"God loves you" can't be a source of comfort

[Vico]

…
Catholicism: You end up in Hell or you end up in Heaven. Nothing else matters. God loves you, but why does it matter? God’s loves the Saint and the Sinner, thus it does not impact Heaven entrance. If it does not impact Heaven entrance, why should we care?

It is important because it is only because God loves mankind that it is possible for a person to attain Heaven. The person is only a partial cause of salvation, but the only cause of damnation.

Catholic Encyclopedia, Predestination

Owing to the infallible decisions laid down by the Church, every orthodox theory on predestination and reprobation must keep within the limits marked out by the following theses:
a) At least in the order of execution in time (in ordine executionis) the meritorious works of the predestined are the partial cause of their eternal happiness ;
b) hell cannot even in the order of intention (in ordine intentionis) have been positively decreed to the damned, even though it is inflicted on them in time as the just punishment of their misdeeds;
c) there is absolutely no predestination to sin as a means to eternal damnation.

Pohle, J. (1911). Predestination. In The Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company. m http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/12378a.htm

 

[PennyinCanada]

Little girl walking on a beach sees all these star fish washed up on the shore. She picks one up, throws it as hard as she can back out to the water. A guy walks up and says You can’t possibly throw all these back into the sea! Why are you doing that? Her reply, as she shows him one in her hand, ‘Because it changes everything for this one’, and she throws it out to the sea.

None of us have heaven open to us. Jesus Christ opened the door and I’m going through.

Every morning I wake up, take God’s hand, and ask him what he has in mind today. Even if I didn’t have heaven to hope for, because everything ended with death, I would still wake up and grab his hand, because he’s absolutely lovable. When he looks at me he says to himself, ‘I changed everything for this one’.

 

[HumbleIOughtToBe]

In the last paragraph, you freely love God not for an incentive. Imagine if God did not mention Heaven or Hell until after we died. We could more clearly see who loves for the incentive and who loves out of free will.

 

[PennyinCanada]

We could more clearly see who loves for the incentive and who loves out of free will.

We don’t need to know, do we?
If I broke my arm and a neighbor comes over and shovels my driveway, I don’t need to know if he did it because he loves God or that he’s afraid of hell. That’s between him and God. There are going to be days in a believer’s life where he doesn’t feel any love for God at all yet continues to love his neighbor. There is more merit there, when the affection seems to be absent. You know, when you do the right thing, and it’s hard. Maybe even a penalty of some kind.

 

[AlbMagno]

Bob wouldn’t want to be in Heaven. Of course he finds no confort in God loving him, because he didn’t love Him even before entering Hell.

People who are in Hell don’t want to go to Heaven.

 

[TheLittleLady]

Only song I can think of is this one, written by a non-Catholic (who was in the process of converting, but, that is for another thread):

I am not in heaven, I pray to reach heaven. The love of God is a great comfort to me.

 

[TheLittleLady]

Lets assume that most of the conference, as well as most of the world, goes to hell.

That is a pretty big assumption. God wills that all men be saved. Those who are striving to grow spiritually attend Catholic events. To assume most of the people at the retreat go to hell is pessimistic at best.

 

[HumbleIOughtToBe]

Outside the church their is no salvation. Most of China and India are dead. Those 2 countries are the powerhouse of the world population. Less than 1/2 of Catholics believe in the real presence of the Eucharist, that does not bode well for Heaven entrance. Confession rates are down from 1910 and rates at which people receive the Eucharist are up. Either people are becoming better or they are sinning.

I do not claim to be better than the conference. I do not claim to be better than the people.

 

[TheLittleLady]

The gates of hell shall not prevail.

 

[Usagi]

Mask off, here it goes: SLS and SEEK conferences sing Reckless Love. Lets assume that most of the conference, as well as most of the world, goes to hell. That song Reckless Love means nothing as the love of God can not comfort someone who will experience the fires of hell.

