Expert: Andrew Foley - 9/4/2008

Question
t has been a long time since I asked a question but one has been bothering me.  Two part question.

I believe that Jesus Christ is the way, the truth and the life.  I feel very fortunate to be in the family of God for there are so many who are not.  This has been on my mind for 30 years and I am unable to come up with a satisfactory answer.  

Jewish people are a a very tiny part of the worlds population.  To be saved into the next life how are;
1.  Jewish people saved since the resurrection of Christ?  I read a survey the other day that states that of those Jews living in Israel, 72% have never even heard the name of Jesus.
2.  How about the rest of the world.  Paul say's you have to hear before you can believe.  Even with all of our technology and ability to send out the Gospel we will never be able to reach into many Nations.  The ruling government can block out anything they do not want coming into their land.

Thanks
Murel

Answer
Hello Murel, and thanks for writing.

1. To answer your first question, you are right that Jesus Christ Himself said "I am the Way, the Truth and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through Me." (JN 14:6). That statement is pretty clear and explicit, and if we are to take Jesus seriously, we have to conclude that Jews who die as faithful adherents of Judaism do not go to Heaven, while still leaving room for the possible mercy of God. Can you please send me that survey you cited? I can say with confidence that the assertion that 72% of Jews in Israel have never heard the name Jesus is patently absurd. Israelis are not hermits. In fact, they are quite well informed about the world, especially the land they live in, which is teeming with the holy sites of Christianity. They are well aware of Jesus and the faith He founded. In fact, their holy books- the Talmud- has several hateful references to Jesus and His mother. So, it is just not credible that 72% of Israelis have not heard the name of Jesus. They have heard of Him and do not believe.

2. You are mistaken to say that there are many places that the Gospel can't reach because of government suppression. With the internet and satellite communication, the citizens of the world's most remote regions have been able to access information their governments don't want them to. I doubt there are very many people who have not "heard" of Jesus or Christianity, even if it is true that a great many are not extensively informed about Him. It is true that some countries have laws against proselytization or persecute the Church, but the Church exists even in the most inhospitable places on earth, such as Saudi Arabia, Iran, Pakistan, China, North Korea, etc. I can think of very few places where Christianity is illegal, per se. However, your question was about those who have never heard the Gospel, of which I suppose there may be some in the deepest heart of Africa or in the world's few remaining isolated places. The Catholic Church believes that a natural law is imprinted on the soul of man, which tells him that there is a God, and that He wants us to love our fellow man and do good with our lives. We believe that of those people who have never heard the Gospel, God will allow salvation to those who followed that natural law to the best of his ability. That doesn't excuse us from preaching the Gospel to the ends of the earth, but it does allow room for God's mercy until we get there.