do you have to be Catholic to get into Heaven??

[nlm]

It’s a rhetorical question, NLM. It doesn’t have to apply to your family. You need not even be married to answer the question.

It seems to me that by your non-answer you understand the inconsistency in your belief. You state that salvation is “what happens in your heart” and a public declaration is not essential but “what happens in your heart” between a married couple requires a public declaration. :whacky:

The CC, however, is quite consistent. When we are baptized and claimed by Christ and his Church, our soul is changed forever. When we are married and claimed by Christ for each other, what existed before–2 individuals–are changed forever through the Sacrament of Matrimony. How magnificent is that!! :extrahappy:

Yes, please do pray for me, NLM. I humbly ask for all prayers.

Would you mind answering the question about where in Scripture it says that salvation is a “matter between God and myself” and where it says in Scripture that “public declaration of this fact is important but not essential.” Chapter and verse, please.

If you really were interested in Christian dialogue you wouldhave taken the time to read my answer in # 276. I did answer your question.There are no inconsistencies in my beliefs.It is getting late and I will point out RCC inconsistencies tomorrow.As fpr your last point.May I ask who it is you sin againstwhen you sin.is it not against God? Then it is also between each one of us and that same God when we deal with issues of Salvation. God in His immense grace will save my soul.It is between me and Him.If you can’t inderstand that then there is a problem here.

 

[nlm]

OK, NLM, I asked twice, and never got a response. I asked sincerely, by the way, I just wanted to know what the “lie” was. And I never got a straight answer. Or if I did, I didn’t recognize it as such.

And now it appears that you are leaving in a huff. Well, sorry about that.

I wasn’t arrogant, sarcastic or nasty, as you have described “some” members of this forum. I asked a question, in sincerity, I asked it nicely, twice, and got nothing at all in response.

So I find it hard to swallow this preaching that you are doing about asking sincere and legitimate questions and not getting an answer. With all due respect, how is it that you can criticize others for something you are in the process of doing yourself?

I will indeed be very specific with what you are asking of me and I apologize for not sending you a private message today as I had planned. I received a call earlier today telling me my cousin’s husband died this afternoon folowing a short illness.THis has taken up more of my time than planned.Your comments are true but please reserve your inal opinion after you hear from me. God Bless.NLM

 

[tweetymom]

When I said: I was just saying that Jesus was not all about making someone feel good–he also made some hard sayings that people walked away from. Like some are doing here. I meant that Jesus offended many with his teachings–like on divorce and remarriage, like on the Eucharist. Many people–his disciples!!–walked away from him when they didn’t like the Truth Jesus proclaimed. NLM is walking away from this forum because he doesn’t like the Truth as Catholics are proclaiming it either.

You then responded:

it sounded sarcastic to me, but I’m obviously missing your point. So now what are you saying is so great?

if it sounded sacastic to you I have already apoliged.And what I am saying now that it is great that NLM didn’t walk away

 

[PRmerger]

If you really were interested in Christian dialogue you wouldhave taken the time to read my answer in # 276. I did answer your question.There are no inconsistencies in my beliefs.It is getting late and I will point out RCC inconsistencies tomorrow.As fpr your last point.May I ask who it is you sin againstwhen you sin.is it not against God? Then it is also between each one of us and that same God when we deal with issues of Salvation. God in His immense grace will save my soul.It is between me and Him.If you can’t inderstand that then there is a problem here.

Yay! You’re back!

Sin has a social dimension. Remember the verse that says, “If your brother sins against you…” It’s not only between you and God, NLM.

 

[MelanieAnne]

I will indeed be very specific with what you are asking of me and I apologize for not sending you a private message today as I had planned. I received a call earlier today telling me my cousin’s husband died this afternoon folowing a short illness.THis has taken up more of my time than planned.Your comments are true but please reserve your inal opinion after you hear from me. God Bless.NLM

I’m not sure what an “inal” opinion is but I am sorry for your loss.

