Degrees of judgment in hell: God factors in knowledge when judging — sinning in ignorance vs. sinning with full knowledge results in different severity of judgment

Jesus teaches that "the one who sinned without knowing will be beaten with few stripes but the one who sinned with knowing will be beaten with many stripes" (Luke 12:47-48). God's judgment is perfect and accounts for everything one knew, didn't know, and pretended not to know. This makes judgment fearful because no one can hide self-knowledge from God. The implication: those who never heard the gospel may be judged less severely than those who heard and consciously rejected it.