I would be careful about projecting tone over text.
Then my apologies.
Thank you. I'm not seeing an answer there as to why people should be punished for having the wrong beliefs?
Ok... let me say it differently
God’s Judgment
Rom 2:14 For example, whenever people who don’t possess the law as their birthright commit sin, it still confirms that a “law” is present in their conscience. For when they instinctively do what the law requires, that becomes a “law” to govern them, even though they don’t have Mosaic law. 15 It demonstrates that the requirements of the law are woven into their hearts. They know what is right and wrong, for their conscience validates this “law” in their heart. Their thoughts correct them in one instance and commend them in another. 16 So this judgment will be revealed on the day when God, through Jesus the Messiah, judges the hidden secrets of people’s hearts. And their response to the gospel I preach will be the standard of judgment used in that day.
Here, one could say their beliefs and understanding are not correct but God looks at their hearts within the context of the grace of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the conscience that they knew instinctively.
3 John 1:11 King James Version Beloved, follow not that which is evil, but that which is
good. He that
doeth good is of God: but he that
doeth evil hath not seen God.
Again, it didn't say "I have all the beliefs correct" but simply he that does good is of God.
I noted that in the OT, they didn't know who Jesus was, but Jesus went to preach to them who did good.
I also know of some historical people who actually got saved as they were traveling to a place separated from God and there, at that decent, called on Jesus in which, at that moment, they were brought back to life. His beliefs weren't correct when he died, but got corrected after he died. So, is there more to opportunities that God provides in as much as His mercy is greater than the judgment of what people have done wrong?
Certainly anyone who knows Jesus on this earth knows that His mercy was greater than what they did wrong even in their wrong beliefs.
Even in scriptures there people who believed wrong and did wrong but it didn't translate into eternal separation from the God of Life.
However, within the scope of beliefs (In my personal understanding) we still have the sovereignty over our lives and if we simply do not want God in our lives, He won't force us to be with Him even as we can't force someone to love us.