Better to be a cafeteria Catholic or Atheist?

[ElizabethPH]

Gosh, I wouldn’t want to bank on that though. If I had the opportunity to talk to the atheist, I would urge him to reconsider because not only is his life apart from God much more difficult, (God is my strength and my refuge) but his odds of making it to heaven are a long shot at best. Possible yes, but a long shot acording to my Priest.

Why as an atheist do they even care about heaven or hell? So the state of their souls may matter to us; it certainly doesn’t to them. Why in the first place does an atheist even care about the answer to the op’s question if he doesn’t even believe. As far as my thoughts on the question I don’t think either one is better then the other. Even considering revelation as the op suggests. Still a lukewarm Catholic has put their souls in dyer danger. As an atheist has.

 

[Iamnotafraid]

Why as an atheist do they even care about heaven or hell? .

It is fascinating to challenge Christians, with questions that many may not have come across before.

Correct, i do not believe in a place called Hell or Heaven. However, a good portion of the population believes in these spiritual places. I’m intensely curious to see how you folk think about what your Bible or Faith says, about real life situations.

I have received some solid efforts at answering my question, but I have to say, most fall short of a definitive answer.

I hope this answers your question.

 

[Iamnotafraid]

I don’t think either one is better then the other. Even considering revelation as the op suggests. Still a lukewarm Catholic has put their souls in dyer danger. As an atheist has.

It’s great that you think that, but my common sense reading of that scripture, clearly tells me that there is a huge difference between the two.

It says, hot or cold, but if your Lukewarm, I’m going to spit you right out.

I suppose, the question is, is your answer, ’ that both are equal’, in contradiction of the scriptures?

 

[Jerry-Jet]

It is possible for an atheist to be invincibly ignorant.

It isn’t possible for a cafeteria Catholic to be invincibly ignorant.

There is a great probability that an atheist who dies unrepentent in his atheism will end up in Hell because there is a great probability that he will committ a mortal sin and die in a state of mortal sin though it is minutely possible that he would be invincibly ignorant and not die in that state…

It is a 100% certainty that any Catholic who knows the teaching of the Catholic faith and picks and chooses to believe from what the Catholic Church has taught and unrepentedly dies in that mode will wind up in Hell!

The atheist might have an excuse. The cafeteria Catholic doesn’t!

 

[Iamnotafraid]

It is a 100% certainty that any Catholic who knows the teaching of the Catholic faith and picks and chooses to believe from what the Catholic Church has taught and unrepentedly dies in that mode will wind up in Hell!

The atheist might have an excuse. The cafeteria Catholic doesn’t!

I have to, excuse the expression, play devils advocate.

In order to protect the souls of mankind, would the Catholic Church, not have a higher probability of getting souls to heaven, if they kept their flock completely ignorant of the true teachings?

If not the Church, then would parents not have a better chance of assuring their kids get to heaven, by making sure that they don’t know all the facts, that way, they can remain ignorant, and ignorant not by their own fault?

For example, I know that Catholics have to go to confession, once a year. My co-worker, a Catholic, didn’t know this, and I educated her about it. Now she knows, and unless she changes and starts going to confession, she is now jeopardizing her salvation, where as before, she was completely ignorant and would have had a better chance? No?

 

[ElizabethPH]

It’s great that you think that, but my common sense reading of that scripture, clearly tells me that there is a huge difference between the two.

It says, hot or cold, but if your Lukewarm, I’m going to spit you right out.

I suppose, the question is, is your answer, ’ that both are equal’, in contradiction of the scriptures?

No I don’t mean to contradict scripture. Thanks for answering my question by the way

One is worse then the other; so I will take back that I said one is not better then the other in that my line of thinking is that they are both bad; and both reject God. The lukewarm Catholic is truly incomprehensible.

 

[thistle]

It is possible for an atheist to be invincibly ignorant.

It isn’t possible for a cafeteria Catholic to be invincibly ignorant.

There is a great probability that an atheist who dies unrepentent in his atheism will end up in Hell because there is a great probability that he will committ a mortal sin and die in a state of mortal sin though it is minutely possible that he would be invincibly ignorant and not die in that state…

It is a 100% certainty that any Catholic who knows the teaching of the Catholic faith and picks and chooses to believe from what the Catholic Church has taught and unrepentedly dies in that mode will wind up in Hell!

The atheist might have an excuse. The cafeteria Catholic doesn’t!

I suppose anything is possible but in this day and age I would say there can’t be many atheists who have never heard of Jesus.
You are definitely correct about the Cafeteria Catholic though. I always wonder why that expression is used. Just as “pro-choice” is a nice way to dress up pro-abortion/pro-murder, the expression Cafeteria Catholic is an attempt to disguise the fact they are heretics.

 

[Jerry-Jet]

I say it might be possible for an atheist to be invincibly ignorant but he’d have to live somewhere where Jesus had never been mentioned.

I think I read somewhere that John Paul II said that the gospel would be preached everywhere in this millenium.

As for not teaching Catholics that would be a bad thing. Why? Because the more truth that one has of God the better their chance at salvation is.

And even for the people that are invincibly ignorant they will still be held to account for how they obey the natural law which is written on every human heart.

The exception of invincible ignorance applies to very few people.

One can be ignorant of alot yet still not be INVINCIBLY ignorant.

