Saved By Good Conscious

[Hleb2332]

I watched a youtube video with catholic apologist Dr. Robert Sungenis, and he said according to the catholic church anyone can be saved by having a good concious as long as they have not heard about Christ and rejected Him. If this is the case it would make sense to not spread the Gospel because there would be a possibility of people rejecting it.

 

[Sebrina]

That would be like my employer refusing to pay me my just wage, because it’s possible I might use it to buy liquor or drugs and do wrong things because of it.

When will we be able to trust other people with the Good News? Never? Whom do we trust with it? Some? A select few? Who choses?

 

[thistle]

I watched a youtube video with catholic apologist Dr. Robert Sungenis, and he said according to the catholic church anyone can be saved by having a good concious as long as they have not heard about Christ and rejected Him. If this is the case it would make sense to not spread the Gospel because there would be a possibility of people rejecting it.

In this day of global communications how many people on the planet have not heard about Christ? Very few I would think.

 

[bzkoss236]

I watched a youtube video with catholic apologist Dr. Robert Sungenis, and he said according to the catholic church anyone can be saved by having a good concious as long as they have not heard about Christ and rejected Him. If this is the case it would make sense to not spread the Gospel because there would be a possibility of people rejecting it.

No, it is still better for people to hear and accept the Gospel. Someone can only truly reject the Gospel if they understand its truth and reject that truth. Also, the Gospel is the best tool to help someone form their conscience. Without the Gospel, it is difficult to have a well formed conscience. So again, it is better to share the Gospel. And lastly, it is only a ‘maybe’ that someone who hasn’t heard or doesn’t understand the Gospel, but has a well formed conscience, can make it to heaven. It isn’t a “will” go to heaven. However, if someone accepts the Gospel and does their best to live according to the Gospel to their understanding, they have a confident assurance of getting to heaven. So again, better that they hear the Gospel.

Think of a man at the top of a mountain and he wants to get down. It would be easier just to throw himself off, but he is likely not to survive, though he may. It would be better for him to risk following the guided path down the mountain, as he can be reasonably assured that he will reach the bottom safely, though it may be a harder route to take.

 

[stephe1987]

A “good conscience” is a properly formed conscience. Unfortunately, a lot of people now believe that right is wrong and wrong is right. People who die in God’s grace, with their will toward God, will be saved. Everyone else will not.

Jesus wants us to share the Gospel, so not sharing it would be disobedience. And people who lead God-centered lives will have higher places in heaven than people who barely got into heaven. So not sharing the Gospel is denying them a nice place in heaven. Maybe they’ll live in a shack when they could have lived in a mansion for eternity.

 

[Carlan]

We are saved by God’s grace, He alone knows the deep heart of us.
Must remember also, God gift of Natural Law.

Stephe, I rather believe when we get there we will be going from Glory to Glory!
Peace, Carlan

 

[Boulder257]

That would be like my employer refusing to pay me my just wage, because it’s possible I might use it to buy liquor or drugs and do wrong things because of it.

When will we be able to trust other people with the Good News? Never? Whom do we trust with it? Some? A select few? Who choses?

Hah, good analogy.

 

[Genesis315]

The kind of upright conscience needed to be saved in ignorance presumes that the person would unconditionally accept the entirety of revelation if they came to know it.–otherwise one does not have an upright conscience. Sharing the Gospel with a person in this condition could only fulfill their desire. Likewise, a person currently in bad conscience has often hardened his heart to the internal movements of God’s grace. Charity and the beauty of the truth received from an external source (which is more difficult to ignore), can often soften a harden heart and lead to conversion and repentence. Sharing the Gospel therefore is a win-win.

The Gospel never damns someone who would have otherwise been saved, but it does save those who would otherwise be damned.

 

[Rich_C]

The kind of upright conscience needed to be saved in ignorance presumes that the person would unconditionally accept the entirety of revelation if they came to know it.–otherwise one does not have an upright conscience. Sharing the Gospel with a person in this condition could only fulfill their desire. Likewise, a person currently in bad conscience has often hardened his heart to the internal movements of God’s grace. Charity and the beauty of the truth received from an external source (which is more difficult to ignore), can often soften a harden heart and lead to conversion and repentence. Sharing the Gospel therefore is a win-win.

The Gospel never damns someone who would have otherwise been saved, but it does save those who would otherwise be damned.

Very well put.

 

[Skye_Ariel]

The kind of upright conscience needed to be saved in ignorance presumes that the person would unconditionally accept the entirety of revelation if they came to know it.–otherwise one does not have an upright conscience. Sharing the Gospel with a person in this condition could only fulfill their desire. Likewise, a person currently in bad conscience has often hardened his heart to the internal movements of God’s grace. Charity and the beauty of the truth received from an external source (which is more difficult to ignore), can often soften a harden heart and lead to conversion and repentence. Sharing the Gospel therefore is a win-win.

The Gospel never damns someone who would have otherwise been saved, but it does save those who would otherwise be damned.

I like this one.

 

[Skye_Ariel]

Anyone can be saved by invincible ignorance does not mean everyone. Anyone can win the lottery. But how many actually do? More people are rich by working hard for their money than from winning the lottery, just like more souls are saved by spreading God’s word than invincible ignorance. More people are saved by spreading God’s word than who would win the “lottery” of invincible ignorance

Yeah I wouldn’t gamble with souls thinking it’s better not to spread God’s word, none of us *really *knows what makes up invincible ignorance, it could refer to slow people or mentally challenged people or some other criteria. That’s something only God knows. If it worked like that and was that simple then God would not have sent Jesus down to suffer and die for us like He did, He would have just left us in ignorance and we would have all been saved. So invincible ignorance is not as simple and clear cut as some may think. If it was that simple then you’d have to question the whole sacrifice of Jesus shedding His blood for us etc. If there was another way I’m sure God would have chosen it rather than send His Son to suffer and die for us. I think the cases of invincible ignorance is more rare and under special circumstances that we don’t know enough about. Like people born deaf and blind or children raised by wolves who never learn to think or act fully human and never learn to talk because that part of their brain atrophied permanently etc. I think it has more to do with people incapable of making a choice between good & evil for whatever reason.

 

[relstudent]

It is also important to understand this teaching in light of the fact that the chuch never condemns anyone authoritatively to hell… hence implying anyone could be saved (for a variety of reasons.) Its not our job to judge people’s salvation no matter what their life appears to be.

 

[Skye_Ariel]

It is also important to understand this teaching in light of the fact that the chuch never condemns anyone authoritatively to hell… hence implying anyone could be saved (for a variety of reasons.) Its not our job to judge people’s salvation no matter what their life appears to be.

Yeah that’s what I think that was for too, just to leave an opening so that no one can judge anyone as having gone to hell. There’s always a chance that they didn’t for whatever reasons. No one knows but God. God knows things now that we might not learn till many years later, like for instance when people used to think suicide was an automatic sentence to hell, and now we realize it’s an illness for some and doesn’t automatically mean hell. God always knew that even when we didn’t realize it. That’s one example. So God knows more about human behavior and what causes people to do what they do more than we can comprehend even now. So we can’t judge anyone to hell there’s always a chance that they didn’t go to hell.