I don't know if it's true, or not, or to what extent ...but, nonetheless it is a story. And it is not a 'Veggie Tale' story ...nor about 'Bob the Tomato'.

One version has the tomato traced back to the early Aztecs ...around 700 A.D.  It is believed that the European explorers were introduced to it around the 16th century.  It also probably didn't help much that the tomato is in the nightshade family, which is a family of plants with a quite undesirable reputation.  

Most Europeans were convinced that the tomato was poisonous ...not realizing that the problem was the way plates and flatware were made for those elite enough to import new delicacies.  Rich people used flatware made of pewter ...having a high lead content.  Foods high in acid, like tomatoes, would cause the lead to leech out into the food, resulting in lead poisoning and sometimes death.

The poor people ate food off of wooden plates ...so they were never concerned, and this especially included the poor Italians.

I am so thankful for the contributions of the Italians...as I like most of their traditional dishes.

It wasn't just that people would've never tried tomatoes ...there was a strong campaign of thought working against those who otherwise would have likely been willing to give the tomato a try.

It really depends what the campaign is.  If they said the Italians were extra virile as a result of eating tomatoes ...everyone would've probably been eating them long ago.  But, that was not the case.  Once people began to die ...instead of realizing it was from the pewter plates, they effectively convinced most people that it was the tomato.

So, two things worked against the tomato.  There was no knowledge of truth, and there was a very effective negative campaign.

The same is evident for the truth of the authority of the Bible ...as God's Word.  Those who don't believe in the authority of the Bible would have little motivation to read it ...and if they don't read it, they cannot know of its truths.  And there is also a very negative campaign to discount anything that is said by those who do know those truths.

Only God is good ...and good only comes from God.  What happens if we don't know God?  If we don't know God, then we really don't know good.  If we don't have knowledge of God, we don't have knowledge of true good.  And without guidance, things tend to get less good.

The more 'wrong' that becomes commonplace, the less it is considered.  We're not talking tomatoes ...their have been tribes who have eaten other people.  It would take a tremendous departure from God to accept cannibalism, but if you belong to the tribe and it is commonplace ...it would be uncommon not to be a cannibal.  So, what would it take to change all that?

It doesn't take something as extreme as cannibalism to achieve a gross departure from God.  Yet, we often defend, with more understanding, the departed whom we have failed to help draw close to Him.

Many people sympathize enough with the people who perhaps do not know God, but seemingly not enough to invest time in helping them know Him.

Followers are followers.  Often followers don't really know the conditions of the following ...but, they nonetheless follow.  With the angels, it was clear ...either with God, or with Lucifer.  There was no peace, and something had to be done to restore it. We all participate in a war that we mostly know little about.  But, we also think little about when we make choices that are against God's way ...it is called sin.  And to not fall to the same judgment as Lucifer, a righteous and loving God offered His Son.   Jesus died for our sins. And we have somewhat the same choice as the angels had ...to follow God, or not.  If we don't accept the tremendous love of a Son who died to make it possible ...that is rather ungrateful.

The Book of Romans, Chapter 1:21-22, 24-25, 28.

^"For although they knew God, they neither glorified Him as God nor gave thanks to Him, but became vain in their imaginations and their foolish hearts were darkened. Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools ...Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another.  They exchanged the truth about God for a lie ...Furthermore, just as they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, so God gave them over to a depraved mind, so that they do what ought not to be done."

And Isaiah 5:20-21, states, "Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil ...Woe unto them that are wise in their own eyes ..."

The question should not be: Can anyone go to heaven without accepting Jesus?  

Rather the question should be: Are we willing to accept that few will? 

Botanists claim the tomato is a fruit. Horticulturalists claim it is a vegetable.  In the late 1800's, the Supreme Court ruled with the horticulturalists ...because back then fruit was not taxed, and the government wanted to tax the tomato.  The Supreme Court is about to rule on the issue of marriage ...but I think it should not be decided upon by a court that does not view God as Supreme.  And how can they busy themselves discussing marriage, when there is a critical issue with a union between two people resulting in a child ...where post-birth abortion is being considered on option.  How can the horror of that be ignored? 

I think it's fruitless to oppose God's standard, but a fruit was also the debate in the Garden of Eden.  A similar debate continues ...but we must not lose the knowledge of good and evil. Though it was better not to have in the Garden of Eden, and perhaps will be absent in heaven, yet it may be our saving grace on earth to have the knowledge of good ...in Jesus.

So, what other purpose do we have?  To tell others about Jesus.