What about those that do? If a young child is taught by his parents to believe a certain way , and go to a certain Church and all his life is told this is the truth and this is right, but it’s actually wrong, then that child grows into an adult believing the wrong thing, it’s not their fault. How will God judge them?
That’s close to my own story. My parents couldn’t have cared less about religious instruction. They allowed me to go to Church with my paternal grandparents. My early religious training came from them and the Church which I attended with them. The only time it became a problem for my parents was when my grandparents and I wanted me to be baptized when I was around 8 years old and my parents forbid it until I was an adult. (I was eventually baptized in my grandparents’ Church when I was 21.)
My story veers off from your scenario at this point. A few years after I was baptized I came to believe that, while much of what I was taught by my grandparents and the Church was right and good, some of it was wrong. The difference was significant enough that I couldn’t in good conscience continue attending the Church.
Your question is about those who, unlike me, continue believing what they were taught was right but was wrong. You say that it’s not their fault. I’m not so sure about that. I think they’re personally responsible for what they believe, just as I believe everyone is personally responsible for what they believe and do.
When they have been deceived since they were children how can they be held responsible for that?
Thoughts?
They‘re in a tough spot, no doubt, but they don’t remain children. As adults, they should examine what they were taught when they were children. Some do; most probably don’t. It usually takes a crisis for an adult to seriously take a hard look at their belief. People who are comfortable with what they were taught don’t consider that what they were taught is, or might be, wrong.
In your scenario, they go through life deceived, believing things which - in full or in part? - are wrong.
How will God judge them?
I place them in ”the little old lady from Fiji who never heard of Jesus” category. I think they will be judged by what they could reasonably have known.
I think about my beloved grandparents almost daily. What will happen to them? I think they’ll probably be raised in the second resurrection and judged on what they did, based on what they knew that was right.
What did my grandparents think will happen to me? They never told me, but they believed in once saved always saved. I don’t.
What are your thoughts on your scenario?