Are only Christians who truly KNOW God going to hell and purgatory?

[hausofferni]

Forgive me if my question sounds confusing, but my grandma told me something that I keep thinking about. Ok so she said that since we (my grandma and I) both know God and are learning more about him and what he wants and expects from us, WE are the ones who are more likely to go to hell or purgatory, in a sense that, the men and woman walking down the street are innocent because they know nothing of catholic doctrine, they know nothing of mortal sins or venial sins, they know nothing about something being offensive to God, they grew up thinking that God will forgive them always, they just see God as some man in the sky who gives us graces and is there when we need him, BUT US, devoted faithful Catholics, WE KNOW, between right and wrong. WE KNOW that we shouldn’t commit this sin or that sin or do this or that. We as devoted Christians cannot go back. And it’s something that I keep thinking about. Once you get in too deep into the faith, there’s no way back, your in full force, the faith hits you like a ton of bricks ( in the best possible way) and you know that from this day forth, you cannot do anything immoral because we know better. So my question is, are the sinners of the world innocent? Because truly truly they DONT KNOW. They aren’t aware like the rest of us. I think that if I were to die at the same time that a crook prostitute died, and we were both in the face of judgement, I would be condemned and she wouldn’t because she didn’t know any better, and I did. Thoughts and opinions?

 

[Wesrock]

This takes invincible ignorance to a level I don’t think is correct. First, there are some things that people should just know are right or wrong (killing, stealing, etc…) unless they have a severe intellectual handicap. You don’t need to be Christian or religious to know this. These, except in perhaps the most extraordinary or circumstances, should still be imputable to the sinner. Second, intentional ignorance, or being a sloth when it comes to seeking moral truth, is a fault on the part of the sinner as well.

Ultimately, it’s in God’s hands to judge, amd if I get to heaven and that’s exactly what God has done, it’s not something I would question. But I just don’t think it’s correct according to my understanding of Catholicism.

 

[hausofferni]

This takes invincible ignorance to a level I don’t think is correct. First, there are some things that people should just know are right or wrong (killing, stealing, etc…) unless they have a severe intellectual handicap. You don’t need to be Christian or religious to know this. These, except in perhaps the most extraordinary or circumstances, should still be imputable to the sinner. Second, intentional ignorance, or being a sloth when it comes to seeking moral truth, is a fault on the part of the sinner as well.

Ultimately, it’s in God’s hands to judge, amd if I get to heaven and that’s exactly what God has done, it’s not something I would question. But I just don’t think it’s correct according to my understanding of Catholicism.

I don’t think you see where im coming from. I’m not talking about murderers, or sins that grave, I’m talking about the innocence of people who don’t know the laws like we do. We truly truly know right from wrong, a non catholic who is Christian, lies, he doesn’t know any better and sees it as a simple lie and doesn’t know that it’s a serious sin, but a catholic who knows, and commits the same lie, is in the state of mortal sin and risks going to hell. Do you see this difference? Not ignorance, but innocence.

 

[davidv]

I don’t think you see where im coming from. I’m not talking about murderers, or sins that grave, I’m talking about the innocence of people who don’t know the laws like we do. We truly truly know right from wrong, a non catholic who is Christian, lies, he doesn’t know any better and sees it as a simple lie and doesn’t know that it’s a serious sin, but a catholic who knows, and commits the same lie, is in the state of mortal sin and risks going to hell. Do you see this difference? Not ignorance, but innocence.

People who don’t know the law are not necessarily innocent. God’s Law is written on our hearts and is knowable to all but the most severely disabled. In reality, almost no one above the age of reason is innocent.

 

[Bookcat]

They are yes in a real danger of the choice of hell…

Remember Salvation comes by grace via Faith and Baptism -into Christ and his Church…it is Jesus Christ who is the Way and the Life.

We are not saved “by” ignorance or simply not knowing what a mortal sin is -and one need not know that name to known by natural law that there are such serious things…

We are saved by Jesus Christ. Faith in him.

