Doesn't seem fair. If I died and then was given a chance to accept Jesus, I'm sure I would. There are no atheists in heaven (or hell).
If this was God's system for Him to judge people for thousands of years, why the change? What did Jesus bring to the table?
I am not one who believes that acceptance (or non-acceptance) of Jesus determines our fate. I believe it is our own hearts and choosing good (better the ideal) over evil that is the greatest factor.
The Catholic Church assures people it knows the ways of Christ and can guarantee that if one follows the Catholic faith, one is following Jesus and the Way of eternal life. The Church does NOT teach there is no other way into heaven and does NOT claim one must be a Catholic, or a Christian, or else! It merely points to the fact that it cannot make the same assurances to non-Catholics. It has no authority to do so, and little or no knowledge of how God may be working in non-believers' (and others) lives. The Catholic Church simply concentrates on what it was given through Apostolic teachings that came directly from Christ.
In Romans, the Apostle Paul writes that people who have no belief in God will face what I think may be a tougher judgement--they will face the judgement of their own hearts.
We all need to remember Dante's Inferno was a work of fiction as well as satire and parody. (I was taught this early on in Catholic School.) We were taught that people choose heaven (an eternity of service with God) or hell (an eternity apart from God).
Note that Jesus compares anger with one's brother to the fires of Gehenna (the city dump). The flame never goes out, yet the worm never dies. That is a good comparison for anger/hatred in our own hearts, but it is not a reference to hell.
Jesus also talks of a purifying fire. In other words, we are gold, but with some impurities that need to be burned away. (Catholics see that as an example not only of our struggles here as we strive for self-improvement, but also of purgatory after our death.)
Third, Jesus speaks of an unquenchable fire intended for devils and demons--those who know God and totally reject him. Some think that will also be the fate of humans who
know God and then choose to reject Him.
There seems no indication that the same fate is in store for those who simply cannot believe. Scripture states that faith is a gift. Don't stop seeking that gift too easily, but also remember there are Bible passages where it appears that those without the gift of faith, who did try, and who did follow the law written in their hearts, are not automatically destined for hell. The Catholic Church teaches they are entrusted to a merciful God.
