Other faiths do not have Confession...how is mortal sin 'forgiven?'

[whatevergirl]

This is true…keep in mind though Perfect contrition is RARE.
The catholic church teaches that Mortal sin is

1)Grave Matter ( somthing very serious or commandment violation)
2)Full Knowlege ( knew it was a sin)
3)Deliberate consent. ( did it anyway by use of free will)

That is it PERIOD! Is has been discussed here countless times before that one can be unaware of a mortal sin. The extreme circumstance of perfect contrition or confession is the only way to escape eternal damnation if Mortal sin.

No one knows who God will take into Heaven…Muslims who were not privvy to Christ’s loving message, would not be doomed to Hell…even if they were in mortal sin. They might not even understand the ramifications of mortal sin. I hesitate to guesstimate who will be in Heaven.

It sort of makes me look arrogant to start picking and choosing who will be and who might not be …according to what my faith tells me. I am a devout Catholic…but I simply cannot speak for God. I can speak about Him…and I pray that God uses me to lead others to Him…but, that’s where my human strength ends, and His begins.

 

[THurifer2]

…Muslims who were not privvy to Christ’s loving message, would not be doomed to Hell…even if they were in mortal sin. .

So explain to me what a mortal sin is then…why is it called mortal again? You are not guesstimating anything…the One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church gives You the guidelines as to what a Mortal sin is…any other speculation is simply that…knowing God is Just we can speculate ( I mean really speculate) that Muslims have been given the grace but persist in their own (completely False) religion.

 

[whatevergirl]

That is the point. Protestants by and large DO KNOW BETTER. They have chosen to deny the authority of the Catholic Church as the one true Church and have accepted instead whatever it is that they believe in its place
.
It is their choice. I know a lot of protestants including some in my own family. ALL of them, the adults that is, and I mean all of them know full well of the differences between their churches and Catholicism and they fully embrace the differences as being correct in their favor. To them, we as Catholics are not Christian, probably not saved and are doomed.

To say that they are not responsible for what they believe is just plain wrong.

Did they leave the RCC, and become Protestant, palmas?

 

[whatevergirl]

So explain to me what a mortal sin is then…why is it called mortal again? Countless saints have spoken on the matter…God always draws people to him…muslims are given that grace just like us…A priest told me one time that if muslims truly listened to their heart they would eventually end up being Catholics just like every other human being on this planet…they reject that grace just like everyone else. At one time or another in their lives they are pulled in towards God…they resist that pull and voluntarily reject it. That is what Grace is…a

That’s an interesting sentiment from this priest you mention, but I have Muslim friends…and they definitely think Catholics are doomed. I mean, they don’t say this as we are friends, but I know their beliefs…and have had many conversations over it…and it leads me to think that they feel we are doomed. I know different, and totally cannot believe that Islam is even believable, since Christ’s crucifixion…but, this is what they believe.

Jesus did speak of a narrow gate…:ehh:

 

[THurifer2]

Did they leave the RCC, and become Protestant, palmas?

No but deep down inside they KNOW that the RCC is the one true church…different levels of pride exist and some are very good at blocking it out. ALL men are called to the RCC…if this is not true then it is just another run of the mill religion.

Every convert that I know had that pull of Knowing the RCC was the one true faith of God. EVEN the muslims. When A person accepts and answers the Grace (call or pull regardless of who they are and where there are) as long as they submit their will to what they are being drawn to with either eventually end up a Catholic officially or die on their way home to Rome…(which is where god is Merciful) HOWEVER when is called and they reject it (ie a protestant who knowingly ignores this pull) then they are themselves cutting off from God…(hell)

 

[whatevergirl]

Please allow me to share a rambling thought with you. This is pretty much off the top of my head, so please feel free to tear it to pieces.

First of all, in “extra-ordinary” circumstances, of course God can forgive sins through perfect contrition. He is a just and holy God. The point of sacramental confession is to bring His people to Him, not to turn them away.

But the Catholic Church is the One Church that God established for the salvation of His people. Let’s call it the Church of “ordinary” circumstance. An ordinary saint on the way to Heaven goes to regular confession like he drinks a tall glass of water or goes to the doctor for a regular checkup. He flushes the bad out of his system on a regular basis. Through sacramental confession he stays on top of his sin, if you will. It’s easier for him to stay healthy because his confessor - the doctor of his soul - helps him see where he is going wrong. The Christian without regular sacramental confession maybe doesn’t move to perfect contrition until he feels really guilty. That’s why revival services and prayer meetings are so popular. They bring to the surface the sickness of sin that a practicing Catholic is digging out as a matter of course.