Now can it happen that someone who does not hear of him - can still be saved? Yes. But such is not the normative way nor the way that Jesus gave us…and certainly is a rather precarious way for they do not have all the means of salvation that he gave us in his Church.

But yes it is possible.

Catechism:

" Those who, through no fault of their own, do not know the Gospel of Christ or his Church, but who nevertheless seek God with a sincere heart, and, moved by grace, try in their actions to do his will as they know it through the dictates of their conscience - those too may achieve eternal salvation."

scborromeo.org/ccc/p123a9p3.htm#847

They “can” be saved …by Jesus and in relation with the Church in ways not known to us…it is possible.

But that something “can” be does not mean that it will be…

We are to propose Christ to all…so all may have true life in him here …and in eternity.

 

[clem456]

Forgive me if my question sounds confusing, but my grandma told me something that I keep thinking about. Ok so she said that since we (my grandma and I) both know God and are learning more about him and what he wants and expects from us, WE are the ones who are more likely to go to hell or purgatory, in a sense that, the men and woman walking down the street are innocent because they know nothing of catholic doctrine, they know nothing of mortal sins or venial sins, they know nothing about something being offensive to God, they grew up thinking that God will forgive them always, they just see God as some man in the sky who gives us graces and is there when we need him, BUT US, devoted faithful Catholics, WE KNOW, between right and wrong. WE KNOW that we shouldn’t commit this sin or that sin or do this or that. We as devoted Christians cannot go back. And it’s something that I keep thinking about. Once you get in too deep into the faith, there’s no way back, your in full force, the faith hits you like a ton of bricks ( in the best possible way) and you know that from this day forth, you cannot do anything immoral because we know better. So my question is, are the sinners of the world innocent? Because truly truly they DONT KNOW. They aren’t aware like the rest of us. I think that if I were to die at the same time that a crook prostitute died, and we were both in the face of judgement, I would be condemned and she wouldn’t because she didn’t know any better, and I did. Thoughts and opinions?

I struggle with this kind of reduction of salvation to a contract.
In effect, you are wondering what the qualifications are to make it to heaven.

What must I do…?

Christ answers that you must give your whole self to God. In the passage with the rich young man, he does not say what disqualifies him, he exhorts him to give his whole self. Knowing God is to enter a relationship of love and faith with him. As for others or ourselves getting to heaven, anything is possible for God.
It’s not what we know and what “the rest of us” don’t know.

 

[spiderweb]

Jesus answers this himself.

And that servant who knew the will of his lord, and prepared not himself, and did not according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes. But he that knew not, and did things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes. And unto whomsoever much is given, of him much shall be required: and to whom they have committed much, of him they will demand the more. Luke 12:47-48

A person who honestly does not know, must still make restitution for the evil committed. Just because they don’t know something is wrong doesn’t change the fact that it is still wrong. However their culpability is less and therefore their restitution and/or punishment is less.

 

[Genesis315]

Ignorance is not a free pass if you could have remedied your ignorance–ignorance does not equal innocence as it can be the result of sin. Knowing the truth about God and His will for us never makes someone worse off. This is why St. Paul says God desires all men to be saved *and *come to the knowledge of the truth.

The kind of faith and charity required for salvation for an ignorant person necessarily entails the willingness to believe all God has revealed and to live according to it. A person on the path to salvation will embrace the truth if/when they come to know it because that is what they desire and they love God above all things. A person who is ignorant because they are negligent of the truth (they just don’t care) or are willfully opposed to the truth do not have this kind of saving faith and love of God.

On the other hand, having someone share the truth with you can make you better off. Sometimes a person has hardened their heart to the inner voice of God, but an “outer voice”–the voice, example, and love of a friend, family member, neighbor, or even stranger–can touch that person’s conscience and soften their heart to God’s grace and His saving truth.