The problem with “We can rationally assume many/most people go to Hell” is that it’s not a lottery. People aren’t randomly assigned to Hell independently of their own decisions.

The reassuring part of the love of God here on Earth is that He doesn’t just love passively and let us sink or swim. He is actively on our side, providing us with the tools and help we need to join Him in Heaven. He wants us all there; it’s the whole reason we exist. Hell is a failure mode, not the intended outcome for the majority of all humanity.

 

[EndTimes]

Sally is in hell. Do statements about the love of God comfort her? Sally is on Earth and knows most people are probably going to hell.
God’s love is not a shield against hellfire and all of Catholicism (that matters) is about Heaven or Hell.

I would never overly concern with abstract What Ifs? for they never impact upon me.

Do your best to be in the side going to be with Lord Jesus come Judgement Day…

 

[Usagi]

God’s love is not a shield against hellfire and all of Catholicism (that matters) is about Heaven or Hell.

Absolutely not! There is a great deal in Catholicism about living here and now. “Be a saint; what else is there?” for sure (to quote the tag line of a former host of CAL) — but increasing in sanctity is accomplished on earth, and has real effects on earth. Heaven is the goal, and Hell a fearful possibility, but they are not all that matters to God or to us.

 

[AlbMagno]

Most of China and India are dead. Those 2 countries are the powerhouse of the world population.

I am sure many people in China and India, specially persons in rural areas, have invincible ignorance. Think on all the people who don’t have a parish or a missionary around.

 

[EndTimes]

I am sure many people in China and India, specially persons in rural areas, have invincible ignorance. Think on all the people who don’t have a parish or a missionary around.

God is written into their hearts and consciences …

 

[fhansen]

There is no heaven without God’s love, and your qualification for entrance into heaven relies on your own love in return.

 

[EndTimes]

There is no heaven without God’s love, and your qualification for entrance into heaven relies on your own love in return.

Yep .

God COMMANDS US TO LOVE. .

And He’ll be speaking of that during Judgement day…

_

 

[fhansen]

Yes, we’re obligated to love and yet we can’t love unless we want to; love involves the will. So we need to fall in love with love, so to speak, and then the greatest commandments along with the rest are fulfilled naturally-and obedience comes of its own accord.

We have to come to “value” love over pride/ego/selfishness. And we do this most fully as we turn beyond ourselves and to the God who is love and who would even willingly endure an excruciatingly humiliating and painful death on a cross in human flesh in order to prove it. I like St Teresa of Avila here:
“It’s love alone that gives worth to all things”

 

[EndTimes]

Yes, we’re obligated to love and yet we can’t love unless we want to; love involves the will. So we need to fall in love with love, so to speak, and then the greatest commandments along with the rest are fulfilled naturally-and obedience comes of its own accord.

We have to come to “value” love over pride/ego/selfishness. And we do this as we turn to the God who is love and who would even willingly endure an excruciatingly humiliating and painful death on a cross in human flesh in order to prove it

Of course… And the very best way to do this IMHO - as I’m sure Teresa of Avila and Mary mother of Jesus would both agree to - is to work toward maintaining our ‘energies’ - directly upon Jesus - to the best of our Abilities - including of course - getting to Know Him via Him as found in His Gospel - along with the balance of Teachings to be found within the New Testament.

NOTE: I’m not Sola Scriptura . And yes: Popes and St. Jerome advocate reading the NT - as it is…

_

 

[fhansen]

Yes, knowledge of God is key-and Jesus came to reveal Him. Because to know God is to love God. And to know Him and His Son is to possess eternal life-John 17:3.

 

[EndTimes]

Yes, knowledge of God is key-and Jesus came to reveal Him. Because to know God is to love God. And to know Him and His Son is to possess eternal life-John 17:3

Yes… And God’s laws are inscribed into the hearts and consciences of all.

No one is auto-barred from Heaven

including all who’ve never had the opportunity to hear anything or much about Jesus

And to Love Thy Brother in actual Action - is the Key to Salvation…