Who Goes to Hell?

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NoelFitz

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When we die will we be judged on the balance of our lives, did we do more good than evil, or will one grievous sin condemn us to hell for all eternity?
 
One unforgiven mortal sin yes remains ones choice if one dies in that state.

Now can it happen that one can be given the needed grace even at the last moment? Sure.

But we are not to presume such --rather repent right away and seek out confession.
 
All those who die in a state of mortal sin, at the very least.
 
Jesus gives answer in Matthew 25 verses 31-46

veritasbible.com/newjerusalem1989/read/Matthew_25

Thar is, basically: If we have lived lives of practical kindness to others, we have chosen heaven, we have chosen eternal love and communion with God and all who lived with acts of love and kindness

If we live selfishly, doing nothing to help others, we have chosen hell, that is, we have chosen an eternal life without love, which is hell.

Jesus our Judge recognizes the choices we have made, and pronounces what we have already chosen by our lives, eternity of love and happiness, or eternity without love, which for us is unendurable, because we were created for and through Love.
 
NoelFitz said:
When we die will we be judged on the balance of our lives, did we do more good than evil, or will one grievous sin condemn us to hell for all eternity?
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NoelFitz
I would suggest reading the book PREPARATION FOR DEATH by St. Alphonsus Liquori - there are two versions “full” and “abridged”, you can get the abridged from TAN Publishers.

St. Liguori presents what has become a turning point in my life in regards to sin, and I think it is critical that everyone understands his teachings.

St. Liguori teaches that we only have a limited amount of grace and mercy to be received from GOD, the limit of which we know not. This is not because GOD is less than ALL FORGIVING, but rather because as humans we have an “end time” to which we are always advancing, and upon passing into the death, mercy is over and justices ensues.

This then should scare the daylights out of everyone who is in a state of mortal sin, as we know not if we will be alive to go to our confession. To committ a mortal sin, and to realize it is mortal is to “run with all your might” to the nearest rectory and pound on the door to wake the Priest and beg for a confession as there is no guarantee that the morining will ever come for us.

Yes, the very last unconfessed mortal sin of a saint, will lead that saint into hell, even if he/she has been Holy their entire life. This is why “saints” understand the seriousness of sin and even becoming fearful of venial sin. To accept venial sin as normal and standard and OK is to begin the process of moving toward being unafraid of mortal sin.

Now, realizing this, why are the lines to the confessional not out the door? Even Scott Hahn has told the story that he was tired of having to confess the same sins over and over, but his Priest advised him “what do you want new sins?”

NoelFitz, we are weak, we sin, but we must struggle and we most fight the good fight and above all, we must wear out our knees in the confessional. Try never to let the day pass with a mortal sin, call and ask the Priest for a confession - now.
 
NoelFitz said:
When we die will we be judged on the balance of our lives, did we do more good than evil, or will one grievous sin condemn us to hell for all eternity?
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See
21 "But if a wicked man turns away from all his sins which he has committed and keeps all my statutes and does what is lawful and right, he shall surely live; he shall not die. 22 None of the transgressions which he has committed shall be remembered against him; for the righteousness which he has done he shall live. 23* Have I any pleasure in the death of the wicked, says the Lord GOD, and not rather that he should turn from his way and live? 24 But when a righteous man turns away from his righteousness and commits iniquity and does the same abominable things that the wicked man does, shall he live? None of the righteous deeds which he has done shall be remembered; for the treachery of which he is guilty and the sin he has committed, he shall die. 25 "Yet you say, ‘The way of the Lord is not just.’ Hear now, O house of Israel: Is my way not just? Is it not your ways that are not just? 26 When a righteous man turns away from his righteousness and commits iniquity, he shall die for it; for the iniquity which he has committed he shall die. 27 Again, when a wicked man turns away from the wickedness he has committed and does what is lawful and right, he shall save his life. 28 Because he considered and turned away from all the transgressions which he had committed, he shall surely live, he shall not die.
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Ezekiel 18:21-28
 
NoelFitz said:
When we die will we be judged on the balance of our lives, did we do more good than evil, or will one grievous sin condemn us to hell for all eternity?
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You are not judged on the balance of your life. Whether you are condemned or saved is exclusively determined by the state of your soul at death.

To take an extreme example, if a good and loving person throughout their whole life commits a mortal sin late in life and they die unrepentant then they go to Hell whereas an evil nasty person who has committed every type of mortal sin throughout their life would be saved if shortly before they die they make a sincere confession and are truly repentant.
 
