreknowledge knew that in any situation, many pagans would have rejected the Gospel, so he placed them in circumstances and environments where the Gospel is never preached. However, they will be judged by how they respond to general revelation in nature, as we see in Romans 1. I am convinced that a lot of modern Orthodox clergy do not have a proper understanding of the Christian faith, probably because they do no study Scripture enough.
Wonderful! Thank you!