Is it Catholic Teaching That All Will Eventually Be Saved From Hell?

[Marc_Anthony]

Amen but as I have tried to explain I am not certain that hell is empty, I am hopeful and to an extent believe that God will reconcile all men to himself but not to the extent of certainity. I believe, as Holy Mother Church teaches, the possibility of eternal separation from the grace of God through leading a sinful life, however I have faith in the mercy of God.

My aim, ultimately, is to love God and my fellow men not for hope of reward or out of fear of punishment but rather for the sake of God Himself. God is the reason alone, an end in Himself. I pray for the salvation of all.

My understanding is not the understanding of the people described above in your post.

I agree with you as to the dangers involved in advocating universalism which is why I believe that it cannot be taught as doctrine by the Church, even though I believe (but am not certain) that God will reconcile all or most people to Himself.

I believe, somehow, that God “will be all in all”. I do not know how but nothing is impossible to him.

The truth is, it is not known to us. It is possible that human beings might reject God’s grace fully and thereby never attain to the state of the blessed. We must obey the teachings of the Church, lead as holy a life as possible and hope in the mercy of God in Christ.

 

[Jerry-Jet]

Jesus says “the road to eternal life is narrow and FEW there are that find it”.

Jesus said “FEW”.

“FEW” does not mean universalist garbage where everyone is saved.

Either you believe Jesus when He says “FEW” or you think that Jesus is a liar–it really is that simple!

Believe Jesus–believe that “FEW” are saved and then do what St. Paul says “Work out your salvation with fear and trembling”–not hope in universalist garbage where everyone is saved–the devil came up with that lie!

 

[TrueLight]

Jesus says “the road to eternal life is narrow and FEW there are that find it”.

Jesus said “FEW”.

“FEW” does not mean universalist garbage where everyone is saved.

Either you believe Jesus when He says “FEW” or you think that Jesus is a liar–it really is that simple!

Believe Jesus–believe that “FEW” are saved and then do what St. Paul says “Work out your salvation with fear and trembling”–not hope in universalist garbage where everyone is saved–the devil came up with that lie!

 

[Nita]

Jesus says “the road to eternal life is narrow and FEW there are that find it”.

Jesus said “FEW”.

“FEW” does not mean universalist garbage where everyone is saved.

Either you believe Jesus when He says “FEW” or you think that Jesus is a liar–it really is that simple!

Believe Jesus–believe that “FEW” are saved and then do what St. Paul says “Work out your salvation with fear and trembling”–not hope in universalist garbage where everyone is saved–the devil came up with that lie!

Mt. 7:13-14 "Enter by the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is easy, that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. 7:14 For the gate is narrow and the way is hard, that leads to life, and those who find it are few. First, I am not a “universalist”.

Second, this passage does not say “few are saved” – it says that (when entering a gate) few find the narrow gate. Few begin, life’s journey by entering the narrow gate.
(The Greek word translated “enter” carries with it the sense of “beginning”, or “first start” of an idea or activity.)

The passage says many enter through the wide gate, but it does not say that all of them then remain on it. Actually, the passage is silent as to how many convert (cross over to the narrow path after beginning on the wide, easy way) and how many refuse to convert.

 

[Marc_Anthony]

Either you believe Jesus when He says “FEW” or you think that Jesus is a liar–it really is that simple!

1. Nobody here is a universalist in that they believe the heresy of universalism.
2. You’re saying that Blessed Pope John Paull II thinks that Jesus is a liar? Remember, Blesseds are in Heaven.

(Interestingly, if you say that Blessed Pope John Paul II is in Heaven DESPITE the fact that he believes Jesus is a liar then you believe that people in error about a critical Church doctrine could be in Heaven. This hardly lends credence to the idea that Heaven is meant for a very small, select group of people.

 

[paul_c]

1. Nobody here is a universalist in that they believe the heresy of universalism.
2. You’re saying that Blessed Pope John Paull II thinks that Jesus is a liar? Remember, Blesseds are in Heaven.

(Interestingly, if you say that Blessed Pope John Paul II is in Heaven DESPITE the fact that he believes Jesus is a liar then you believe that people in error about a critical Church doctrine could be in Heaven. This hardly lends credence to the idea that Heaven is meant for a very small, select group of people.

Why do you claim that John Paul II believes that Jesus is a liar? Are you suggesting that JPII believed that no one was in hell? Where is the documentation for that?