According to the poster above God doesn’t care about how you lived your life - God only cares about that last moment.One mistake and you die and your whole life is meaningless.

Hmmm.
 
Who judges souls?
Jesus.
Jesus explicitly describes how He judges souls.
As Judge, He is the authority on this matter.
He described His judgement of souls in Matthew 25 verses 31-46

bible.oremus.org/?ql=188491927

Again and again, Jesus preached love, love of God, love of others.
He sees practical generosity and kindness to others as love as He specifically mentions in this text.
He takes these acts of kindness as also being given to Him personally.

Kind wishes, Trishie
 
Thanks for all the answers.

There is general agreement. One strike and you’re out.

I am pleased there is no change in Catholic teaching from when I was in school over 60 years ago.

I have heard the contrary view held, that we are judged on the balance of our lives. This is incorrect. Life is tough. If I were God things would be different, but I do not understand God’s ways.

I am reminded of a priest in our parish who said that if you understand your God, you have a false God.
 
I constantly fear that one day I will have one mortal sin on my soul be hit by a car and die because I was unable to go to confession due to time restraints or lack of transportation.
 
PeterGStanley said:
According to the poster above God doesn’t care about how you lived your life - God only cares about that last moment.One mistake and you die and your whole life is meaningless.

Hmmm.
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Yes in that view life is just some sort of sick game. It would be like playing a perfect game of basketball getting one foul the very last second of the game. Then the referee throws you out of the game and all points you scored were deducted from the teams score.

Like I said in my last post it almost feels like I am on a tight rope walking to the end then at the very last second someone cuts the rope. When I view it like this it makes me feel hopeless, the more I ponder it the more sorrowful I become and the less I pray. This cannot be how it is if it makes me not want to pray.
 
I am a devoted catholic, at least I try to be, and I go to confession regularly. But reading the posts here has made me wonder about the people who have strayed from the church but are basically good people. People that practice Christ´s teaching but for some reason don´t profess their faith. Is damnation their destiny?
 
Rhuarc said:
Yes in that view life is just some sort of sick game. It would be like playing a perfect game of basketball getting one foul the very last second of the game. Then the referee throws you out of the game and all points you scored were deducted from the teams score.

Like I said in my last post it almost feels like I am on a tight rope walking to the end then at the very last second someone cuts the rope. When I view it like this it makes me feel hopeless, the more I ponder it the more sorrowful I become and the less I pray. This cannot be how it is if it makes me not want to pray.
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I don’t agree with it - it sounds merciless , and being a Hospice volunteer it would mean that all my prayers for those whom I am with that are dying are completely useless - because if its true praying for the dying is completely pointless - and I just can’t believe that my prayers for the countless people I’ve prayed for were all in vain.
 
Pekita said:
I am a devoted catholic, at least I try to be, and I go to confession regularly. But reading the posts here has made me wonder about the people who have strayed from the church but are basically good people. People that practice Christ´s teaching but for some reason don´t profess their faith. Is damnation their destiny?
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All of humanity is “basically good people” because that is the way God created us. However, being “basically good people” is not sufficient to gain entry into heaven. Those who choose there own way over God’s way in this life will continue to have it their way, without God, in the next.
 
PeterGStanley said:
According to the poster above God doesn’t care about how you lived your life - God only cares about that last moment.One mistake and you die and your whole life is meaningless.

Hmmm.
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Your whole life is meaningless if you die in a state of mortal sin. All good deeds only have merit if you die in a state of grace.
Its not God not caring about a person but a person not caring about God. That’s what committing a mortal sin means and anyone who dies in a state of mortal sin has freely chosen to go to Hell and turn away from God.
 
PeterGStanley said:
According to the poster above God doesn’t care about how you lived your life - God only cares about that last moment.One mistake and you die and your whole life is meaningless.

Hmmm.
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No one ever said one mistake and you die and your whole life is meaningless. One does not go to hell for a mistake.

One goes to hell for a mortal sin. A mortal sin, BY DEFINITION, cannot be committed by mistake.

A mortal sin requires full knowledge that the act is grave matter, and full consent. Which means at the time you make the sin, you know where it could lead you, and you’ve still make that choice.
 
AHapka said:
No one ever said one mistake and you die and your whole life is meaningless. One does not go to hell for a mistake.

One goes to hell for a mortal sin. A mortal sin, BY DEFINITION, cannot be committed by mistake.

A mortal sin requires full knowledge that the act is grave matter, and full consent. Which means at the time you make the sin, you know where it could lead you, and you’ve still make that choice.
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Semantics
 
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