Eternal Life or Damnation

[Iamnotafraid]

sin has to be punished.

A police officer has discretion whether or not to arrest a teenager for spray painting a fence or let him off with a warning.

A Judge has discretion whether to sentence, if convicted, that same teenager to jail, probation, community service or a complete absolute discharge.

Yet, God is shackled and hasn’t the same amount of discretion, that a mere human has when making judgments?

How is that reconciled in the Catholic Church?

 

[Iamnotafraid]

BUT there are as many ways to Jesus as there are humans on the earth. We are all different people and Jesus calls to us as he knows our heart. So Buddhists, Hindu people, Muslims and others who are truly seeking to know and love God and do his will, will be calling on Jesus perhaps even without knowing it!

Does this Catholic belief apply to the following people:

1. Those who are educated in regards to Christianity and choose to reject it, in favour of worshiping another God.

2)) If a former Christian, leaves and converts to Hinduism or Paganism.

1. A person who identifies as a , contemporary modernPagan Wicca. ( Witchcraft)

Thank you

 

[JoanieD]

Hopefully someone with more experience may answer you better than I can, Jerry, but I think many Catholics and Christians would say that God DID give an “complete absolute discharge” when Jesus died. We do not understand how that process really worked; we can only make theories about it. But once Jesus died, resurrected, breathed the Holy Spirit into the world and into his followers, EVERYONE who chooses to can acceptance forgiveness and live within the love of God. There may be people who just flat-out refuse to believe that God is forgiving or that they need forgiveness. Historically, the Church has said that those folks would have to go to Hell because God has given them free will to choose Him or not. But I can’t help but think that people who reject God have often not really been shown God in their lives, so my hope and prayer is that God himself will show himself to these folks in their last seconds of life and perhaps then these unhappy souls will finally rest in His love. But I do not know. I leave this to God.

Peace,
Joanie D.

 

[JoanieD]

To IAmNotAfraid on post #22,

My hope is that God knows that even these folks are still seeking Truth and He will respond to them with love. And since there is only ONE God, then they can’t be worshipping another God; they can only be worshipping false Gods which are no Gods at all. So, in the end, if they are truly seeking Truth, they will come to this understanding, but they could have some very scary times along the path they are on. I think as the Church honors more and more the Earth that God has given us, folks will feel less inclined to be “wiccans.” I think wiccans often think the Church devalues material things but God has created the earth and everything in it to be “good.” But we often make bad use of good things.

Got to go now!

Love to all of you,
Joanie

 

[Jerry_Marino]

A police officer has discretion whether or not to arrest a teenager for spray painting a fence or let him off with a warning.

A Judge has discretion whether to sentence, if convicted, that same teenager to jail, probation, community service or a complete absolute discharge.

Yet, God is shackled and hasn’t the same amount of discretion, that a mere human has when making judgments?

How is that reconciled in the Catholic Church?

you’d have to ask a catholic.

God is a just God, He has His standards and all humans fall short of the glory of God but out of God’s love, He sent His Son to die for us on the Cross to pay for our sins while were still sinners, death did not hold Christ in the grave cause after 3 days by the power of God, He rose from the grave and ascended to heaven preparing a place for those who believe.

God as judge has paid a price to redeem you back to Himself now it is up to you to answer the call to follow Christ or not. God is not shackled but one who has not turn from their sinful ways and trusted in the Lord for their salvation remains in bondage of sin.

some would like to imagine God as an all forgiving God which He is but if one does not seek forgiveness cause they see no need, then one will suffer the outcome on judgement day.

God loves you, He died for you so that you can spend eternity with Him.

love in Christ

 

[Iamnotafraid]

And since there is only ONE God, then they can’t be worshipping another God; they can only be worshipping false Gods which are no Gods at all.

That’s all fine and good, but the other faiths believe that you are on the wrong path and it is your God who is false.

That seems like a monumental issue that cannot be reconciled, as all faiths know with absolute certainty that their faith holds the only truth and everyone else is either deluding themselves, or only able to obtain a small bit of truth.

 

[nanny6a]

Purgatory, the place where a soul goes to be cleansed before it can enter into the glory of God in heaven is a real place. To say that it no longer exists, I believe, is not true. Jesus has paid the price for our salvation with his blood upon the cross, I agree. But, although we have been set free by his suffering and death upon the cross, we still need to be cleansed from our sinfulness. If we confess our sins in confession with a sincere heart then will are forgiven; Jesus will remember our sins no more. But if we do not receive absolution from a priest, then the sin must be reconciled. Purgatory is a place where we are given the grace to reconcile our sinfulness to God. It is not a place of punishment, but a place, and a grace, given to us by God to cleanse our souls before entering into his eternal glory.

Tonyg,
Very well put.

 

[nanny6a]

Does this Catholic belief apply to the following people:

1. Those who are educated in regards to Christianity and choose to reject it, in favour of worshiping another God.

2)) If a former Christian, leaves and converts to Hinduism or Paganism.

