heaven & salvation

LightBearer

Hey all--

I'm seeking clarification about our beliefs regarding heaven and the salvation of those who don't know Christ. I mean, there are different levels within heaven, right? in which case, for example, saints and martyrs would be in higher levels and closer to the throne of God than other believers who of course are also good but are not saints?

Also, what do you guys think about the salvation of people who are ignorant of God---I mean like....people in China who grow up with Buddhism and never discover the one true God---do you think that as long as they're good people that God has mercy on their souls and they don't end up in Hades and later Hell? Or is there no hope for these people?

thanks for your input.

Unknown

I'm not sure about your first question, but about the second one, I know that God is fair. If God didn't give them a chance, that's just like saying to a mouse, "Why didn't you get the cheese I put for you?" if you never put them any cheese. So in my opinion, I think that God will give these people a more lenient judgement, because of their ignorance...

battata

i heard from more than one abouna that there are different "levels" in heaven so i guess it is true. God gives each of these people a chance to come to christianity at one point or another, so i guess they have to make that choice. but God is fair and will probably deal with each situation differently