 

[Marc_Anthony]

Why do you claim that John Paul II believes that Jesus is a liar? Are you suggesting that JPII believed that no one was in hell? Where is the documentation for that?

Neither. Jerry-Jet said that unless you believe that “few” people are in Heaven you think Jesus is a liar.

If you read Pope John Paul II you’ll find that he believed much like the people on this thread do-that even though Hell is a real possibility, you can hope everybody will be saved.

Jerry-Jet seemed to think that if you believe as the people on this thread do, you’re calling Jesus a liar. He would have to say that Blessed Pope JPII believed Jesus was a liar. Ridiciculous, no?

 

[TrueLight]

Here are some words from Pope John Paul II.

In his 1994 book, Crossing the Threshold of Hope, Pope John Paul II wrote that too often “preachers, catechists, teachers . . . no longer have the courage to preach the threat of hell” (p. 183).

Concerning the reality of hell, the pope says, “In point of fact, the ancient councils rejected the theory . . . according to which the world would be regenerated after destruction, and every creature would be saved; a theory which abolished hell. . . . [T]he words of Christ are unequivocal. In Matthew’s Gospel he speaks clearly of those who will go to eternal punishment (cf. Matt. 25:46). [But] who will these be? The Church has never made any pronouncement in this regard” (pp. 185–6).

 

[paul_c]

Neither. Jerry-Jet said that unless you believe that “few” people are in Heaven you think Jesus is a liar.

If you read Pope John Paul II you’ll find that he believed much like the people on this thread do-that even though Hell is a real possibility, you can hope everybody will be saved.

Jerry-Jet seemed to think that if you believe as the people on this thread do, you’re calling Jesus a liar. He would have to say that Blessed Pope JPII believed Jesus was a liar. Ridiciculous, no?

We can all hope that everyone is saved - after all there is no love in wishing people are in Hell. That said, Jerry-Jet is correct. Jesus DID say that the path to heaven is much harder than the road to Hell. This must be taken as truth, no matter what we WISH and teaching anything else is a disservice to the truth. If people are led to believe that their decisions and actions on earth have no meaning, then they may not work to stay in the state of grace and thus be condemned. That would not be love.

 

[Marc_Anthony]

We can all hope that everyone is saved - after all there is no love in wishing people are in Hell. That said, Jerry-Jet is correct. Jesus DID say that the path to heaven is much harder than the road to Hell. This must be taken as truth, no matter what we WISH and teaching anything else is a disservice to the truth. If people are led to believe that their decisions and actions on earth have no meaning, then they may not work to stay in the state of grace and thus be condemned. That would not be love.

Nobody said any of that. Hell is a VERY real possibility. We CAN go there, and ALL of us should try and help each other stay out. But we ARE allowed to hope that EVERYBODY is saved-as Blessed Pope John Paul II did,

 

[TrueLight]

Nobody said any of that. Hell is a VERY real possibility. We CAN go there, and ALL of us should try and help each other stay out. But we ARE allowed to hope that EVERYBODY is saved-as Blessed Pope John Paul II did,

I would love to know what is meant by hope.

If you say, I pray that everyone will be saved, okay.

If you say, I don’t believe anyone will go to hell, that’s a different matter.

 

[Marc_Anthony]

Here are some words from Pope John Paul II.

Indeed-Hell IS a possibility. Perhaps one person is there-Judas, maybe (although we don’t know that). That person may be us. But we can HOPE it’s nobody (or at least as low as one person).

 

[Marc_Anthony]

I would love to know what is meant by hope.

If you say, I pray that everyone will be saved, okay.

If you say, I don’t believe anyone will go to hell, that’s a different matter.

I can hope it’s one person-Judas, for example (not that I hope it’s him particularly).

 

[Marc_Anthony]

…Anyway, no. I don’t believe everybody will be saved. I hope they all will though.

 

[paul_c]

Indeed-Hell IS a possibility. Perhaps one person is there-Judas, maybe (although we don’t know that). That person may be us. But we can HOPE it’s nobody (or at least as low as one person).

Again, we can and should hope that no one is condemned. But don’t ignore the fact that Jesus , when asked very specifically in Luke 13:23 " Lord will only a few be saved", answered" Strive to enter through the narrow gate for many, I tell you, will attempt to enter but wil not be strong enough." No matter what we wish, the threat of Hell is very, very real.

