Factors in salvation and who is included?

[PRmerger]

My main thing is, are those people who never had a chance to know about Christ, like in third world countries, by a loving and understanding God, able to get into heaven?

Yes.

They may go to heaven if they are invincibly ignorant.

We usually come to the conclusion that all children go to Heaven, right? Because they perhaps don’t and can’t know any better.

All baptized children go to heaven–that is true. As far as all children, we can’t be assured of that. We can only trust in God’s mercy.

I’m just wondering where the change comes into play when an older teen or maybe even an adult doesn’t and can’t know any better because they live in a family that supports a different faith, and perhaps the country doesn’t have or doesn’t allow any resources for them to know about Christ. Do you see what I mean?

It’s a question that I wouldn’t spend too much time dwelling upon–how invincible a person’s ignorance is is impossible for us to determine, so all speculation in this area is inutile.

 

[clem456]

My main thing is, are those people who never had a chance to know about Christ, like in third world countries, by a loving and understanding God, able to get into heaven?

It may be that they never got a chance to learn, or perhaps they grew up in a household of Islam or Judaism or maybe even Atheism… If they have had these ideas nailed into their brains since they were born, is it their fault and problem of being condemned to Hell for this reason?

We usually come to the conclusion that all children go to Heaven, right? Because they perhaps don’t and can’t know any better.

I’m just wondering where the change comes into play when an older teen or maybe even an adult doesn’t and can’t know any better because they live in a family that supports a different faith, and perhaps the country doesn’t have or doesn’t allow any resources for them to know about Christ. Do you see what I mean?

Yes. Note that you ask a number of “what if” questions about specific circumstances above. It is easy to continue asking these in an effort to gain certainty. But. the first chapter in Lumen Gentium, which is reference below is titled “The Mystery of the Church”

This is a good read.
…Pay special attention to Chapter 2 :On the People of God".
vatican.va/archive/hist_councils/ii_vatican_council/documents/vat-ii_const_19641121_lumen-gentium_en.html

 

[MarshallJackson]

Indeed, it is obvious that we have no way of knowing their circumstances, and I understand it to be a topic not very worthy of dwelling on because I like to refer to my trust in God’s mercy. I think the thing that disturbed me was, and I mean no offense to anyone by saying this, certain people’s lack of belief in God’s mercy, if you will, in those situations.