Is there hope for these certain friends I have?

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followingtheway

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I know that God knows where people go when they die, but some (I repeat some) of my Non-Catholic and Non-Christian friends have made insulting comments about Catholicism, Christianity, and some of the people we believe in like God, Jesus, Mary and so on.

Is there a tell tale sign that they’re going to Hell? I’ve been really afraid for them, and I really don’t want them to go there. And there’s no sign they’re going to convert anytime soon.

Is there any hope for these people? Can God forgive them even if they don’t go to confession/repent because why would they? They’re not Catholic/Christian
 
followingtheway said:
I know that God knows where people go when they die, but some (I repeat some) of my Non-Catholic and Non-Christian friends have made insulting comments about Catholicism, Christianity, and some of the people we believe in like God, Jesus, Mary and so on.

Is there a tell tale sign that they’re going to Hell? I’ve been really afraid for them, and I really don’t want them to go there. And there’s no sign they’re going to convert anytime soon.

Is there any hope for these people? Can God forgive them even if they don’t go to confession/repent because why would they? They’re not Catholic/Christian
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There is hope. Perhaps their sins are not actual mortal sins, committed with full knowledge of the grave immorality of the act. Only unrepentant actual mortal sin is punished in Hell.

Perhaps they will repent of any mortal sins they may have committed in life. Absent the Sacraments, mortal sins can be forgiven by perfect contrition, by sorrow for one’s sins out of love for God and neighbor. And since the true love of neighbor always at least implicitly includes the love of God, even an unbeliever could have perfect contrition.

Conversion to Christianity is not absolutely necessary to salvation. The failure or refusal to convert is objectively a mortal sin, but in order to be that type of sin that deserves eternal punishment, it would have to be committed with full knowledge of its grave immorality. Some persons who outwardly reject the Church may still be saved, since they do not realize that their rejection of Christianity is gravely immoral.
 
Our Lady of the Rosary at Fatima requests that we pray for the conversion of sinners.
 
THere is absolutely NO way of knowing if someone is in hell. No, not even the most sleezy, disgusting, surely sinful person you can think of. You CAN’T know. THere is always the hope
 
I can understand your anger at some of the silly nasty things people say about the Church and even ourselves when we publicly commit to Christ. But we are considered blessed when we take up this cross. However, don’t judge your friends in the same light of faith you have been gifted. Can they be saved? Of course. Christ came so that all might be saved. Look also at some of the great atheists of the 20th Century who converted after attacking the Church for most of their lives. You only have to look at Paul for the mercy of God. Not everyone is going to be knocked off his horse; however your friends have perhaps been caught up in the spirit of the age which is aggressive atheism. It takes courage to be a Catholic today. Don’t judge them; love them and pray for them. Always have a reasonable response for the faith that is within you so you are ready to help them towards Christ. AMDG
 
Of course there is hope - always. Probably the best thing you can do is pray for your friends. The Rosary is a good place to start. I would also recommend the Chaplet of Divine Mercy. If you read through these posts over time you will find lots of people who where your friends were until God called t hem to the Church or to some kind of spirituality.

They are fortunate to have a friend who cares. That may be the best kind of evangelization!
 
followingtheway said:
I know that God knows where people go when they die, but some (I repeat some) of my Non-Catholic and Non-Christian friends have made insulting comments about Catholicism, Christianity, and some of the people we believe in like God, Jesus, Mary and so on.

Is there a tell tale sign that they’re going to Hell? I’ve been really afraid for them, and I really don’t want them to go there. And there’s no sign they’re going to convert anytime soon.

Is there any hope for these people? Can God forgive them even if they don’t go to confession/repent because why would they? They’re not Catholic/Christian
Click to expand...
When they make fun of the Church or even make fun of God, they really do not know what they are doing.

For some reason, they do not believe - most likely because they truly do not understand.

People should not make fun of another person’s religion, but even if they do, it is usually because they do not understand.

God sees within their hearts. He knows if they are really trying to be mean or if they simply are acting on their lack of knowledge and immature behavior .

Do not be afraid for them. God is all just. If they are judged to be worthy of Heaven, God will allow them to enter Heaven, most likely after time in Purgatory. If God judges them to enter Hell, then it is because God is all just.

What can you do to help them? You live the life of a faithful Christian. You share with them if they are willing to listen. You can not make someone hear The Good News.

They may see something in you that draws them to God. They may think back years from now about you and decide to find out more about God. They may even decide to go to a church service or to Mass because they remember you going to Mass.

It is the Holy Spirit that works in their lives to bring them to God. The Holy Spirit may work through you to bring them to God. You may not see changes in them today, but you may plant a seed of faith in them.

Be at Peace. You love your friends and want the best for them. Know that God loves them even more and wants the best for them, too. Heaven is offered for everyone. Jesus died so that the gates of Heaven can be opened for anyone.

The easiest way to Heaven is through the Church. There will be people in Heaven, who were not Christians - but who God sees lived good and holy lives. There will be people in Heaven who didn’t know God until they were on their death beds.

God will look at the heart of each person and judge what is truly there. We trust God that He is all just and all good. Everyone will spend eternity exactly as God sees as just.

Pray for your friends that they will be open to the Holy Spirit.
 
Our Lady at Fatima asked for prayers and sacrifices for the conversion of sinners and peace in this world. I know prayer group members who have prayed this intention for decades.

My dad asked to come to church with us at the age of 79. He recently had gotten a diagnosis of cancer. You don’t know what the decades will hold for your friends and what kind of troubles they will have to carry. Sometimes when life gets bigger than they can handle, people look up.
 
There is ALWAYS hope! Don’t put limits on what the Holy Spirit can accomplish, especially through obedient Catholics such as yourself. Keep doing the right things, e. g. fighting the good fight, being a good Catholic, and praying for them and you may be surprised just how the Holy Spirit works in their lives.
 
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