If one does not know but is curious and feels an urging to seek and does not act on that they will be held to account.

Knowledge of God cuts both ways–we are judged to higher and higher standards for what we know–on the other hand the more full our knowledge is of God the more we are able to discern his will for us.

The Catholic faith offers the sacraments and the lives of the saints that help us in spiritual warfare–not to mention the prayers of the communion of saints and especially of the Blessed Mother.

Jesus said "I am the way, the truth, the life. no one comes to the father but by me.

The Fullness of truth subsists in the Catholic church.

The best place to find Jesus who is the truth and the doorway to Heaven is in the Catholic Church.

Letting people be ignorant and not know the truth is not loving for Jesus also said that we are to love God with our whole mind.

 

[thistle]

I say it might be possible for an atheist to be invincibly ignorant but he’d have to live somewhere where Jesus had never been mentioned.

I think I read somewhere that John Paul II said that the gospel would be preached everywhere in this millenium.

As for not teaching Catholics that would be a bad thing. Why? Because the more truth that one has of God the better their chance at salvation is.

And even for the people that are invincibly ignorant they will still be held to account for how they obey the natural law which is written on every human heart.

The exception of invincible ignorance applies to very few people.

One can be ignorant of alot yet still not be INVINCIBLY ignorant.

If one does not know but is curious and feels an urging to seek and does not act on that they will be held to account.

Knowledge of God cuts both ways–we are judged to higher and higher standards for what we know–on the other hand the more full our knowledge is of God the more we are able to discern his will for us.

The Catholic faith offers the sacraments and the lives of the saints that help us in spiritual warfare–not to mention the prayers of the communion of saints and especially of the Blessed Mother.

Jesus said "I am the way, the truth, the life. no one comes to the father but by me.

The Fullness of truth subsists in the Catholic church.

The best place to find Jesus who is the truth and the doorway to Heaven is in the Catholic Church.

Letting people be ignorant and not know the truth is not loving for Jesus also said that we are to love God with our whole mind.

 

[porthos11]

I kinda find it hard to believe that an atheist would be invincibly ignorant. The knowledge of God is in every man’s heart; it’s part of the natural law, even through they may express it through false religions. Atheists have to consciously suppress that belief, but I don’t think anyone’s born that way.

 

[adriancombe]

**Revelation 3;16

So, because you are lukewarm, neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth.**

I am a non-believer, a fallen away Christian and generally an Atheist. Sometimes, I may approach agnosticism, but most days, I hold a complete non-belief in any God.

I know a lot of people who say they’re Christians, even some Catholics. They don’t go to Church, they don’t seem to know anything about their religion and I think they go to Church once or twice a year.

I think everyone is well aware of the statistics, at least in Canada, that only 25% of believers go to Church every week.

I know a few atheists, me included, that think about religious themes quite often. It’s just we don’t believe, vs the apparent faithful, who never think about religion.

**1) Is it better to be a cold Atheist, or a lukewarm cafeteria Catholic who goes to Church once a year and rarely thinks about their faith or their God?

1a) You know who I’m talking about, those who identify as Catholics, but use artificial birth control, are pro-choice, maybe they’re divorced and re-married ( no anullment), they don’t believe in the real presence, but they show up once a year at Xmas and partake in the eucharist etc…**

Again, I think everyone knows that there are a lot of " cafeteria Catholics" who are exactly what I have written above.

Obviously, please apply the Revelation scripture in the spirit of your response.

All things being equal (if they ever could be) the cafeteria Catholic. To me, a cafeteria Catholic is just a protestant who does not know they are a protestant, or cannot admit it. Scott Hahn and others becames Catholic gradually through protestantism. So a cafeteria Catholic, at least in principle, is one step closer to the truth than an atheist.

That being said, a Catholic who is obliviously making sacrilegious communions over and over can’t be truly envied either. On the other hand, I was saved from that state myself it seems, so there is always hope.

 

[arcee]

There is no middle ground in believing the word of God and Jesus. It is either your believe in Him or not.

 

[rwillenborg]

Atheist all the way.
Having lived most of my adult life as an atheist I have to say, it’s way more fun than being a fake Catholic, and it’s less confusing to people.
I mean, if you say ‘I’m catholic, but birth control’s cool with me, and I don’t go to church, and the Bible is wrong, and priests are dumb, blah blah blah’ well, then you just confuse people.
And that’s just plain mean.
Call a spade a spade. If you don’t believe in God, then act it. And if you believe in God, then act it.
As far as what would God prefer…uh, you’ll have to ask Him, I’m not in charge (My guess would be neither, but again, what do I know?) but as for ME, I would rather meet someone who is who they say they are.
There’s nothing more embarrassing than when I meet someone and they say ‘Oh, I’m Catholic’ and I say ‘Wonderful! What parish do you go to?’ thinking that here we have something nice we can chat about and they’re like ‘Church? Bwahahaha! I haven’t gone in years! You still go?’ and now I’m all embarrassed.
Whereas, if they say ‘I’m an atheist’ I can say ‘Hey, did you see Zombieland?’ or something along those lines, and I don’t end up sounding so dumb.

 

[Ignatius]

** Is it better to be a**** Atheist, or a cafeteria Catholic? **

No, actually it’s better to be a Faithful Catholic who holds all that The Catholic Church has received and passed down from the Apostles.