 

[PRmerger]

if it sounded sacastic to you I have already apoliged.And what I am saying now that it is great that NLM didn’t walk away

You did? Where?

Regardless, I do not get offended by sarcasm. I do agree with this quote from A Separate Peace that “sarcasm is the protest of those who are weak”, but I don’t get all bent out of shape by sarcastic remarks; I like to sling one right back at the “offender”.

 

[PRmerger]

If you really were interested in Christian dialogue you wouldhave taken the time to read my answer in # 276.

I went back and re-read your answer in #276. Where did you answer this question:
Why would a Christian couple want God to bless their union in a public ceremony, if they already know in their hearts that God has blessed it?

Also, I’d still like to know where it says in Scripture that salvation is a “matter between God and myself” and where it says in Scripture that “public delcaration of this fact is important but not essential.” Chapter and verse, please!

 

[tweetymom]

You did? Where?

Regardless, I do not get offended by sarcasm. I do agree with this quote from A Separate Peace that “sarcasm is the protest of those who are weak”, but I don’t get all bent out of shape by sarcastic remarks; I like to sling one right back at the “offender”.

In post 290 was my attempt to apolige to you. I am the last person that cannot take sarcasm.I am well known for being a tough old broad and can take anything you or who ever can dish out.I just hate to see others treated unkindly. And I can sling with the best of them

 

[PRmerger]

In post 290 was my attempt to apolige to you. I am the last person that cannot take sarcasm.I am well known for being a tough old broad and can take anything you or who ever can dish out.I just hate to see others treated unkindly. And I can sling with the best of them

If you think sarcasm is treating others unkindly, then you ought not sling any saracstic (i.e. unkind) remarks at all.

I don’t happen to think sarcasm is unkind. At least not the sarcasm that’s been in this thread over the last few pages.

 

[MelanieAnne]

Speaking only for myself, if you “love” someone, that means you treat them kindly. Way too many people don’t “get that”. So I thought I’d go on record.

No, Jesus didn’t give me that definition, He just told us to “Love one another” as He loved us.

 

[tweetymom]

If you think sarcasm is treating others unkindly, then you ought not sling any saracstic (i.e. unkind) remarks at all.

I don’t happen to think sarcasm is unkind. At least not the sarcasm that’s been in this thread over the last few pages.

Well I do think that but you know I am not in heaven so I do get carried away. But what ever you think I wasn’t being sarcastic with you yet

 

[MelanieAnne]

You two need to take this “outside”.

 

[tweetymom]

Speaking only for myself, if you “love” someone, that means you treat them kindly. Way too many people don’t “get that”. So I thought I’d go on record.

No, Jesus didn’t give me that definition, He just told us to “Love one another” as He loved us.

You are right on and you can put me on your record. Sometimes I get carried away and believe me I get in trouble!

 

[PRmerger]

You two need to take this “outside”.

I think we’re both pretty much done with that conversation!

 

[tweetymom]

I think we’re both pretty much done with that conversation!

Well you can go with us if you like

 

[mpjw]

Hi all…

wow this thread grew since I last "checked’ in

There is a few replies i want to make, but this post by distracted caught my eye.

to the post by nlm

I can tell you without a shadow of a doubt, if I died tonight I would go to heaven.

distracted responded…

***you have absolutely no way of knowing such a thing ***…

why do you claim to know what only God knows??

it is not only what God knows, it is what God promises.

that is why I shared the story of my friends’ friend in the tower on 9/11.

He made the statement to my friend “I will be waiting for you in heaven” because he believed he would be in heaven the instant after he met his physical death in the tower.

absolutely no way of knowing you may be wondering…

I would agree with you because I heard the story third party.
However, distracted, I believe you can know for sure your own eternal destination.

Here let me show you how.

