Should i just ignore my conscience and personal feelings if they contradict my Christian faith?

[koujithegreat]

I was born and raised as a Catholic, I believe Jesus is the son of God, he preached and inspired millions to live better lives through love, kindness and equality, I believe Jesus’ sacrifice, death and resurrection is not exclusive to only Christians, I believe in the spiritual significance of the Catholic sacraments, and I believe that all good and kind people, those who teach and practice goodness, ethics, kindness, morality, values, love, etc, and all those who repented from their evil and wicked ways, whether they are atheists, Jews, Christians, Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, etc, through the love and mercy of God, will ultimately be reconciled with God and with Jesus, and all evil and wicked people, those who teach and practice evil, wickedness, racism, injustice, inhumanity, torture, cruelty, corruption, murder, rape, etc, and all those who never repented from their evil and wicked ways, will be damned to the fires of Hell.

I cannot in good conscience believe that only Christians are worthy of salvation, however, I do believe that evil and wicked people will be damned, but are you saying that all atheists and other religions, e.g. Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, etc, are not worthy of salvation, are all evil and deserves to the damned? I cannot in good conscience believe that, I cannot believe that good and kind people will be damned just because they didn’t put Jesus into their lives because of their love and devotion to their own faith.

 

[mark_avery]

I think that`s a very noble attitude,for who knows,other than God, what reasons,way of life and if at least, at one stage of there life,they believed in jesus,for who knows where the wind blows.

Also like the man on the cross with Jesu was saved,hopefully there will be a time for redemption,i live with hope for them!!
I could also add,it was the Jews who gave salvation to us the gentiles so is it not obvious that
we as a family ought to do our best to perform as a unity,so as to show they others,the light we bare not only for ourselves,but for them also!

 

[puzzleannie]

I
I cannot in good conscience believe that only Christians are worthy of salvation, however, I do believe that evil and wicked people will be damned, but are you saying that all atheists and other religions, e.g. Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, etc, are not worthy of salvation, are all evil and deserves to the damned? I cannot in good conscience believe that, I cannot believe that good and kind people will be damned just because they didn’t put Jesus into their lives because of their love and devotion to their own faith.

your headline says something different
in the first place although you were born and raised Catholic you missed a critical teaching of the faith, because your statements shows you neither know nor understand Catholic teaching on salvation. Please research the actual teaching (which contradicts the assumption you have made here) on the proper forum, apologetics, and on the CA homepage library.

welcome to the forums, in coming here you have taken a step that can transform your life if you are open to the Holy Spirit
yes conscience is a critical component of obedience and assent, but it must be an informed conscience. You cannot claim a decision make on conscience when that decision is made without adequate knowledge.

 

[dmelosi]

I was born and raised as a Catholic, I believe Jesus is the son of God, he preached and inspired millions to live better lives through love, kindness and equality, I believe Jesus’ sacrifice, death and resurrection is not exclusive to only Christians, I believe in the spiritual significance of the Catholic sacraments, and I believe that all good and kind people, those who teach and practice goodness, ethics, kindness, morality, values, love, etc, and all those who repented from their evil and wicked ways, whether they are atheists, Jews, Christians, Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, etc, through the love and mercy of God, will ultimately be reconciled with God and with Jesus, and all evil and wicked people, those who teach and practice evil, wickedness, racism, injustice, inhumanity, torture, cruelty, corruption, murder, rape, etc, and all those who never repented from their evil and wicked ways, will be damned to the fires of Hell.

I cannot in good conscience believe that only Christians are worthy of salvation, however, I do believe that evil and wicked people will be damned, but are you saying that all atheists and other religions, e.g. Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, etc, are not worthy of salvation, are all evil and deserves to the damned? I cannot in good conscience believe that, I cannot believe that good and kind people will be damned just because they didn’t put Jesus into their lives because of their love and devotion to their own faith.

If you take the next step in your spiritual journey and really dig into the Catholic faith you will find how much sense it makes.

The Catholic church does not teach what you state above, about who is worthy of salvation.

 

[brotherjoe]

If you take the next step in your spiritual journey and really dig into the Catholic faith you will find how much sense it makes.

The Catholic church does not teach what you state above, about who is worthy of salvation.

Please elaborate. The more I have read of the documents that call for the requirement of faith and conversion, and the long list of mortal sins, leads me to suspect that the Church expects only the salvation of a few. My hopes and wishes are otherwise. I do realize that the Church prays without discrimination for the salvation of all: “Lead them and all the departed into the light of your presence.”

 

[laszlo]

The Catholic teaching is the knowledge about the Last Things is reserved to God. We simply do not know who will be saved and who will be damned.

We know that there is hell and the hell is populated, but do not know who is in the hell.

