Romans 1:19 (and the verses following) speak to the question of why the heathen go to hell even though they may have never heard the gospel, in my thinking.
It says that the heathen in the jungle have the intelligence to discern by observing the trees which yield food, the sky and clouds which yield rain to nourish and water the plants, the animals which yield meat, the yearning within their own being as they marvel about such things to discover and know the Who that is responsible for such an ingenious design.
He says that because they turn to foolish speculations for a solution and ultimately even to serving and bowing before the product of their own hands as if such a creation were worthy of their homage, He “gave them over to a depraved mind.”
We observe this not only in the jungles of Africa, but also in the jungles of Wall Street. The “civilized” do not worship idols like the African does, we serve the idol of humanism, the elevating of the creation or creature (man and his abilities) over the Creator.
All men will one day be confronted for their failure to acknowledge their folly for such behavior and their condemnation to hell will be of their own choosing because they never cried out to God for revelation. God's job description is He runs things. God will reveal himself to any hungry heart who longs to honor Him as their God. However, many are simply curious and are not intellectually honest in their search. Even if they could find God through Jesus, they have no honest intention of allowing Him to become their God. They are their own god; they run their own lives and have no intention of ever changing. In the case of such a person, I believe God, who is omniscient, is justified in allowing that person to choose hell over submission to His Godship.
God does not send anyone to hell; each person must choose to go there. Hell was created for Satan and his angels. Anyone who chooses to go there must literally trample over the body of Jesus to get there. He'd prefer Satan's company to God's. God is a party pooper in his opinion.
