God is all powerful so he can allow Noah to live 800 years, years as we know them today, or years as they knew them in that time period or whatever. To God, a year is as a day so time is irrelevant to him anyways.
God is love. If we suffer, starve, are abused, molested, diseased, beaten, broken, robbed, cursed, alienated, tortured, neglected, and killed God's love is still unconditional. Just because bad things happen to you does not mean God has forsaken you or has stopped listening to your prayers or cries for help. God's plan for our lives is still right regardless of whether or not we can see or understand the plan and the big picture.
God allows free will. Just because sin and evil run rampant through this world does not mean God is not still in control. If the Devil lies to me and hardens my heart and I treats others harshly, coldly, and without love in my heart, God remains the same. My sin and my failure do not take power away from God. It takes power away from me.
Do I believe that the only people going to Heaven, that the only chosen people, are followers of Christ Jesus? With my whole heart! Being a part of this select few is not a view that I hold due to pride. How do I know? Because it does not make me happy to know that so few will spend eternity in Heaven with me. Why does a merciful God deny anyone Heaven? He doesn't.
Heaven is offered to us all and many reject it. God doesn't make you go; he just asks you if you want to and tells your heart how to get there. God allows free will because he created us in his own image to fellowship with him. If we are drones with no choice but him and no choice but heaven, it doesn't mean anything. He wants us to choose to give our lives to him. He doesn't want to take them from us.
I've been told that it is Hubris and close mindedness to believe that Christians are the only religion going to Heaven. That belief is incidental to me. I hold that belief by default. I believe in God and that Jesus Christ is my Savior. Here comes the default part. The fact that I believe that means that I believe I need a savior, and what am I being saved from if not eternal damnation and separation from God because of my sins? Therefore, believing that Jesus Christ came and died on the cross for my sins, and believing I need a savior, then how could I believe everyone else doesn't?
Adopting the tenents and beliefs of Christianity is not pride; it is the absolute letting go of self pride. It is to say: my life has no value if I'm not being poured out as an instrument of Christ. Salvation, following Jesus Christ, living the abundant life, and eternity in Heaven are gifts. Furthermore, they are gifts meant to be shared. God intended for us to be fishers of men, to spread the Good News.
He did not intend for us to look at living our lives for him as burdens to shield others from but as a gift to joyfully share, regardless of their response to it or the stereotypes that world would place on it. I cannot control the lies the Devil will feed those around me, all I can do is offer the Truth as an alternative. I do not look at sharing my faith as cramming what I believe down the throats of others. I look at it as offering them an alternative to the evil and superficiality of this world to accept the peace, love, comfort, and strength that comes from knowing Christ Jesus.
I will not "open minded" myself right into hell. My believing that this religious group or that one will or will not be in hell has nothing to do with where they spend their eternity. What I believe about my salvation does, however, have everything to do with where I will spend mine, and I do believe that in order to get to heaven I must accept Jesus Christ as my Savior. I am not perfect. I am a sinner. Sin separates separates me from God and the wages of sin is death. Jesus Christ only can forgive me for those sins and reunite me with the Father.
God's word says many are called, few are chosen.
Wide is the road and narrow is the path that leads to salvation.
He stands at the door and knocks...
