Answer: According to the Christian doctrine of original sin, until Jesus, atonement for sins could only be received through a blood atonement offering at the altar of the Jerusalem Temple. Those (Jews and all Gentiles) who could not avail themselves of the atonement granted at the Jerusalem Temple's altar died by this sin, consigned to eternal punishment with no means of achieving atonement and heavenly blessings. Following Jesus' death, it is claimed, neither Jew nor Gentile could receive forgiveness of their sins without belief in him as savior from sin. Indeed, if what Christianity says is true billions of people since then have also suffered the same fate, unaware of Jesus as their "savior" or that there was even a need to be "saved." According to this rationalization, God created humankind with free will and the ability to sin then demanded superlative perfection from this imperfect being that He created. Then God took on the guise of humanity in the form of Jesus in order to rescue His imperfect creation. But, in the process consigned billions of lost souls before and after the advent of Jesus to eternal punishment for not knowing of Jesus and accepting the "grace" he allegedly provided. Billions of people, Christian doctrine teaches, have gone to eternal damnation for not accepting what they did not know about!

Some Christian commentators explain, "he [Jesus] went and made proclamation to the spirits now in prison" (1 Peter 3:19) as meaning that Jesus, between his death and supposed resurrection, descended into Hell and offered to those who lived before Noah (verse 20) a second chance for salvation. But, this is a doctrine that is without even New Testament support. The eternal damnation of billions of men, women, and children who whether living before or after Jesus never heard of the claim that there is no forgiveness of sin outside of belief in Jesus is the summation of the Christian doctrines of original sin. Is this the Christian understanding of a just and righteous God who is also compassionate?