So, some Jew, or Buddhist, or Taoist, or who lived in 400 BCE, lived to the best knowledge of his or her conscience, is necessarily condemned to hell because they – in his or her life on earth – did not believe Christ was/is savior?
One thing we all agree is that God is absolutely fair in his judgements.
On the one hand, I agree that the question was whether Gandhi is going to heaven according to CATHOLIC teaching, so that the OP most likely wanted a response from the Catholic viewpoint. But on the other hand, the fact Gandhi was Hindu is also relevant to the discussion regarding what Gandhi himself believed about heaven, so it is not totally off topic. Besides, as another poster mentions, it is an interesting piece of information, whether or not one accepts it as true.
I’m no expert on Catholic theology but, according to my understanding, if one was born and lives BEFORE Jesus’ life on earth, one cannot be judged as not believing in Jesus but rather according to another set of criteria. I’m almost sure that Catholics do not teach that the Prophets of the Old Testament, for example, must go to hell because they lived before Jesus!
You have said that no one is good but the Father. Unless one is able to see the Father in others, one will be unable to see the Father, for that is how He is manifest - in the greatest and in the least. Not to see the good in others is to miss seeing God in others, and this is to miss seeing the Father. The kingdom of heaven is inside you and all around you. If you cannot see it in yourself and in others, then you will not see it anywhere. To imagine that someone else is in hell reflects a hellish outlook. One with a hellish outlook will speak of what he sees, and what he will speak of is hell. One who is happy to see God in others and heaven in others will see heaven. Once this is known, it is only a mater of choice.
I just noticed after I posted that your original statement was “or 400 BCE,” not “and 400 BCE.” The salvation of Jews, Buddhists, Hindus, Taoists, Muslims, etc. is quite another matter in Catholic theology. I’m sure you’ll hear a diversity of thought on THAT issue.
I picked up only bits and pieces of your discussion with the other poster, so please don’t accuse me of cherry picking here, but I noticed your comment about Orthodox Judaism’s not considering the fetus to be fully a human being until birth. If the emphasis is on FULLY, you MAY be right but, as a Reform Jew, I’d have to check. I do know, however, that Orthodox Judaism forbids abortion after the first trimester unless the mother’s life is in danger. I’m not sure about rape and incest, but think that SOME at least would make allowances for these conditions as well with Biblical justification, of course. (I don’t wish to take this discussion off-topic into Judaism, if at all possible! Just felt the need to point this out.)
God also said, “When you look for me, you will find me. Yes, when you seek me with all your heart, you will find me with you, says the LORD” to Jeremiah (29:13-14a).
Now is that what I said???
The question is did Ghandi accept Christ as his Savior? Its that simple. John 14:6
Hi Gary: I perceive that any Hindu who is well schooled in Hindu scripture would upon hearing the story of Jesus, accept Him. The context however, could never be the same as it is for you. A Hindu would look at John 14:6 and say “yes, I understand this, but the illusion of separateness has caused many to miss it’s true meaning.” This man Jesus told people in every way He could that while He was wearing a different man, at His core He was not someone other than them, and they were not someone other than each other. He is the Way, the Truth and the Life, and He is in every one of us. Without awakening to this realization, and without awakening this Jesus within ourselves, no one comes to the Father, because the Father is in you. He is also in the person next to you. That is where He is to be found. We come to the Father by seeing Him in Jesus and seeing Jesus in ourselves and those around us, and in acting in accordance with this knowledge. So long as He is sought in ceremony, ritual and convention, He will be missed. You would hard pressed to convince many Hindus that it is otherwise, because it couldn’t be simpler to understand. It also couldn’t be harder to accomplish, but who would join a church with so difficult a task to accomplish? This is the unfortunate part of the story I think. It makes it easy for people to cling to the idea that someone else did it for them. I think He only showed the way, but it is a way that is hard to look at.