Almost certainly the heaven is filled with all kid of nations religions, ideologies; so is the hell: God scrutinizes the hearts, not the appearance.

The thesis: Extra Ecclesiam nulla salus is a self evident statement: everyone who is saved is member of the Triumphant Church

 

[dmelosi]

Please elaborate. The more I have read of the documents that call for the requirement of faith and conversion, and the long list of mortal sins, leads me to suspect that the Church expects only the salvation of a few. My hopes and wishes are otherwise. I do realize that the Church prays without discrimination for the salvation of all: “Lead them and all the departed into the light of your presence.”

The article catholic.com/thisrock/2005/0512fea3.asp is very good. Or do a search on this website catholic.com and put salvation in the search.

The more a person knows, the deeper they are drawn to the truth.

There is a particular quote in that article that addresses your question.

“Jesus told his followers, “I have other sheep, that are not of this fold; I must bring them also, and they will heed my voice. So there shall be one flock, one shepherd” (John 10:16). After his Resurrection, Jesus gave the threefold command to Peter: “Feed my lambs. . . . Tend my sheep. . . . Feed my sheep” (John 21:15–17). The word translated as “tend” (poimaine) means “to direct” or “to superintend”—in other words, “to govern.” So although there are sheep that are not of Christ’s fold, it is through the Church that they are able to receive his salvation.”

Only God knows how many will get there.

 

[FCCopleston]

I was born and raised as a Catholic, I believe Jesus is the son of God, he preached and inspired millions to live better lives through love, kindness and equality, I believe Jesus’ sacrifice, death and resurrection is not exclusive to only Christians, I believe in the spiritual significance of the Catholic sacraments, and I believe that all good and kind people, those who teach and practice goodness, ethics, kindness, morality, values, love, etc, and all those who repented from their evil and wicked ways, whether they are atheists, Jews, Christians, Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, etc, through the love and mercy of God, will ultimately be reconciled with God and with Jesus, and all evil and wicked people, those who teach and practice evil, wickedness, racism, injustice, inhumanity, torture, cruelty, corruption, murder, rape, etc, and all those who never repented from their evil and wicked ways, will be damned to the fires of Hell.

I cannot in good conscience believe that only Christians are worthy of salvation, however, I do believe that evil and wicked people will be damned, but are you saying that all atheists and other religions, e.g. Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, etc, are not worthy of salvation, are all evil and deserves to the damned? I cannot in good conscience believe that, I cannot believe that good and kind people will be damned just because they didn’t put Jesus into their lives because of their love and devotion to their own faith.

I have repeatedly encountered this same sentiment on Catholic Answers toward the life, death, and resurrection of Christ, namely, that He merely “preached and inspired millions to live better lives through love, kindness and equality…”

This is a dreadfully empty and *shallow *view of the Gospel.

I believe Jesus’ sacrifice, death and resurrection is not exclusive to only Christians

This is true. Christ’s death was for the sins of the whole world, even those who would reject Him. Yet, while the whole world is objectively justified in Christ, we do not subjectively receive that justification apart from the Word and Sacraments of God’s Church, which are His vessels to distribute grace to us. Only those who are in Christ, i.e., who receive Him through the Church’s Word and Sacraments, are saved; and they are saved by grace! They are not saved by being “good and kind people.” Such a view denies the consequences of original sin and the vicarious satisfaction of Christ on our behalf, seeing that, if we can save ourselves by “acting rightly” then Christ died for no purpose. That is, if I can save myself, then what use is Christ other than a hollow and ineffective “example” of what I ought to do.

Outside of Christ, there is no salvation.

In Christ,
FCCopleston

 

[thirddec]

the short answer is NO you will never survive in your faith if there is conflict between your conscience and your faith. It opens a doorway for the evil one to enter and manipulate your good intentions.

You need to pray for inspiration of the Holy Spirit and ask it for guidance in your search for the answers that will harmonise your conscience and belief. This may come from exploring the catechism ; reading scripture ; discussions from others in forums like this or ultimately from a spiritual director but believe me if you pray in earnest the answers will come. Being a Catholic should never be about blind faith and the more you know of your faith the better you can cope with life yourself and the more you can help others.

The future of our Flock rests with people like you but you must be properly armed with knowledge and the spirit. ( and of couse CHRIST )

Love and Respect

 

[COLOS]

It is more than possible to have a mal-formed conscience. I had one. I sometimes continue to struggle to learn what the Church teaches and submit my mind and heart to her by grace. No one’s conscience or personal feelings will ever be superior to Divine Revelation contained in the teachings of the Roman Catholic Church, even in things that are hard to accept.

