Heaven: minimum requirements

[The_Reginator]

I’ll put it like this, if you focus on the bare minimum, you probably won’t make it. If you set your sights for perfection, chances are higher.

Isn’t this a little like asking “How little can we love God without alienating him from us?” or “How much can we get away with and not go to hell?”

We can never strive for the bare minimum. We have been told to be perfect. If we only try for the bare minimum we will be called to account for that.

Jesus tells us (in Matthew 5:48): Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

(Personally I prefer the bare minimum in too many areas of my life. If I depend on God’s grace I will be able to change. But I don’t always wanna …)

 

[Gorgias]

TemplarKnight1:

What is the bare minimum to get to heaven?

1. Be dead.

Elijah and Mary might disagree with you on that point…

 

[Regina_Love]

I think we will spend time in Heaven learning about all the people we meet up there, and all the miracles God did through them! Breaking into praise at each new discovery! Now imagine barely making it into Heaven, and not having anything to share… that you accomplished nothing for the Kingdom sadness

 

[Kelfa28]

Depending on life’s circumstances you could be baptized and pass away without reaching the age of reason (tragic, yes…but it’s one of those situations you can assure they are in heaven) or be baptized and die minutes later without sinning at all.

My RCIA instructor got a question on who we know goes to heaven. He said we honestly don’t know…but we can make a safe bet that a baptized baby who has not reached the age of reason is in heaven and saints are in heaven.

Beyond that it gets more complicated.

 

[teachccd]

Many great posts! Again I repeat my first reply to you:

Follow Christ and all He commands. (that includes baptism John 3:5)

That is because you have heard of Christ. Those who have not are still willed by God to be saved but still by the merits of Christ’s death on the cross.

I find it interesting that one would request the minimum requirements. As far as the Kingdom of God is concerned there is no “minimum” since we are called to love God with all of our heart, soul, mind, body and strength and to love our neighbors as ourselves. See Matthew 25:31-46. Why would one want to do the minimum possible for the maximum reward? Just thoughts running through my mind.

 

[tskrobacz]

In the end there are only two types of people, those that say to God, “Thy will be done”, and those that in the end God will say “thy will be done”…minimum is to fully surrender your life and your actions to the will of God.

 

[frjohnmaryt]

Heaven is a place for all those who love God with all their heart, mind, soul, spirit, and strength and love all people.
Prior Vatican II, Catholics held the teaching that outside the Catholic Church there is no salvation. Through the guidance of the Holy Spirit, the Pope John XXIII called for the Second Vatican Council. That teaching was reformed. Those who are outside the Catholic Church are also granted salvation from God’s grace. I think that is why ecumenism has been part of the Church life since Vatican II.
What is important is to know the changes of the Magisterium, as prescribed in Vatican II.
However, the Church Catholic is the ONLY CHURCH in the world, that one finds all TRUTH about LIFE, SALVATION AND LIFE ETERNAL. JESUS CHRIST BUILDS THE CATHOLIC CHURCH. It is NOT MAN. :harp:

 

[The_Reginator]

Heaven is a place for all those who love God with all their heart, mind, soul, spirit, and strength and love all people.
Prior Vatican II, Catholics held the teaching that outside the Catholic Church there is no salvation. Through the guidance of the Holy Spirit, the Pope John XXIII called for the Second Vatican Council. That teaching was reformed. Those who are outside the Catholic Church are also granted salvation from God’s grace. I think that is why ecumenism has been part of the Church life since Vatican II.
What is important is to know the changes of the Magisterium, as prescribed in Vatican II.
However, the Church Catholic is the ONLY CHURCH in the world, that one finds all TRUTH about LIFE, SALVATION AND LIFE ETERNAL. JESUS CHRIST BUILDS THE CATHOLIC CHURCH. It is NOT MAN. :harp:

The following relates to what you have stated above. It can be found at ewtn.com/expert/answers/outside_the_church.htm

Outside The Church There Is No Salvation
The doctrine that “Outside the Church there is no salvation” is one that is constantly misinterpreted by those who won’t submit to the Magisterium of the Church. Faith does not depend upon our ability to reason to the truth but on our humility before the Truth presented to us by those to whom Christ entrusted that task. This is why the First Vatican Council taught that it is the task of the Magisterium ALONE to determine and expound the meaning of the Tradition - including “outside the Church no salvation.”
Concerning this doctrine the Pope of Vatican I, Pius IX, spoke on two different occasions. In an allocution (address to an audience) on December 9th, 1854 he said:

We must hold as of the faith, that out of the Apostolic Roman Church there is no salvation; that she is the only ark of safety, and whosoever is not in her perishes in the deluge; we must also, on the other hand, recognize with certainty that those who are invincible in ignorance of the true religion are not guilty for this in the eyes of the Lord. And who would presume to mark out the limits of this ignorance according to the character and diversity of peoples, countries, minds and the rest?
​

Again, in his encyclical Quanto conficiamur moerore of 10 August, 1863 addressed to the Italian bishops, he said:

It is known to us and to you that those who are in invincible ignorance of our most holy religion, but who observe carefully the natural law, and the precepts graven by God upon the hearts of all men, and who being disposed to obey God lead an honest and upright life, may, aided by the light of divine grace, attain to eternal life; for God who sees clearly, searches and knows the heart, the disposition, the thoughts and intentions of each, in His supreme mercy and goodness by no means permits that anyone suffer eternal punishment, who has not of his own free will fallen into sin.
​

These statements are consistent with the understanding of the Church contained in the documents of Vatican II, and the Catechism of the Catholic Church, as well as explaining why the rigorist position of Fr. Feeney (that all must be actual members of the Catholic Church to be saved) has been condemned by the Magisterium.

 

[Catholic_Jay]

The Catechism of the Catholic Church which Pope John Paul II called “a sure norm for teaching the faith” says this about salvation:

1215 This sacrament is also called “the washing of regeneration and renewal by the Holy Spirit,” for it signifies and actually brings about the birth of water and the Spirit without which no one “can enter the kingdom of God.”(Titus 3:5; Jn 3:5.)
…
1257 The Lord himself affirms that Baptism is necessary for salvation.(Cf. Jn 3:5.) He also commands his disciples to proclaim the Gospel to all nations and to baptize them.(Cf. Mt 28:19-20; cf. Council of Trent (1547) DS 1618; LG 14; AG 5.) Baptism is necessary for salvation for those to whom the Gospel has been proclaimed and who have had the possibility of asking for this sacrament.(Cf. Mk 16:16.) The Church does not know of any means other than Baptism that assures entry into eternal beatitude; this is why she takes care not to neglect the mission she has received from the Lord to see that all who can be baptized are “reborn of water and the Spirit.” God has bound salvation to the sacrament of Baptism, but he himself is not bound by his sacraments.
1258 The Church has always held the firm conviction that those who suffer death for the sake of the faith without having received Baptism are baptized by their death for and with Christ. This Baptism of blood, like the desire for Baptism, brings about the fruits of Baptism without being a sacrament.

 

[Oska2]

What is the bare minimum to get to heaven?

Like the thief who was crucified together with Jesus. Call unto Jesus just before you die.

 

[drafdog]

Sainthood.

Reb Levi

 

[Thorns]

Do unbaptized and Non-Catholic people go to hell?

Perhaps those who sincerely seek God in whatever capacity they can, are baptised through the Baptism of Desire?

Just a thought.

 

[TRH1292]

What is the bare minimum to get to heaven?

The bare minimum is to die in a state of Grace having the effects of Christ’s redemption applied to you through your acceptance of the revelation of God as it has been revealed to you.