I don’t see this as a contradiction at all. I think St Teresa was speaking of Lutherans in this message as a generalization of some of the “fallen away” Catholics that followed Luther and that they became hard of heart at ended up where they should have. She was extremely careful to be sure that anything that she wrote was strictly in line with the Church. It doesn’t by any means mean that all Lutherans became “lost souls”, only that by turning away from the Church some became immersed in false teaching and actually turned away from embracing reconciliation. Unfortunately this is still the case today, as many go around speaking of Christ and his message but because of their hard hearts, reject the true repentance offered by Christ to the disciples the first time he appeared after the resurrection. This was Christ’s first order of business to breathe the gift of the Holy Spirit and allow them to forgive on Christ’s behalf.
I would like to hear anything else you have a concern with in regards to contraditions.
I appreciate this because it shows confidence in your faith. Unfortunately I do see contradictions. We may not agree they are contradictions but, perhaps a better term, drastic differing interpretations.
Most christians, including catholics hold C.S.Lewis in high regard. Lewis’s rendition of hell in his highly proclaimed book The Great Divorce, is dramatically different from the saints rendition (Or thier so called “visions”) of hell.
I must say I like Lewis’s better. But Lewis is not claiming a vision. These Saints are Saints because we consider them of heroic virtue. This coulc be interpreted as saying we firmly believe what they profess as true. Else they would not be a Saint. Therefore they were either deceived or delusional, or it is real.
“People who go to hell chose it for themselves”. I undersand the arguements for this (in my opinion) ridiculous statement. We may say that thier actions in life purchased them hell, but we cannot say with any logic what so ever that anyone chose to have thier skin picked apart by red hot pokers for all eternity something they knowingly chose.
The biggest contradiction I experience is a numbers game actually. When we truly consider what is mortal sin and truly determine who is in a state of mortal sin, this leaves very few indeed in a state of grace. When we consider people as a whole. I include self proclaimed catholics in this statement. Yet we act as though everyone goes to heaven. We tell ourselves we are in a joyful religion. The logic and the numbers do not add up. I find this a contradiction.
It may be a miss understanding. The individuals for the most part in these forums are quick to suggest most people are in a state of mortal sin. And if one closely examines the cathecism one would have to agree. But my one on ones with some priests seem to suggest otherwise. “If you commited a mortal sin, you’d know it” suggest one Friar I had a discussion with. From his perspective we all have reason for reasonable hope. From the perspective of most regulars in these forums, many/most/possibly near all, are damned.
Thanks for asking, I do appreciate it. I am not the sarcastic type, my concerns are genuine.