1. A person who identifies as a , contemporary modernPagan Wicca. ( Witchcraft)

Thank you

There is only one way to God. We are to believe that Jesus is the Son of God the Father.If we really profess that he is God’s Son. Then there will be no other place to go.

 

[heiscominginthe]

That’s all fine and good, but the other faiths believe that you are on the wrong path and it is your God who is false.

That seems like a monumental issue that cannot be reconciled, as all faiths know with absolute certainty that their faith holds the only truth and everyone else is either deluding themselves, or only able to obtain a small bit of truth.

Do you know how many religions are in the world today? There is a multitude.

So we must ask ourselves if they are all right, or if they are right in only the minds of it’s believers.

Then we must ask ourselves if the majority of these religions are right or wrong.

Then we must ask if all these religions pertain to God or certain gods.

It was the lie of the devil in the garden of Eden that brought about death unto all mankind. He told Adam that if he ate the forbidden fruit, he would not die, but would be like God, would be god.

This was a lie for Adam chose to believe the lie of the devil instead of God and in the day he did so, he died.

So we must ask ourselves, what was it that was so enticing to Adam that he gambled with his soul to the point of death.

The answer was simple, Adam thought he would be a god. This same lie has many in the world today deceived. The same lie that brought death unto mankind is still deceiving the hearts of men and will claim many in the name of hell.

There is only one true faith in this world today, just as there is only one true God. All the rest are made up to steal the souls of men.

 

[Jerry_Marino]

purgatory?

no comment, you are either in or out

1 john 5: 11 And this is the testimony: God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. 12 Whoever possesses the Son has life; whoever does not possess the Son of God does not have life. 13 I write these things to you so that you may know that you have eternal life, you who believe in the name of the Son of God.

notice it says God gave us eternal life and where we find this life. also it says that if we have the son we have life and those who do not have the son does not have the life. the john goes on to give us assurance: so that we may know that you have eternal life, for those who believe in the name of Jesus Christ! no where does it say purgatory.

The gist of the divine witness or testimony is that eternal life (1 John 5:11-12) is given in Christ and nowhere else. To possess the Son is not acceptance of a doctrine but of a person who lives now and provides life.

put your trust in Jesus Christ alone & nowhere else this commentator says, in Christ!

God bless

 

[teak421]

You have the right to your belief, but to give your stand validity, you need to prove purgatory scripturally.

For your belief on purgatory, in that one is given grace to reconcile his sinfulness is what I call being born again. [John 3]

And if a man is not born again, if a man’s spirit is not made alive again through faith in God’s only begotten Son before he suffers physical death, because his soul/spirit is dead, it is taken to where the unrighteous dead are reserved until the day of judgment.

We can not enter heaven with any stain of sin, correct? We also know here on earth that we have sin… we sin, ask the Lord to forgive, he forgives, but we still have sin in us. So, at the point of death before entering heaven, how does God remove ALL aspects of Sin?

• Michael

 

[heiscominginthe]

We can not enter heaven with any stain of sin, correct? We also know here on earth that we have sin… we sin, ask the Lord to forgive, he forgives, but we still have sin in us. So, at the point of death before entering heaven, how does God remove ALL aspects of Sin?

• Michael

Is not sin enspoused by way of the flesh? When a man is born again, his spirit is reborn, born anew, being reborn in Christ. Yet, the fleshly vessel is unchanged. The soul of the man is then at constant turmoil, being at war with the flesh until the day it is required by God. When the man is born again, the flesh will war against the spirit that has been reborn in Christ.

Yet, the body does not die until the soul/spirit is called unto God, at which time the flesh is destroyed, or returns to dust and awaits to day of resurrection when seed that is in the soil comes to life again, or is resurrected, being joined once again with the soul/spirit that was with God.

 

[Jerry_Marino]

amen!

 

[heiscominginthe]

We can not enter heaven with any stain of sin, correct? We also know here on earth that we have sin… we sin, ask the Lord to forgive, he forgives, but we still have sin in us. So, at the point of death before entering heaven, how does God remove ALL aspects of Sin?

• Michael

You cannot take away your sin. Only by being forgiven can your sin be removed. Purgatory is not real. It is made up and has not scriptural backing. One of your popes came up with this belief.

Do you not realize that every sin you commit while on this earth was forgiven on the cross, past, present and future?

Yet, what many don’t think about is the unforgiven sin that may remain in one’s life. How many do you suppose justify a sin here or there? I would say more then less do this.

Then we have those who become complacent when asking for forgiveness. This is the very same problem that brought about the falling away of Israel.

The Jews were required to bring their sin offerings to the alter. And they were to be truly sorrowful for the sins they committing. Yet over time, many began justifying sin, not bringing offerings for this sin or that. Also, many brought the offerings, but were not truly sorry in their hearts.

The same happens today with chirstians. Many have become complacent when asking for forgiveness of sins. A man can ask to be forgiven a million times, but if his heart is not right with God, if he is not truly sorrowful, repentant, he will not be forgiven.