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4Horsemen
Guest
These are excellent Scriptural quotes defending the position that more souls are lost than saved. Also, as pointed out, various saints have remarked about this as well. I remember reading St. Teresa of Avila’s description that she saw souls like “falling leaves” enter Hell while few went directly to Heaven. (There may be a great big bunch in Purgatory though – small comfort?)One should generally get the idea from holy scripture, and the teachings of the Fathers and saints of the Church.
One third of the angels fell into Hell, but it is said that the majority of men do so.
Part of St. Leonard of Port Maurice’s work on the subject can be found here.
It’s not pleasant at first, but when one considers how with God’s will, all is good and perfect no matter how many or how few - it can be understood as part of God’s will.
While we are on this earth, God urges each individual out of love to return to Him – when the decision is made, and Justice is done, all is well either way absolutely, and even those in Hell know with perfect knowledge that their suffering is just – it is morally and justly perfectly good, and known to Heaven and Hell to be so.
For many are called but few are chosen. St. Mark 20:16
Lord, are there few that are saved? But he said to them: Strive to enter by the narrow gate; for many, I tell you, shall seek to enter, and shall not be able. St. Luke 13:23-24
Enter ye in at the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and many there are who go in thereat. How narrow is the gate and how strait is the way that leads to life, and few there are that find it! St. Matthew 7:13-14
Be one of the small number who find the way to life, and enter by the narrow gate into Heaven. Take care not to follow the majority and the common herd, so many of whom are lost. Do not be deceived; there are only two roads: one that leads to life and is narrow; the other that leads to death and is wide. There is no middle way.
St. Louis Marie de Montfort
I understood that faith is a “gift” given to us by God. But we must “seek Him with all our hearts and souls”, God tells us in Deut. 4:29, “then you will find Me.” So the gift is freely given to those who seek TRUTH - the Truth that is enjoined with BEAUTY and GOODNESS which are all ONE, which is God, Himself.
Yet, for those outside the faith there are many roadblocks which Satan puts in their path. (I know from experience as an atheist after leaving the Church, but reverting back). From posts above, it seems that even if Satan did win more souls, God is still wholly God without losing any of His omnipotence. But He’d have more “honor and glory” if souls choose Him and live according to His dictates, which are not “hard”, which the great saints have said that God’s statutes give them joy (also psalms). As mentioned, He desires our help in this pursuit of souls. That is our purpose on earth, to win others in the spirit of love, for Christ.
So I guess God knows how many “chances” He should give to each person to make the right choices. It’s a mystery to us. So many nonbelievers really seem to think they are living in the best way they can just being self-sufficient but lacking God’s special graces. There is something nagging at them, though, to look deeper and stop rationalizing. Mayber that’s why we get atheists/agnostics on this message board - they are searching.
Blaise Pascal said there are two errors: to exclude reason, and to exclude all but reason.