Saving someone's life?

[joshkt79]

I was told a long time ago, by our Priest at Catechism classes, that if you save someone’s life and die in the process, that you get a free pass to heaven. For instance, you see a house on fire, go in and save the family and their children and go back in to see if anyone else is in there, and end up dying, God will automatically forgive all sins and you get into heaven.

Does anyone else to believe this true?

 

[Joe_5859]

I don’t think that there’s any official Church doctrine to that effect, but I can see why someone would believe that. Laying down one’s very life for others is the supreme act of love. It’s hard to imagine someone who is willing to do that rejecting God at the same time.

 

[1ke]

I was told a long time ago, by our Priest at Catechism classes, that if you save someone’s life and die in the process, that you get a free pass to heaven. For instance, you see a house on fire, go in and save the family and their children and go back in to see if anyone else is in there, and end up dying, God will automatically forgive all sins and you get into heaven.

Does anyone else to believe this true?

That is a nice sentiment, but not in line with Church teaching.

 

[Rascalking]

I was told a long time ago, by our Priest at Catechism classes, that if you save someone’s life and die in the process, that you get a free pass to heaven. For instance, you see a house on fire, go in and save the family and their children and go back in to see if anyone else is in there, and end up dying, God will automatically forgive all sins and you get into heaven.

Does anyone else to believe this true?

I sort of agree with it. It must add some serious brownie points!

 

[Dorothy]

It is possibly to die accidentally while trying to save someone from harm, but I would think their salvation would depend on whether they were in God’s grace.

And then again, we wouldn’t know if while they were saving someone’s life they received the grace of repentance and offered themselves to the Lord if they would not come out alive.

 

[Cristiano]

I was told a long time ago, by our Priest at Catechism classes, that if you save someone’s life and die in the process, that you get a free pass to heaven. For instance, you see a house on fire, go in and save the family and their children and go back in to see if anyone else is in there, and end up dying, God will automatically forgive all sins and you get into heaven.

Does anyone else to believe this true?

What about if you try to save someone’s life just because he owes you money, and if he didn’t you would not do it. What about if you think that there is no risk in saving this person that owes you money but then you die anyway. People that do not know your intentions see you as a hero but do you really think that you are heaven bound?

 

[Anathama_Sit]

I was told a long time ago, by our Priest at Catechism classes, that if you save someone’s life and die in the process, that you get a free pass to heaven. For instance, you see a house on fire, go in and save the family and their children and go back in to see if anyone else is in there, and end up dying, God will automatically forgive all sins and you get into heaven.

Does anyone else to believe this true?

Greetings Joshkt79,

It depends on whether that person is in a state of grace or not. Church Teaching is clear on this that if one is in a state of mortal sin and dies unrepentant they go to Hell.

I do not believe what you have posed as a question to be true. It would only be true if that person was in a state of grace when he died.

God Bless.
Anathama Sit

 

[1ke]

I sort of agree with it. It must add some serious brownie points!

Well, here’s my take on it.

A gangster, who murders people, deals drugs, and runs a prostitution ring-- and who has never set foot in Church in 30 years-- runs into a burning building to save is mother.

That is a virtuous thing to do, but also a selfish thing on his part, it’s his mother after all (and if it were a stranger he would not have done so).

This does not reconcile him to God and the Church. This does not forgive his mortal sin (which only God knows if all of his criminal behavior meets the three criteria for mortal sin. We know it meets grave matter, but only God can judge full knowledge and free will)

And, one who dies in mortal sin cannot enter Heaven. So, if he is in mortal sin he will not go to heaven just because he did a good deed, no matter how brave, rash, or heroic.

Only a perfect act of contrition in his dieing moments could alter the course.

If he is in mortal sin, this does not forgive his sin. If he is not in mortal sin, then he was going to Heaven anyway and this did not change that.

Now death for the Faith– martyrdom-- that could indeed reconcile him with the Church and forgive his mortal sin.

 

[JohnAlexander]

Why does anyone wonder about things like this? It is not possible to simply follow a recipe of “things to do” to get into heaven. This is the problem that Jews have. They just want a list of what to do. Protestants also just want something simple like “Accept the Lord Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Saviour” Once saved, always saved, etc.

There is only one way to guarantee that you will go to heaven when you die. And that is to

“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, 'Love your neighbor as yourself.”

That is a lot more than a list of things you must do. It includes the state of your will. It is not a one time act, but an ongoing state of existence.

Even if you sacrifice yourself for someone else you might still have anger against God. Also you can only be forgiven for sins if you are sorry. What if you don’t want forgiveness?

 

[Infiltrator]

Spot on. It’s not about what you are doing when you die, but how you have lived your life. It’s about repenting for your sins.

For example, had Adolf Hitler, a Christian with ties to the Vatican, died saving the life of a child, would he have gotten a free pass to heaven?

No, He was unrepentant of the millions he commanded to be killed.

 

[Dakota_Roberts]

If you still have a mortal sin hanging over your head then no, but if you don’t then I think it would be considered for duration in Purgatory depending on your motivations.

 

[1ke]

For example, had Adolf Hitler, a Christian with ties to the Vatican, died saving the life of a child, would he have gotten a free pass to heaven?

Adolf Hitler was NOT a “Christian with ties to the Vatican.”

 

[Castello]

Sadly, I ask my classes every year how to get to heaven. More than half of them always say “be a good person”. Tragic that heresy has become part of the fabric of our society.

 

[Infiltrator]

Adolf Hitler was NOT a “Christian with ties to the Vatican.”

americamagazine.org/content/article.cfm?article_id=3131
reformation.org/hitler_pope.html
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adolf_Hitler%27s_religious_views#Public_statements

Unfortunately he really was. He was raised by a Catholic mother and a Catholic father. His public statements are mostly a warped Christian view.
He was a sick, warped man however he was a Christian by faith and believed everything he was doing was ordained by God. He was obviously wrong but to say he wasn’t a Christian is simply revisionist history.

 

[thistle]

I was told a long time ago, by our Priest at Catechism classes, that if you save someone’s life and die in the process, that you get a free pass to heaven. For instance, you see a house on fire, go in and save the family and their children and go back in to see if anyone else is in there, and end up dying, God will automatically forgive all sins and you get into heaven.

Does anyone else to believe this true?

That is not Church teaching and I do not believe that.

That would mean an atheist who dies to save his child would go to Heaven. No! No!

 

[1ke]

Unfortunately he really was. He was raised by a Catholic mother and a Catholic father. His public statements are mostly a warped Christian view.
He was a sick, warped man however he was a Christian by faith and believed everything he was doing was ordained by God. He was obviously wrong but to say he wasn’t a Christian is simply revisionist history.

He rejected the faith and dabbled in occult practices.

He was Christian by virtue of his baptism. Of course.

But to say he was a “Christian with ties to the Vatican” implies he was actively a Christian while murdering millions of people. And that he had “ties” to the Vatican… attempts to imply some sort of personal relationship with the Vatican. His relationship did not go beyond those of any head of state.

You are being disingenuous.