[Article] Thomism is preferable to Molinism

[Latin]

CATHOLIC ENCYCLOPEDIA Predestination of the elect.

“Considering that not all men reach their supernatural end in heaven, but that many are eternally lost, there MUST EXIST a twofold predestination:

(a) one to heaven.

(b) one to the pains of hell.

However, according to present usages to which we shall adhere in the course of the article, it is better to call the latter decree the Divine reprobation so that the term predestination is reserved for the Divine decree of the happiness of the elect.

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The COUNTERPART of the predestination of the good is the decree the Divine reprobation.

Merely implies the absolute will not to grant the bliss of heaven, though not positively predestined to hell, yet they are absolutely predestined not to go to heaven (cf. above, I, B).
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Calvinistic reprobation means the absolute will to condemn to hell.

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Catholic theologians view on the decree the Divine reprobation:

Whatever view one may take regarding the internal probability of negative reprobation, it cannot be harmonized with the dogmatically certain universality and sincerity of God’s salvific will.
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For the absolute predestination of the blessed is at the same time the absolute will of God “not to elect” a priori the rest of mankind (Suarez), or which comes to the same, “to exclude them from heaven” (Gonet), in other words, not to save them.
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How can that will to save be called serious and sincere which has decreed from all eternity the metaphysical impossibility of salvation?
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He who has been reprobated negatively, may exhaust all his efforts to attain salvation: it avails him nothing.
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Moreover, in order to realize infallibly his decree, God is compelled to frustrate the eternal welfare of all excluded a priori from heaven, and to take care that they die in their sins.
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Is this the language in which Holy Writ speaks to us? No; there we meet an anxious, loving father, who wills not “that any should perish, but that all should return to penance” 2 Peter 3:9).
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Lessius rightly says that it would be indifferent to him whether he was numbered among those reprobated positively or negatively; for, in either case, his eternal damnation would be certain.
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The reason for this is that in the present economy exclusion from heaven means for adults practically the same thing as damnation. A middle state, a merely natural happiness, does not exist.”

http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/12378a.htm
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We cannot be surprised for universal salvation has become very popular in the modern Roman Catholic Church and more and more Catholic Theologians in the highest level and Priests teaching Universal Salvation. – This is the whole Catholic Church is praying for (CCC 1058).

The will of God is universal salvation, so it is not heresy (!!!), in fact His will is immutable and God saves everyone.
We all should believe we are praying for, which is CCC 1058, universal salvation.
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God bless

 

[Mythicalbio]

How is this possible with talk in the council’s and scripture of the damned? For instance, Jesus said He would separate the sheep and the goats, does not this imply the certainty that there are people to separate to hell and heaven? And other examples. God’s complete ability to save all but lack of doing so confuses me, but I chalk it up to a mystery. I did read once where it was said that in his subsequent will He didn’t will the salvation of all, I think it was in Fr. Lagrange. So the best possible option I came to us that He allows some people to be reprobated, but not the majority, not half, but a minority, for reasons of contrast and other mysterious stuff. Don’t know why, but it seems to happen. Also many private revelations talk of hell, and it is dogmatic that it is eternal.

We do pray for the salvation of all, maybe that is some kind of exercise of hope, not sure. I don’t know what to make of that frankly

 

[Latin]

CCC 390 The account of the fall in Genesis 3 uses figurative language, …

Figurative
[ˈfɪɡ(ə)rətɪv]
ADJECTIVE
departing from a literal use of words; metaphorical.
“a figurative expression”
Synonyms
metaphorical, non-literal, symbolic, allegorical, poetic, parabolic, etc.
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So, anything written in the Scripture account of the fall in Genesis 3, also should be considered as non-literal figurative language.
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Not only important what is written in the Scripture, it is important to understand the reason for written.
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The Scripture is like a coded message/ enigma, can be understand by God’s revelation.
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In the Book of Jonah God provided us His key to understand His enigma/ coded message.
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Jonah 3:4; Jonah began by going a day’s journey into the city, proclaiming, Forty more days and Nineveh will be overthrown.

For the reason to pay attention God promised distraction and hell to all Ninevites.
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Despite of all threats and promises of distractions and hell, God provided His Universal Salvation and saved all Ninevites:

Jonah 4:11; And should I not have concern for the great city of Nineveh, in which there are more than a hundred and twenty thousand people who cannot tell their right hand from their left, and also many animals?
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God promised destruction and hell to all Ninevites, and God provided Universal Salvation to the Ninevites.

The same principle applies to the warnings and promises of hell in the New Testament.

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When we reading the Scripture, we see in parallel there are two lines of teachings.

One line is only a few people saved, the other line is God’s Universal Salvific Will and God saves everyone (Rom.5:18; Eph.1:10-11; Col.1:20; etc.).
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Before Vatican II our theologians mostly focused on the line teaches only a few people saved.

At Vatican II and after our theologians started to focus on the line which teaches God saves everyone.

