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I don't know. I take hope in the passages in Romans and John which speak of God's mercy to those who didn't know better. Because of those passages, I wonder if willfulness will factor in the judgment somehow.

I'm not aware of this; would like to see those references. I am aware of Romans 2:15,16, which to me seems to imply that the conscience of some will demonstrate that they acted in humble faith, regarding what little knowledge of God they had (being submitted to it in their hearts).

Earlier still in Romans, without 'cheating' and looking now, I believe we have mention of creation itself telling us of God, which lo and behold, brings my face back to the subject of this thread!

Thank you for your post!

I said: I take hope in the passages in Romans and John which speak of God's mercy to those who didn't know better. Because of those passages, I wonder if willfulness will factor in the judgment somehow.

You said: I'm not aware of this; would like to see those references. I am aware of Romans 2:15,16, which to me seems to imply that the conscience of some will demonstrate that they acted in humble faith, regarding what little knowledge of God they had (being submitted to it in their hearts).

Here are the passages I was remembering, from John and Romans:

If I had not come and spoken unto them, they had not had sin: but now they have no cloke for their sin. He that hateth me hateth my Father also. If I had not done among them the works which none other man did, they had not had sin: but now have they both seen and hated both me and my Father. – John 15:22-24

(For not the hearers of the law [are] just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified. For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves: Which shew the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and [their] thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another;) - Romans 2:13-15

Because the law worketh wrath: for where no law is, [there is] no transgression. – Romans 4:15

(For until the law sin was in the world: but sin is not imputed when there is no law. – Romans 5:13

I take all of this to mean that people who have heard of Christ will be judged by that standard, people who have not heard of Christ but have heard of the Mosaic law, will be judged by that standard and that people who have heard of neither will either be judged by the law written in their own heart or will be excused (have a cloak for their sin.)

Earlier still in Romans, without 'cheating' and looking now, I believe we have mention of creation itself telling us of God, which lo and behold, brings my face back to the subject of this thread!

When I meditate on the creation, it always strikes me that the objects of creation do what they are compelled to do: waves/forces, particles, galaxies, stars, winds, water, plants, animals – etc. They are driven by physical laws, environment and their own nature. Out of everything in the physical realm, man seems singularly prone to act willfully, sometimes self-serving and sometimes self-sacrificing. It is disturbing to imagine a physical realm where all plants and animals could act so willfully…

Here is a very interesting pdf document where the big bang is explored as proof of the existence of God.