Leading a godless life might lead you to Hell, Pope warns in Fatima

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JPUSC said:
Global warming continues, due in part to human activity: 2015 was the warmest year on record, and 2016 will likely be warmer still. This is leading to ever more severe droughts, floods, fires and extreme weather events. Climate change is also contributing to the heart-rending refugee crisis. The world’s poor, though least responsible for climate change, are most vulnerable and already suffering its impact…
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It is appropriate to exercise proper concern for the environment. In 2017, this is a **familiar **truth. Most *individuals *I suspect do not commit mortal sins against the environment. I am guessing few *individuals *in your neighborhood commit mortal sins by starting nuclear wars either, even though that is an important issue too, a “sin” often “confessed” in Peace and Justice churches.

I bet few *individual *current faculty at Georgetown U have committed sins of selling slaves, though they recently “repented” the actions of their 19th century predecessors doing such. That is the kind of faux repentance that is popular today, pretend Confession rather than the real thing, confessing the corporation rather than **me **going into that small place, alone with the priest.

The fact that few or none of their *individual *parishioners have started nuclear wars has not deterred many churches from “repenting” nuclear wars, rather than teaching about and calling for repenting the sins their parishioners likely do commit, and might in fact send them to Hell. Do you really think more individuals, in our generation, will go to Hell because of 19th century slavery than because of our own, personal promiscuity?

The topic is actions that might lead many **individuals **to Hell. This should lead churches to emphasize *individual *actions that are **not **familiar truths in 2017. The prophetic role is always to emphasize the unfamiliar truths, the ones people are not hearing on TV.
 
commenter said:
The fact that few or none of their *individual *parishioners have started nuclear wars has not deterred many churches from “repenting” nuclear wars, rather than teaching about and calling for repenting the sins their parishioners likely do commit, and might in fact send them to Hell. Do you really think more individuals, in our generation, will go to Hell because of 19th century slavery than because of our own, personal promiscuity?

The topic is actions that might lead many **individuals **to Hell. This should lead churches to emphasize *individual *actions that are **not **familiar truths in 2017. The prophetic role is always to emphasize the unfamiliar truths, the ones people are not hearing on TV.
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  1. We should no longer talk about people “living in sin.” In a sentence that reflects a new approach, the pope says clearly, “It can no longer simply be said that all those living in any ‘irregular situation’ are living in a state of mortal sin” (301). Other people in “irregular situations,” or non-traditional families, like single mothers, need to be offered “understanding, comfort and acceptance” (49). When it comes to these people, indeed everyone, the church need to stop applying moral laws, as if they were, in the pope’s vivid phrase, “stones to throw at a person’s life” (305).
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JPUSC said:
  1. We should no longer talk about people “living in sin.” In a sentence that reflects a new approach, the pope says clearly, “It can no longer simply be said that all those living in any ‘irregular situation’ are living in a state of mortal sin” (301). Other people in “irregular situations,” or non-traditional families, like single mothers, need to be offered “understanding, comfort and acceptance” (49). When it comes to these people, indeed everyone, the church need to stop applying moral laws, as if they were, in the pope’s vivid phrase, “stones to throw at a person’s life” (305).
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**This **thread title is “Leading a godless life might lead you to Hell, Pope warns in Fatima”.

My physical health would be affected by both of these situations:
  1. nuclear war, ocean temperature rises 2 degrees, stuff like that;
  • and -
  1. I may smoke cigarettes, I eat too much, stuff like that;
Both 1, and 2, are important. But #2 is a lot more under my personal control than #1. A prudent doctor, communicating with his patients, might mention #1 but would give far more priority to getting the patient to address #2.

A person does not have total personal control over their smoking/overeating, a prudent doctor would not **denounce **or *judge *their patient, but *gently *lead them to focus on these areas, which are under their partial personal control, as best they can, even if it’s more fun to talk about nuclear war, or inflation, etc. You would not want a doctor who said “I won’t throw stones (by mentioning their smoking or lack of exercise) - people will call me judgmental”.

The same is true in the spiritual life. the priest may well find the 2017 parishioners enjoy confessing the sins of politicians, corporate raiders, multi-national polluters, 19th century slaveowners - all people other than themselves. But the priest should prioritize the morality that is at least partially under their own control, as best they can. That does not mean being judgmental towards people who can’t yet totally embrace the right, but it means gently leading them to focus on their own personal actions.

It is important to note that here the pope is referring to individuals, themselves, leading godless lives; with the hope of **personal **change. A call for personal conversion.
 
I have criticisms sometimes of words that have been attributed to our Holy father.

Here I praise him unreservedly for highlighting what I consider to be a very important event in the history of our church and for reminding us of the message, including the warnings of hell.

Western civilization has drifted (or been pushed) further and further from the church and this includes the ridiculing of the Christian notion of hell.

The pope is showing true bravery here for reminding the world of this sombre reality.
 
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