Why bother to be good we are all sinful anyway

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shinytoy

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my protestant frineds believe that once saved always saved - all you need to do is believe in Him. then as long as you live according to your conscience and your interpretation of right/wrong you will go to heaven.

clearly this is wrong.

but in cahtolicism - salvation by works right? but there are so many sins, we are all so sinful so we can never be good so why bother trying? also i read that the Pope said that non-believers can still go heaven sometimes by spiritual grace.
and atheists can go to heaven too cant they, since Jesus died for the forgiveness of sins. so they wouldnt go to hell. in fact if Jesus and God can forgive all sins and loves everyone then Hell would be empty right? so why bother being good?

im confused.
 
Fight ther Good Fight? Let the Lord see I am trying. He already knows I am very trying but show Him I am.

The alternative is give up and commit suicide as there is no point otherwise Right?
 
I believe in Him, I am saved; If I murder now, I would still be saved?

No.

I belive in Him, I am on the path; If I murder now, The path is lost! (Until I repent).
 
We try to be good because it IS good - it is of God. To abandon the good is to abandon God. To abandon God and to die in such a state is to go to hell.

Deep down, you know this.

Of course, we cannot be perfect, but we are called by God to try. And He will hold each of us accountable to the extent that we understand Him.

Gem
 
It would be good for you to read the Letter of James in the New Testament. There are many answers for you there. You can read it online, for free, at the USCCB “Bible” site; the translation is the preferred New American Bible.
 
Salvation by works? Do we “earn” our entering a state of grace? --no.

Why be good if we are all sinful?

There is a BIG difference between being “sinful” via venial sins…while actually living “alive in Christ”…knowing indeed “true life” in him…

and being “sinful” via mortal sin!!!

The difference between being life …and death.

Some great things to read regarding faith and works in Paul:

vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/audiences/2008/documents/hf_ben-xvi_aud_20081119_en.html

vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/audiences/2008/documents/hf_ben-xvi_aud_20081126_en.html

vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/audiences/2006/documents/hf_ben-xvi_aud_20061108_en.html
 
At the beginning of Christianity, the members of the Church were also called “saints”. In his First Letter to the Corinthians, St Paul addresses “those sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints together with all those who in every place call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ” (I Cor 1: 2). Indeed, Christians are already saints because Baptism unites them to Jesus and to his Paschal Mystery, but at the same time they must become so by conforming themselves every more closely to him. Sometimes, people think that holiness is a privileged condition reserved for the few elect. Actually, becoming holy is every Christian’s task, indeed, we could say, every person’s! The Apostle writes that God has always blessed us and has chosen us in Christ “that we should be holy and blameless before him… in love” (Eph 1: 3-5). All human beings are therefore called to holiness, which ultimately consists in living as children of God, in that “likeness” with him in accordance with which they were created. All human beings are children of God and all must become what they are by means of the demanding process of freedom. God invites everyone to belong to his holy people. The “Way” is Christ, the Son, the Holy One of God: “no one comes to the Father but by me [Jesus]” (cf. Jn 14: 6).

–Pope Benedict XVI

vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/angelus/2007/documents/hf_ben-xvi_ang_20071101_all-saints_en.html
 
JamestheOlder said:
It would be good for you to read the Letter of James in the New Testament. There are many answers for you there. You can read it online, for free, at the USCCB “Bible” site; the translation is the preferred New American Bible.
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then Romans, then 1 and 2 Corinthians.
 
Virtue is its own reward.

Also Hell is very full, God only forgives those who truly desire His forgiveness.
 
Shinytoy, good thoughts. You should review the recent blog, " Is it harder to be a Catholic than a protestant?" I think Catholic just for some of the reasons you bring up. I think we Catholics are held to a higher standard because we expand the commandments to include much more than the basic ten. Living the Catholic life is very difficult, I assume my protestant friends think they will attain heaven if they are “born again” only without a care in the world regarding sin. Who really knows, I think I will cover my bet as a Catholic as best as I can.
 
PS: just Jesus can save even an atheist etc in ways we do not see…does not mean that all atheists etc are saved…such is “possible” yes…but something being possible does not mean that it happens in all cases…or even this case or that…

Hell though is a very real reality…

And the Pope and various Church documents are only referring to the *possibility *

we are to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ…in him is true life (starting already here!)
 
jwakja said:
Shinytoy, good thoughts. You should review the recent blog, " Is it harder to be a Catholic than a protestant?" I think Catholic just for some of the reasons you bring up. I think we Catholics are held to a higher standard because we expand the commandments to include much more than the basic ten. Living the Catholic life is very difficult, I assume my protestant friends think they will attain heaven if they are “born again” only without a care in the world regarding sin. Who really knows, I think I will cover my bet as a Catholic as best as I can.
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hi there, thanks.

im guessing from the responses most people just read the thread title and decided to jump on me rather than reading my actual post lol.

where is this blog? and do you have any suggestions of answers to the Q’s i raised in my OP?
 
Bookcat said:
Salvation by works? Do we “earn” our entering a state of grace? --no.

Why be good if we are all sinful?

There is a BIG difference between being “sinful” via venial sins…while actually living “alive in Christ”…knowing indeed “true life” in him…

and being “sinful” via mortal sin!!!

The difference between being life …and death.

Some great things to read regarding faith and works in Paul:

vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/audiences/2008/documents/hf_ben-xvi_aud_20081119_en.html

vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/audiences/2008/documents/hf_ben-xvi_aud_20081126_en.html

vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/audiences/2006/documents/hf_ben-xvi_aud_20061108_en.html
Click to expand...
uhhh…ewtn.com/library/answers/faworks.htm
salvation is by faith+works.

the ‘believe and be saved’ mentality is of the prtestant.
 
Bookcat is not denying that works aren’t necessary. We are saved by faith AND works together. Works make your faith real.
 
I think that the act of contrition, which many of us had to memorize when we made our first confession, says it all:

O my God,
I am heartily sorry for
having offended Thee,
and I detest all my sins,
because I dread the loss of heaven,
and the pains of hell;
but most of all because
they offend Thee, my God,
Who are all good and
deserving of all my love.
I firmly resolve,
with the help of Thy grace,
to confess my sins,
to do penance,
and to amend my life.
Amen.

We try to be good because we fear Hell, and when we sin we separate ourselves from our Father. We walk off the straight and narrow path, and that is the only path which leads to Heaven.

More importantly, however, we avoid sin because we love our Lord. Sin offends him. It is our sins that put the Lord Jesus on the cross. His wounds are our sins. You cannot love someone and hurt them without care. The closer you are to Jesus, whether protestant or Catholic, the more you must regret anything which would hurt Him.

So yes, you will sin. You will have need of the confessional again and again. Every time we go to confession we leave sin behind us and refocus our eyes and hearts on our Lord who loves us perfectly. We hate our sin, and He forgives us.
 
wworld said:
Who are you to say that? Who are you to judge?
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It is not I that say it.

Enter ye in at the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and many there are who go in thereat. How narrow is the gate and how strait is the way that leads to life, and few there are that find it! St. Matthew 7:13-14
 
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