So, what I’m trying to say, is that God designed sacramental confession to make it easier to get to Heaven! Of course there’s way more to it than that, praise the Lord, but this is a concept that might be easy for a protestant to understand.

One final thought - I have found that my Protestant friends - the ones who believe firmly that they only need to confess to Jesus - are constantly emulating sacramental confession. They set up appointments with their pastor to talk about their sin. They get together and confess to each other. And you know what? They might feel like they’ve gotten some of the benefits of what Catholic have, but there are problems there - they don’t have the seal of confession, there can be temptations because lay people aren’t trained to hear confessions, don’t have the graces associated with being a confessor, etc. So it seems the Church has it right again

Awesome post–thanks for sharing this! I love our faith.:harp:

 

[whatevergirl]

No but deep down inside they KNOW that the RCC is the one true church…different levels of pride exist and some are very good at blocking it out. ALL men are called to the RCC…if this is not true then it is just another run of the mill religion.

Every convert that I know had that pull of Knowing the RCC was the one true faith of God. EVEN the muslims. When A person accepts and answers the Grace (call or pull regardless of who they are and where there are) as long as they submit their will to what they are being drawn to with either eventually end up a Catholic officially or die on their way home to Rome…(which is where god is Merciful) HOWEVER when is called and they reject it (ie a protestant who knowingly ignores this pull) then they are themselves cutting off from God…(hell)

Ok…yes, I follow you, and I am grateful that you have the patience to explain this to me. How would you explain this to a Protestant – friend or family member – without appearing ‘know-it-all-ish?’

 

[THurifer2]

‘know-it-all-ish?’

That is the reason why I go to confession each week…being an arrogant know it all who often (not nearly often enough) gets humbled by smarter people than me.

P.S. Don’t pay those kids for doing chores! Part of being a family is pulling ones own weight and getting tired from hard work.

I have debated protestant Pastors on the very issue of Salvation. The church gives not clear cut example as to what happens souls in this situation. It is our mistake on speculating that they end up in heaven (eventually). We can only do Gods will to evangelize as many as we can…

 

[whatevergirl]

That is the reason why I go to confession each week…being an arrogant know it all who often (not nearly often enough) gets humbled by smarter people than me.

P.S. Don’t pay those kids for doing chores! Part of being a family is pulling ones own weight and getting tired from hard work.

I have debated protestant Pastors on the very issue of Salvation. The church gives not clear cut example as to what happens souls in this situation. It is our mistake on speculating that they end up in heaven (eventually). We can only do Gods will to evangelize as many as we can…

woah woah…mixing two topics in one thread…no fair. I can’t help it…I feel badly if I’m not giving them some type of reward for cleaning. Although, my daughter is getting nothing for the next few weeks to pay off the damage done on the wall. It’s been a healthy lesson for her, I must say.

I try to go to Confession twice per month…but at least once per month…I, like you, want to stay cleansed and humbled. It’s all so humbling…it’s all so gratifying to be a Catholic, yet I find myself unworthy of it all. Thanks for your posts.

 

[Jerry-Jet]

Protestants and other non Catholics DO committ mortal sin.

Absent perfect contrition or confession we do not know of how they can be reconciled to God.

God could work outside of the sacraments–He could provide such people with the grace so that they would be perfectly contrite for their sins but we do not know this.

Since we do not know this we should go to confession ourselves and pray for sinners and try to convert people to the Catholic Church.

St. paul said to “Work our our salvation with fear and trembling”–if that is true for the Catholic who has access to the sacraments how fearful must it be to someone who does not have access to the sacraments and feels like they don’t need them?

There is a difference between Invicible Ignorance which will give a Protestant a pass and Indifferent Ignorance based on pride which will preclude perfect contrition.

Who will decide? God!

Lord have mercy on us!

 

[InLight247]

I am still not seeing why God would bring up prior sins…or throw them up in our face during Judgement Day, if we have been forgiven? Many priests throughout my life have told me, once you confess and repent…God wipes the slate clean.

