Ther percentage of protestants that do not know that protestantism broke from the Catholic church is very small so for all intensive purposes you are saying that all protestants are going to hell once they die since they can not claim to be ignorant. Protestants also can not claim to be ignorant of the need for absoultion for their mortal sins by a Catholic priest since they have access to read John 20:21-23 and 1 John 5:16-17. Correct?
Just to be clear, I don’t judge or condemn anyone. I’m merely quoting from scripture and the CCC.
Scripturally speaking,
Jesus absolutely opposes division of any kind in His Church or from His Church.
John 17:20-23 He wants perfect unity.
When the Holy Spirit inspired Paul to condemn division in and from the Church, (and there is only one Church by definition) in the following readings
Romans 16:17-20** , **
Galatians 5:19-21 who did that condemnation originate from? Yes it’s the HS
John 14:25-26 , but where does the HS get it from? The HS takes from Jesus and gives it to Paul
John 16:12-15. Therefore, Jesus is the one who condemns any division / sedition / dissension etc from His Church or within His Church that He builds on Peter and the apostles.
Given
Romans 16:17-20** , **
Galatians 5:19-21 and the consequences one sees for division, we see then, where
846 comes from.
However, the Church in a pastoral way, so that
846 isn’t taken in a wooden literal way, provides for the possibility of one’s ignorance and lack of personal fault in being divided from the Catholic Church…** Providing **one’s ignorance is innocent and no fault of their own. Vincible ignorance otoh is when one takes little effort to learn what one is bound to know and has ample access to such information, but doesn’t try to access it or learn it. That person can no longer plead innocent by reason of ignorance.
1791
It seems to me, as
846 illudes to, part of judgement for non-Catholics then, will be their culpability for why they didn’t accept the true faith. As the Church says (paraphrased) one will be held to a standard consummate with the opportunities that are presented to them in this life, and the access one had to the Church’s teachings. Where this information is / was easy to access, It is not a light matter for the n-C who remains n-C… IMO
P:
But you are right - the Bible is absolutely clear on these points. How someone who claims to be a Bible scholar could miss them so completely is beyond comprehension.
I’m merely saying, it seems to me highly dangerous for a Protestant as an example, to understand in their own mind, that as long as one is not 100% convinced of the truth of the Catholic faith, they think all is well for them. Knowing the stakes, and the teaching throughout scripture and history about division from the Church, all I’m saying, one appears in that case to be playing roulette with their soul.
P:
Where does the Bible directly teach that the ONLY way your mortal sins can be forgiven is by absolution of a priest? The Bible offers absolution as ONE method to obtain the forgiveness of your mortal sins, but I am struggling with finding a verse that says it is the ONLY way. I know the catechism says it is the only way, but where does it say that in the Bible? If there is a verse I can show it to my protestant friends and help them understand.
how about this. We know the following is true
John 20:21-23. Why does Jesus give that power to His apostles, if all a sinner has to do is say a prayer to Jesus?
P:
How can protestants be ignorant when they have access to read the Bible? Does not the Bible clearly teach that you need absolution for the mortal sins you commit? How can they claim to be ignorant when so many of them have read John 20:21-23 and 1 John 5:16-17?
good points
).