Theistic Inclinations

[Neo-Scholastic]

But Chad, if a person genuinely just doesn't think God is real, how can that be held against them to such a degree that warrants going straight to Hell after they die? Don't you think God gives these people a chance?

Mostly they had their chance. That is what Jesus taught in the parable of the rich man and Lazarus that concludes with the warning, “If they do not listen to Moses and the prophets, they will not be persuaded even if someone rises from the dead.”

Now I do believe it is reasonable to extrapolate from the teaching of scripture to cover circumstances not directly mentioned, such as the fate of heathens, the very young, and the mentally compromised. I consider such extrapolations indeterminate teachings. We can hope but cannot presume. Personally, I feel that if an unbeliever has a genuine longing for what is Good and True and recognizes their inability to attain either by their own efforts, then there is a chance that this combination will continue to guide them towards blessedness in the afterlife. But I don’t think it would be right to present that position as a clear teaching.

Unfortunately that is not what you are witnessing in this thread. Look at all the twisted responses to the idea that God will forgive any and all offenses so long as there is genuine contrition. They call His mercy injustice. They call His generous loving-kindness immoral. These are not simple acts of disbelief or a benign ignorance. These responses are acts of will.