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THE MYSTERY OF PREDESTINATION John Salza (Catholic theologian.)

“The vocation to eternal life is supernatural, it surpasses the powers of human intellect and will, he must be predestined to that end by God.

God must direct us to this end by His power and grace.

Thus, predestination is a certain and infallible truth, revealed by Scripture and taught by the Catholic Church.”
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As we see above, no one can be saved without predestined to heaven, there is no other way of salvation.
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We must understand: Not predestined to heaven is practically equal to predestined to hell.

God’s love and justice demands the fulfilment of CCC 1058, by predestined to heaven, saving the entire human race.
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CCCS 1996-1998; “This call to eternal life is supernatural, coming TOTALLY from God’s decision and surpassing ALL power of human intellect and will.”

Predestined to heaven, CANNOT BE LOST. – Infallible teachings of the Trent.

As we see above, our salvation is 100 % depends on God and 0 % depends on us.
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God bless

 

[Neithan]

We have to be careful not to set up church doctrine like a kind of logical Plinko with a select number of (name removed by moderator)uts and limited outcomes.

How do you reconcile your interpretation of magisterial teachings — universalism — with Christ’s own words in scripture? He said that some people “pass on to eternal punishment” (Matthew 25:46).

 

[Latin]

He said that some people “pass on to eternal punishment” (Matthew 25:46).

In the Book of Jonah God provided us His key to understand His enigma/ coded message.
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Jonah 3:4; Jonah began by going a day’s journey into the city, proclaiming, Forty more days and Nineveh will be overthrown.

For the reason to pay attention God promised distraction and hell to all Ninevites.
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Despite of all threats and promises of distractions and hell, God provided His Universal Salvation and saved all Ninevites:

Jonah 4:11; And should I not have concern for the great city of Nineveh, in which there are more than a hundred and twenty thousand people who cannot tell their right hand from their left, and also many animals?
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God promised destruction and hell to all Ninevites, and God provided Universal Salvation to the Ninevites.
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Please also consider:
When we reading the Scripture, we see in parallel there are two lines of teachings.

One line is only a few people saved, the other line is God’s Universal Salvific Will and God saves everyone (Rom.5:18; Eph.1:10-11; Col.1:20; etc.).

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CATHOLIC ENCYCLOPEDIA Divine Providence explains.

This, the beneficent purpose of an all-seeing Providence, is wholly gratuitous, entirely unmerited (Romans 3:24; 9:11-2).

It extends to all men (Romans 2:10; 1 Timothy 2:4), even to the reprobate Jews (Romans 11:26 sq.); and by it all God’s dealings with man are regulated (Ephesians 1:11).

It extends to every individual, adapting itself to the needs of each (St. John Chrysostom, “Hom. xxviii in Matt.”, n. 3 in “P.G.”, LVII, 354).

All things are created and governed with a view to man, to the development of his life and his intelligence, and to the satisfaction of his needs (Aristides, “Apol.”, i, v, vi, xv, xvi.

God is the sole ruler of the world. His will governs all things. He loves all men, desires the salvation of all, and His providence extends to all nation.

That end is that all creatures should manifest the glory of God, and in particular that man should glorify Him, recognizing in nature the work of His hand, serving Him in obedience and love, and thereby attaining to the full development of his nature and to eternal happiness in God.

http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/12510a.htm

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GOD IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE SALVATION OF THE ENTIRE HUMAN RACE

Fundamentals of Catholic Dogma by Ludwig Ott;

Fallen man cannot redeem himself, (De fide dogma). – It is God’s responsibility to save ALL OF US.
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Without the special help of God the justified cannot persevere to the end in justification, (De fide dogma ).
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It is God’s responsibility TO KEEP US SAVED by His gift of Final Perseverance, which is an INFALLIBLE PROTECTION of the salvation of every receiver, there is no salvation without it. – Infallible teachings of the Trent.

CCC 2016 The children of our holy mother the Church rightly hope for the grace of final perseverance.
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God bless

 

[Mythicalbio]

You make the most powerful case of universalism, it goes well with Dr. Harts case (Apprehending Apokatastasis: The Incoherence of Everlasting Perdition | Eclectic Orthodoxy in essence: 1) God freely created the cosmos ex nihilo 2) God is the Good and wills only Good 3) God will condemn part of His creation to everlasting perdition. Hart believes you can only hope two of those three propositions, never all three at once. Obviously, he holds the first two.) I’ll consider it more, it is logical but difficult to accept

 

[Neithan]

The impression I get from this article is that it’s just “easier” to accept Thomism and it requires less philosophical skill to defend than Molinism. I really want Molinism to be true, but as that’s my cognitive bias, I guess I should be wary about that. On the other hand, people generally have a cognitive bias towards simplicity, unity, harmony etc. (which is I think a major appeal to many scientific materialists) so maybe I should be reluctant to really accept either one and remain agnostic on how to reconcile predestination and free will.