Salvation / Religion - Nobody gives it a 2nd thought

[Mijoy2]

In my circle of friends and family. Some exceptions of course, I am speaking of the majority. The vast majority.

A stereotypical friend of mine is one who barely ever gives the salvation of their soul or the souls of their family members a 2nd thought. I am speaking of Catholic and non-Catholic friends. I believe if pressed (they’d have to be pressed they’d never voluntary initiate or pursue a conversation as pointless as religion), their perspective would be that although Jesus was born (therefore there is a Christmas) and died on the cross and resurrected (therefore there is an Easter), religion / church is a man-made institution with no authority or say over faith and morals. Thus they are free are to make up their own minds on good vs bad based on their very own judgement call. Since they are living within their own judgement, they must therefore be going to heaven. Only bad people go to hell.

From my perspective this is very typical of today’s Christian. Catholic or otherwise. Which explains the single digit Catholic Mass attendance.

I’d be curious to know if others on this forum have experienced the same. These folks are unreachable because of their disbelief that the Church has any authority what-so-ever. Suggesting that someone ( a fellow friend or whatever) needs prayers and are not guaranteed entrance to heaven would be met with laughter or perhaps even anger (I’ve experienced both).

In my opinion this is the word today.

 

[Tis_Bearself]

It’s the norm for people to be un-religious for the most part. Out of all my friends, there’s maybe 2 who are semi-practicing Catholics, another handful were “raised Catholic” and will say a prayer sometimes but don’t really live the faith, there’s a couple of Protestant guys raising families who go to church with wife, kids and parents but don’t talk about it much, and some Jewish people who are extremely Jewish because it’s their heritage. Everybody else is pretty much a whole lotta nuthin’.

I care about these people’s souls of course and I pray for them all, but I’m not surprised at how they think, nor do I bother to discuss it with them. Outside of the handful of Catholics I mentioned, the only two people who ever really wanted to talk religion with me in an open-minded way were one Jewish person and one atheist.

Mass attendance in my areas is still reasonably decent, but even if I’m the only person at Mass (which did happen to me once) I don’t care. I’m not going there to count heads or be part of the popular group and I’ve spent most of my life doing things that the average person wasn’t doing when I was doing them.

My actual family had a lot of practicing Catholics, almost all of whom are dead by this point, most of them dead for years and the one or two still alive are either super-distant relatives or are 80-90 years old.

 

[1Lord1Faith]

I can’t say the same about most of the people I know. Although I’m sure they don’t think they’re going to hell either.

It must be somewhat of a default normal not to think terrible thoughts about the possibility of torture after death. But at the same time, just being aware of the unknown after death (Pascal’s wager type thinking) is enough. The only group of people I know of who expect a ticket to heaven are some ‘once saved always saved’ Protestants, who I would assume may laugh or scoff or be angry at the suggestion that heaven isn’t a guarantee.

 

[Mijoy2]

Thanks for the reply.

I find it rather amazing. I believe this to be the Christian world today for the most part. I call it -Insurance Policy Christianity-. If there is any truth to the Christian story, then I am covered because I believe. Reformed Christianity has led the masses (Catholics as well as non-Catholics) to believe that believing is all we must do attain eternal life.

From the perspective of believing that the Catholic Church does in fact have Authority and can in fact bind and lose sins, then the world would appear to be in a state of sin. Of which most are not willing to repent of.

I often ask myself, “why would God allow it to go on”?

 

[meltzerboy2]

For most Jews there is not much thought about heaven and certainly not hell, because these two destinations are not ingrained in Jewish homes from childhood as they are in Catholic homes. The focus is rather on the present life, and this applies to religious and non-religious Jews alike. My best friend is Catholic and we sometimes talk about religion but never in the form of a debate or argument, just discussion. He is not a practicing Catholic although his mother was devout. OTOH, he is not opposed to the Church; rather, he is full of questions about all sorts of religious concepts. Sometimes I attempt to fill him in on Catholic beliefs (sad, isn’t it).

 

[Tis_Bearself]

You ask yourself “why would God allow it to go on”? Have you read the Old Testament? It’s basically a story of people committing sin for thousands of years, interspersed with brief periods where some people made an effort to do what God wanted, which would last for a while and then they would sin some more.

So this is nothing new.

However, God is probably going to bring it all to an end at some point. If one believes in the approved Marian apparitions such as Fatima, God is pretty angry at humankind and about to run out of patience any minute if we don’t all repent.

I am just happy I got back on track because I was way off track for many, many years. I have a lot of anxieties now but at least I don’t have to worry about being estranged from God right now. It’s not for insurance policy. I need God to get through the day. And I like being in a relationship with God.

Over time, some people will make it to that point of having a real relationship with God during their lives and others won’t. You have to focus on your own relationship with God and let other people find their own way, unless they seem to be open to your helping them. Who knows, some of them may surprise you and find God when you least expect them to, even if it’s not till they’re dying.

 

[mrsdizzyd]

Maybe I just have odd friends, but we talk about religious topics a lot. Almost all of them attend a church regularly. Some also volunteer at the church. Then again, I live in the Bible Belt. Maybe that has something to do with it?

 

[LittleFlower378]

Yes yes yes! This is many family members and friends beliefs. It’s really athiestic, where they don’t belong to any religion. This is where most people are going now days(according to Relevant Radio), down the path you explain. It’s the easy way, don’t have to follow any rules, no sin, make up your own ideas about life and morality. It’s a dark path that is not leading to a good place. Everyone needs a moral compass outside themselves.

 

[TheMortenBay]

I call it -Insurance Policy Christianity-. If there is any truth to the Christian story, then I am covered because I believe.

But Sola Fide (by faith alone) is also a very protestant way of seeing salvation. Surely, if one does not live a Christian life, we can’t expect our installments to be paid?

 

[observing]

Mijoy2, thank you for bringing up this question. I think most of us know a vast amount of family and friends that no longer feel the need for God and certainly not the need to worship Him. It saddens me terribly. On Easter and Christmas our parishes are packed as well as long lines for confession during holy days but where are those people the rest of the Sundays and Holydays throughout the year?
That God has been taken out of schools and government buildings is a sign of these perilous times.
When I was a young, you could tell it was Sunday because streets were filled with people walking to Mass or Sunday services in their Sunday best because Sunday was a holy day and family day. Sadly that is no longer true to most people.
When I think of how our world is today, I can’t help but think of Sodom and Gomorrah. All I can do is be an example to others and to pray earnestly for those who don’t believe, especially the lukewarm.

 

[mythbuster1]

Of course, God’s definition of “soon” is a lot different than ours. Still, when you read the Book of Revelation, you see what God will do about sin when His patience does run out. Half the world will die, plus an indeterminate number more, and still a vast multitude will redouble their sins instead of repenting. The persecution will be so fierce that very few will survive to welcome the Lord back from Heaven, but there will be a faithful remnant that survives to see the Second Coming, for it is written, “We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed.”