Again, according to Jesus the only deal breaker is blaspheming the holy spirit.
First of all, this is a mischaracterization of what He said. He was talking about the only unforgiveable sin (ultimate rejection of an offer of God’s mercy), not the only exclusionary decision preventing ultimate friendship.
Second, you ought to know as a Catholic, that the Roman Catholic Church which Jesus founded, is not
Sola Scriptura.
Agnostics aren’t blaspheming the Holy Spirit. They haven’t closed the door to heaven to themselves.
I didn’t say that. Did you not read my post? (Apparently not.) I did not exclude agnostics. Why are you arguing that?
Faith comes through grace, which is a gift from God. If one is not blessed with faith, perhaps that is their cross to bear.If they live a life of compassion even without faith, to love without promise of heavenly reward, seems to be lauded rather than condemned.
That’s what I said. Do you see how you frustrate posters?
They lived the love, they weren’t simply reactionary to possible punishment.
I don’t know what you mean by the word ‘reactionary’ in this context. ‘Reactionary’ is an affective term of extreme opposition, most often used in political rhetoric. If you mean instead that the motivation for (good) action was not the avoidance of possible punishment, then please indicate that.
I never brought up motivation for (avoiding) punishment. However, just note this:
the Catholic Christian Church of which you are a member, does declare that for the initiated believer (you, me), imperfect contrition (fear of punishment) is a less worthy motivation for avoiding immorality than perfect love or perfection contrition (oriented strictly to God, not consequences for self). Among the non-initiated, doing the right thing for its own sake (without reference to a divine being) is a laudable thing to do, and the Church does not pretend to know how any indiividual’s disposition will result in the ultimate destination of his soul, whether that person was or was not a believer.
The good Samaritan, The Prodigal son both point to this. We are judged by our acts, and we are always welcome home.
The Good Samaritan and Prodigal Son parables do not say anything about eternal destinations, only about God’s eternal mercy and what constitutes righteousness. One parable is focused on God, the other on the criteria for selfless love demanded of one who lives in God’s friendship. God’s mercy is available to those (including but not limited to their deathbeds) who have self-sacrificing love (Good Samaritan) and perfect contrition (Prodigal Son). But those have to be demonstrated during one’s single earthly life, not “after death.”
No, we are not, according to the Church whose theology you are bound to believe, “always” welcome home. Please read Michelle Arnold’s (CAF apologist, quoted above) response. Our daily decisions do shape our ultimate decisions. Miraculous conversions of unrepentant sinners are always possible just before death, and they do occur, and have often been recorded by witnesses. Nor would the Church deny that. But those conversions are not possible after death, which is what your earlier post suggested, and which the word “always” implies. But what Michelle was further saying was that it is impractical and foolish to hope for such miracles if a life was not virtuously lived, and/or that opportunities for friendship with God were abundant but rejected.
Please do not misstate Catholic doctrine. It confuses those on the forum who are in the processing of converting, as well as those newly converted or considering it. Thank you.
- if free will is a true teaching it us not bound to our earthly bodies. If purgatory is a true teaching - heaven or hell are not our only options. Pascal doesn’t account for these Catholic teachings.