If you can’t believe what the Church teaches (which is no surprise considering that the Church is supernatural in origin and humans have a natural mind with natural reason and conscience), pray to God for the grace to believe what He teaches. Then study.

The Faith is a gift. No one can receive this gift if they set their minds and hearts against it, but if you are open to God, by grace, you can eventually believe with a supernatural faith if you are willing to receive it.

At some point in life you come to an end of yourself.

 

[HickmanJosh]

Please elaborate. The more I have read of the documents that call for the requirement of faith and conversion, and the long list of mortal sins,** leads me to suspect that the Church expects only the salvation of a few. **My hopes and wishes are otherwise. I do realize that the Church prays without discrimination for the salvation of all: “Lead them and all the departed into the light of your presence.”

i am no theologian but God proved that He would Rather die than have us separated from Him. Mortal sin in order to be mortal must be consented to, it must be chosen in full knowledge and it must be grave matter(or a serious offense). Meaning a mortal sin is a choice, anyone who chooses to do there very best and trust in God and do His Will(to the best of their knowledge) and avoid doing that which is evil has a good chance of meeting the almighty on friendly terms.

 

[neophyte]

should i just ignore my conscience and personal feelings if they contradict my Christian faith?..

Ignore them? No. Work by God’s grace so that they can become properly formed? ABSOLUTELY… which means you need to study so that you know what the Church actually teaches.

As for the specific topic you raise, this is the teaching of the Church: usccb.org/catechism/text/pt1sect2chpt3art9p3.shtml"Outside the Church there is no salvation"

846 How are we to understand this affirmation, often repeated by the Church Fathers? Re-formulated positively, it means that all salvation comes from Christ the Head through the Church which is his Body:

Basing itself on Scripture and Tradition, the Council teaches that the Church, a pilgrim now on earth, is necessary for salvation: the one Christ is the mediator and the way of salvation; he is present to us in his body which is the Church. He himself explicitly asserted the necessity of faith and Baptism, and thereby affirmed at the same time the necessity of the Church which men enter through Baptism as through a door. Hence they could not be saved who, knowing that the Catholic Church was founded as necessary by God through Christ, would refuse either to enter it or to remain in it. 847 This affirmation is not aimed at those who, through no fault of their own, do not know Christ and his Church: Those who, through no fault of their own, do not know the Gospel of Christ or his Church, but who nevertheless seek God with a sincere heart, and, moved by grace, try in their actions to do his will as they know it through the dictates of their conscience—those too may achieve eternal salvation.848 “Although in ways known to himself God can lead those who, through no fault of their own, are ignorant of the Gospel, to that faith without which it is impossible to please him, the Church still has the obligation and also the sacred right to evangelize all men.”​

Note that p847 says MAY achieve salvation, not will achieve it.

 

[valentino]

I was born and raised as a Catholic, I believe Jesus is the son of God, he preached and inspired millions to live better lives through love, kindness and equality, I believe Jesus’ sacrifice, death and resurrection is not exclusive to only Christians, I believe in the spiritual significance of the Catholic sacraments, and I believe that all good and kind people, those who teach and practice goodness, ethics, kindness, morality, values, love, etc, and all those who repented from their evil and wicked ways, whether they are atheists, Jews, Christians, Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, etc, through the love and mercy of God, will ultimately be reconciled with God and with Jesus, and all evil and wicked people, those who teach and practice evil, wickedness, racism, injustice, inhumanity, torture, cruelty, corruption, murder, rape, etc, and all those who never repented from their evil and wicked ways, will be damned to the fires of Hell.

I cannot in good conscience believe that only Christians are worthy of salvation, however, I do believe that evil and wicked people will be damned, but are you saying that all atheists and other religions, e.g. Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, etc, are not worthy of salvation, are all evil and deserves to the damned? I cannot in good conscience believe that, I cannot believe that good and kind people will be damned just because they didn’t put Jesus into their lives because of their love and devotion to their own faith.

nobody is worthy of salvation.we must accept Jesus Christ as savior an try to serve Him with our whole mind,body,will,and spirit.The catholic church teaches that you must be Catholic to be saved but it doesnt say there is no salvation outside the Church.I know this sounds contradictory but it isnt.The Church says that the ultimate judge is Jesus.I’ll try to explain by an example.There is an Amazon tribesman living in a forest in Brazil.He’s never heard of Jesus.He will be judged by the natural law meaning he must use his conscience.God puts in everyone a sense of right and wrong if you go against your right conscience you sin.Also if you’ve heard Jesus’ preached you have an obligation to seek.A Buddist may have heard of Jesus but havent been taught enough to impel them to seek.If they truelly are seeking God and doing there best to serve Him in the manner they believe to be right I believe the church says there is salvation to be gained.