 

[Marc_Anthony]

Again, we can and should hope that no one is condemned. But don’t ignore the fact that Jesus , when asked very specifically in Luke 13:23 " Lord will only a few be saved", answered" Strive to enter through the narrow gate for many, I tell you, will attempt to enter but wil not be strong enough." No matter what we wish, the threat of Hell is very, very real.

You keep saying that, and I haven’t denied it yet. Yes, yes it is.

 

[Jerry-Jet]

It would be wrong to hope that the number saved would be different than what Jesus taught.

It would be wrong for example to hope that Satan could be saved.

It would be wrong to hope that people who DON’T work out their salvation with fear and trembling would be saved.

It would be wrong to hope that the people who perished in the flood of Noah’s time would be saved.

It would be wrong to hope that the people of Sodom and Gomorrah would be saved.

It would be wrong to hope that anyone would be saved if that meant the violation of the truth of God being a God of justice.

It is always right to pray for people to be saved who we don’t know are saved or not because we are not God and do not know if they are saved or not.

It is both SILLY and wrong to believe that the amount of people that are saved is a majority–Christ did not teach that.

The reason it is wrong to think that most are saved is because that very few people are saved because they are INVINCIBLY ignorant.

Most people–even if they do not know the truth of the Catholic faith–or even if they do not know Jesus at all–they are held accountable for how well they obey the NATURAL LAW–because it is written in the heart of EVERY man.

When someone like that violates the NATURAL law they do not have the sacraments to help them get right with God.

God is not BOUND by the sacraments but how many people do you think there are that have never heard the truth of the Catholic faith or the truth of Jesus–violate the NATURAL law–and are contrite enough that God works outside the sacraments and reconciles those NATURAL law sinners?

The point is that EVERYONE is capable of MORTAL sin and EVERYONE that dies in a state of MORTAL sin WILL go to Hell! That is a fact!

All those who MORTALLY sin must be reconciled with God and be in a state of grace when they die to avoid Hell.

If the majority of people were saved–if once saved always saved were true–if people who didn’t know the truth of the Catholic faith or the truth of Jesus were EASILY saved the Holy Spirit would not inspire St. Paul to write–“Work out your salvation with fear and trembling.”!

The mercy of God is LIMITLESS. There is no argument about that.

What I am saying is that the more one MORTALLY sins–the more difficult it is to be reconciled to God and ESCAPE Hell–not because God isn’t merciful but because we as human beings become EVIL when we MORTALLY sin and will not seek out God’s mercy and be reconciled to God.

Pharoh’s heart was HARDENED and the same thing happens to each one of us if we continue to MORTALY sin without seeking out God’s mercy.

The bible speaks over and over about running the race to the end–that he that perseveres to the end–that he will be saved–just as the one athlete that runs the race to the finish will win the crown of glory.

Now everyone isn’t a WINNER at the end embracing in a group hug! Watch the Olympics–how many persevere to the end and are crowned and how many aren’t?

The fact is that NONE of us deserves to get to Heaven–ANYONE who gets there gets there by God’s grace.

The fact of the matter is that if MOST people would get to heaven anyway then there would be NO REASON for Jesus to carry the weight of every sin in His body on the cross.

And don’t tell me that MOST people MAKE it to heaven–if they did the churches would be OVERFLOWING every week–MOST people who would count themselves as CHRISTIAN and even MOST people that would class themselves as Catholic MORTALLY sin each Sunday by not going to Church.

How many of THOSE people do you think repent of that before they die and how many of them DON’T repent and DIE because Death comes as a thief in the night just as Jesus taught?!

Don’t tell me that Jesus would give that teaching if most people wouldn’t be surprised by death coming when they were unprepared!

Don’t get me wrong–I WISH that everyone would go to Heaven–but all I know is that if you take all of the bible’s teachings the proposition that most people will go to Heaven seems quite slight.

Jesus said “I am the way, the truth, and the life–no one goes to the Father but by me”.

Everyone who MORTALLY sins and does not go to Jesus and then death occurrs–ALL those people will go to Hell!

Everyone’s prayer should be “Have mercy on me a sinner.”

Another prayer should be “Holy Mary Mother of God–pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death.”

One last thing about HOPE–I HOPE that God’s will will be done.

Whatever the number is that God WILLS to be saved–it is my HOPE, PRAYER, and CERTAINTY that His will will be done.

Praise the Lord for He is a God of JUSTICE and MERCY!