I don’t know either. I guess that is why the day is called judgment day, judgment based on both our sins and our virtues. And like Jesus said, to let us see our misery so we may appreciate His Mercy. I guess when we step from this life to the next, our Lord wants us to have an honest review. The past sins and virtues are both part of the true picture of our life. We are expected to honestly face ourselves at that moment.

I have read many other different near death stories, they all mentioned watching life films of their past sins. Of course we won’t really know until we are on that spot sometime in the future.
But I’d rather believe that is true and be very watchful for my own behavior. I’d rather believe there will be such a moment so I will strive to sin no more to avoid that painful moment.

 

[whatevergirl]

I don’t know either. I guess that is why the day is called judgment day, judgment based on both our sins and our virtues. And like Jesus said, to let us see our misery so we may appreciate His Mercy.

I have read many other different near death stories, they all mentioned watching life films of their past sins. Of course we won’t really know until we are on that spot sometime in the future.
But I’d rather believe that is true and be very watchful for my own behavior. I’d rather believe there will be such a moment so I will strive to sin no more to avoid that painful moment.

I tend to think that too…but say, in movies, where this is depicted…it’s typically because the person never was remorseful on earth…and the ‘film’ is being replayed to show how he/she should have been.

I will go to Confession regularly…just the same.

 

[InLight247]

I guess when we step from this life to the next, our Lord wants us to have an honest review. The past sins and virtues are both part of the true picture of our life. We are expected to honestly face ourselves at that moment.

I just edited my previous post an added the above.
I think it is reasonable to review our whole life at the end to have an honest assessment.

 

[whatevergirl]

I just edited my previous post an added the above.
I think it is reasonable to review our whole life at the end to have an honest assessment.

Wait a minute…might it be so we can see the beauty of God’s mercy? In reviewing forgiven sins? I don’t want to see those sins again though…I have repented from them… :nope:

 

[believers]

Sins are forgiven ONLY when you have faith in Jesus and repent. Repentance is key here. You MUST turn away from your sinful ways and embrace a holy, righteous way of life according to the Word of God. If you slip which does happen… confess your sins unto the Lord and He will forgive.

 

[InLight247]

Wait a minute…might it be so we can see the beauty of God’s mercy? In reviewing forgiven sins? I don’t want to see those sins again though…I have repented from them… :nope:

Yea, that is a good point. By seeing our sins and knowing they were forgiven, we better experience God’s mercy.

Nobody wants to see his past sins. But if that’s the way at judgment time, we have no choice but to face it. That’s why it is critical striving to sin no more. I think people who don’t have this view, or don’t realize there will be such a moment, or even realize it but think it is too remote, too far away, could care less about sinning. For me, like I mentioned earlier, even imagining that moment makes me sorrowful.
And this perspective sorrow actually helps my determination of working toward holiness.

 

[THurifer2]

Protestants and other non Catholics DO committ mortal sin.

!

What does the word Mortal mean in the subject of Mortal sin?

If one is guilty of such a sin and it is considered “mortal” it can only mean one thing…Mortally wounding their soul…if they end up in heaven via purgatory then the sin if un-confessed cannot possibly be a mortal sin. Because of the “mortal” part of the phrase. Think of it this way…if someone is mortally wounded…do they survive? If they do survive then the wound cannot be considered mortal. How about using the phrase “mortality rate”, we must agree that those who fall into this statistic all die…right?

A Mortal sin is just that…a sin that condemns us to Hell…other wise it cannot be called Mortal…

 

[whatevergirl]

What does the word Mortal mean in the subject of Mortal sin?

If one is guilty of such a sin and it is considered “mortal” it can only mean one thing…Mortally wounding their soul…if they end up in heaven via purgatory then the sin if un-confessed cannot possibly be a mortal sin. Because of the “mortal” part of the phrase. Think of it this way…if someone is mortally wounded…do they survive? If they do survive then the wound cannot be considered mortal. How about using the phrase “mortality rate”, we must agree that those who fall into this statistic all die…right?

A Mortal sin is just that…a sin that condemns us to Hell…other wise it cannot be called Mortal…

…that matches the three criteria, though.

 

[THurifer2]

…that matches the three criteria, though.

Mortal in this context means death. Spiritual death…

 

[whatevergirl]

Mortal in this context means death. Spiritual death…

yes, I know…but, mortal sin must meet the three criteria mentioned above in this thread…before being considered mortal to one’s soul. (mortally wounding so to speak)