I am going to respectfully assume you are a faithful Catholic…
and
you are not perfect and you do sin once in a while
and
when you do sin, you go to confession and make a contrite, remorseful, repentent, confession to a priest before the Lord.
and
you sincerely confess all the sins you have comitted so that your soul can be restored to a state of grace after you say the prayers of penance given to you by the priest.

let me ask you a few questions to assist you in understanding why I believe you can have assurance of going to heaven…

How do you feel immediately after you say the prayers of penance at the altar before our Lord Jesus Christ?

Don’t you feel clean, pure and forgiven right there at the altar??

If you were to have a fatal heart attack right there at the altar after making a contrite, remorseful, repentent, confession and you did not withold any sin you comitted…,

don’t you believe God would welcome you into heaven immmediately or after a temporary stop in purgatory (since catholics believe in purgatory)?

God bless you distracted

I look forward to your answer or any one else

 

[mpjw]

A protestant cant not “die in the state of grace”. All protestants have original sin on there soul, so unless they die protecting or for the Catholic Faith, in other words a baptism of blood, they can not enter heaven. Also, since when has time undone sin? It was a terrible sin to separate and bring thousands from the church, and in extension, heaven. So, the followers of a non-Catholic Christian are guilty of heresy. Sorry, but Saint Augustine said “One can not have the God as a father if he does not have the Church as a mother.” So, no, it would not be possible.

Oh my youngsaint … after reading your post I want to ask you directly…are you saying I can not enter heaven?

Just to let you know I was baptized as an infant in the RCC but at age 35 I walked away from the RCC. I currently attend worship services at a non-denominational christian church where i was baptized by immersion.

just curious…when you say "protestant’ are you addressing all non catholic christians (baptist, letherans, methodist, pentacostal, protestant etc…) or just the protestants?

thank you

mpjw2

 

[mpjw2]

any comments about the story I told in #252 about what happened in the tower on 9/11?

I would be interested to know about what the catholic church teaches about a person in such a situation.

Knowing they were going to die but not being sure of their eternal destination and then hearing and believing in, for the first time, the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ .

again, thank God He sent a christian to witness to my friend’s friend in the tower resulting in him accepting the truth of the gospel whereas I believe he believed in Jesus, repented and confessed his sin to God and knew he would be welcomed into heaven by God the instant after he met his physical death in the tower

God bless

mpjw2

 

[PRmerger]

I would be interested to know about what the catholic church teaches about a person in such a situation.

Knowing they were going to die but not being sure of their eternal destination and then hearing and believing in, for the first time, the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ .

Since the CC provided all of us with the Scriptures in which Jesus tells the Good Thief “Today you will be with me in paradise”, we can presume that God would welcome with open arms your friend’s friend. We just don’t know if your friend’s friend says 'Yes!" to God face to face.

(Just so you know, the CC even gives the Good Thief a name–Dismas–and we celebrate and honor his Yes! with sainthood!)

 

[PRmerger]

you are not perfect and you do sin once in a while
and
when you do sin, you go to confession and make a contrite, remorseful, repentent, confession to a priest before the Lord.
and
you sincerely confess all the sins you have comitted so that your soul can be restored to a state of grace after you say the prayers of penance given to you by the priest.

let me ask you a few questions to assist you in understanding why I believe you can have assurance of going to heaven…

How do you feel immediately after you say the prayers of penance at the altar before our Lord Jesus Christ?

Don’t you feel clean, pure and forgiven right there at the altar??

If you were to have a fatal heart attack right there at the altar after making a contrite, remorseful, repentent, confession and you did not withold any sin you comitted…,

Yes, I feel clean, pure and forgiven in the confessional after hearing the words of absolution from the priest.

However, I also know that God said in Revelation that “nothing unclean can enter heaven”…so just ‘cause I *feel *clean–and am forgiven of my sins–doesn’t mean that my soul is pure enough to see God face to face. It might need more cleanin’ up–and that’s what Purgatory is for!