What is the main reason for condemnation for those who have not heard of Christ?

The main reason for condemnation for those who have not heard of Christ centers around the idea of willful rejection of God. In theological contexts, particularly within Christian doctrine, it is often posited that individuals have an innate awareness of God's existence and moral law, as articulated in Romans 1:19-20, which suggests that God's attributes can be perceived through creation.

Therefore, the focus on willful rejection implies that every person has a moral conscience and an understanding of right and wrong. Those who consciously choose to turn away from this moral revelation—essentially rejecting the God they may not verbally acknowledge—are viewed as being accountable for that decision. This positions the act of rejecting God, irrespective of one’s cultural background or level of knowledge about Christ, as a more significant factor in the realm of condemnation than mere ignorance or social context.

In this view, the lack of good deeds or cultural differences alone do not encapsulate the personal responsibility individuals bear for their response to the revelation of God, highlighting the intentional act of denial or rejection as the critical element in theological discussions about condemnation.