Why is it so hard for Catholics?

[Nelka]

I always read that protestants, muslims and atheists can get to Heaven but when a Catholic commits a mortal sin he is condemned to Hell until confession of course but the others apparently don’t follow the rules of the church so they aren’t culpable when they commit adultery etc.

It all confuses me.

I thought it would be easier for Catholics not harder.

 

[Arwing]

Knowing the truth helps us to grow in the faith and live according to God’s will. This is why we have the Church and everything God gave us. The sacraments by which we receive grace, Scripture and the Magisterium, the example of the saints, and so on.

We can’t say that others get a free pass just because they don’t follow the rules of the Church. We can’t say that they’re going to heaven. And all are still subject to the moral law. The Church helps us to know it more fully-- we also know that salvation is from Christ through His Church.

 

[ShowersofRoses]

Salvation is through Jesus alone. There’s no guarantee for any of us to be saved, which is why we “work out our salvation with fear and trembling,” trusting in God’s goodness and love. Protestants, Muslims, Hindus, etc. are not going to be saved automatically just because they are ignorant of the Church’s teachings; they are still held accountable for their actions. God’s mercy is infinite, He knows all things including their hearts, and if He chooses to save someone outside of the Catholic Church, then He does it because that is the merciful and just thing to do. But salvation is not guaranteed, and that’s why we should be evangelizing and spreading the Gospel and not just going through the motions. Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life.

 

[HolySpirit]

I always read that protestants, muslims and atheists can get to Heaven but when a Catholic commits a mortal sin he is condemned to Hell until confession of course but the others apparently don’t follow the rules of the church so they aren’t culpable when they commit adultery etc.

It all confuses me.

I thought it would be easier for Catholics not harder.

I think part of the difference is that we know better, Nelka. God has given us the truth and He expects us to live our lives with that knowledge.

I can’t speak for God, but our knowledge and beliefs may hold us to a higher standard. I think that we should be happy that God has trusted us with this greater responsibility.

Hopefully, we will have the opportunity to welcome those others into our big tent.

 

[Crocus]

There is a saying: Ignorance is bliss. But would people settle for bliss, if they knew there was more?

There is nothing more beautiful than to be surprised by the Gospel, by the encounter with Christ. There is nothing more beautiful than to know Him and to speak to others of our friendship with Him.
– from the 2005 inaugural homily of Pope Benedict XVI

If we truly believe that, why wouldn’t we want others to possess that beauty?

Cardinal Newman wrote a wonderful love story called Callista. It tells of the difficulties faced by the early Christians, and the sorrow felt by the pagan girl, that her Christian suitor failed to share his faith with her.

http://www.newmanreader.org/works/callista/index.html

It is long, but well worth it. Would make for a good movie.

 

[joeybaggz]

but the others apparently don’t follow the rules of the church so they aren’t culpable when they commit adultery etc.

In the encounter with the rich young man when Jesus was asked “What must I do to have eternal life?” His answer was simple; “obey the commandments.” Adultery is one of the Ten Commandments, not a church rule. On this count, those who “don’t follow the rules…” will be held severely accountable.
A thought of mine, though it is not doctrine, is that when Jesus said, “in my Father’s house there are many dwelling places…” did he possible indicate that there are levels of joy and happiness realized depending on what and how much one invested themselves in living in God’s law and love. I wonder if everyone is equal; is the Good Thief’s realization the same as Mother Theresa’s? After all, if the young man in the parable had walked away and said thank you, would he receive from God the same as one who "(went) and sold all he had, and then followed Jesus?
I have a very dynamic view of heaven, not quite the “eternally sitting on a cloud with wings and a harp like everybody else” version.
Shalom

 

[ShowersofRoses]

> There is nothing more beautiful than to be surprised by the Gospel, by the encounter with Christ. There is nothing more beautiful than to know Him and to speak to others of our friendship with Him.
> – from the 2005 inaugural homily of Pope Benedict XVI

If we truly believe that, why wouldn’t we want others to possess that beauty?

That’s beautiful, thanks for sharing.

 

[Dan_Defender]

When it comes to who gets to Heaven, that is for God to decide. If St Paul was not sure of his own salvation, much less a poor sinner like me. At the same time, I do not presume to know who goes to Hell. My personal feeling about those in non Christian faiths is that most of them, the best they can hope for is purgatory. But it is just speculation.

 

[Seagull]

Only God knows who’s going to Hell, the moment they drop dead.
I believe it is best to to confess your sin - immediately -
The longer you wait …
The more jeapordy your soul will be in -

 

[Crocus]

It was the theme for our diocesan 5 year program of presentations by selected speakers from all walks of life. Part of the New Evangelization.

 

[ShowersofRoses]

This question always reminds me of the end of The Last Battle, the last Narnia book. At the end, each creature and human comes to Aslan and looks into his face. Those who love him, even if they had never met him before, go into heaven with him. Those who look into his face and hate him, are cast aside into his shadow. I love that…I imagine the moment of death to be like that. You’ll look into Jesus’ face and love him…or not.

 

[Crocus]

Exactly! That’s the particular judgement. 1 John 3:2

 

[sudy]

Being Catholic does make it easier and not harder… we have the Sacraments to help us.

As to those who are saved, we have a few clear indications in Scripture:

Mark 12:30-31

You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these."

2 Peter 2:20-21

For if they, having escaped the defilements of the world through the knowledge of (our) Lord and savior Jesus Christ, again become entangled and overcome by them, their last condition is worse than their first. For it would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness than after knowing it to turn back from the holy commandment handed down to them.

1 John 3:3-6

Everyone who has this hope based on him makes himself pure, as he is pure. Everyone who commits sin commits lawlessness, for sin is lawlessness. You know that he was revealed to take away sins, and in him there is no sin. No one who remains in him sins; no one who sins has seen him or known him.

Revelation 11:18

The nations raged, but your wrath has come, and the time for the dead to be judged, and to recompense your servants, the prophets, and the holy ones and those who fear your name, the small and the great alike, and to destroy those who destroy the earth."

So, we know that we must love God, we know that we must love neighbour, and we know that we can’t persist in sin. We know that those who fear the Lord will be saved… Thomas Aquinas explains this as:

With the gift of fear of the Lord we are aware of the glory and majesty of God. A person with wonder and awe knows that God is the perfection of all we desire: perfect knowledge, perfect goodness, perfect power, and perfect love.

… which he describes as a child not wanting to offend his father, rather than servile fear.

We also know that there is invincible ignorance, but not everyone can claim this… we all need to be seeking God and doing his will. At the end of the day though, God will be the just judge.

I don’t think that anyone can really believe they can commit adultery and get away with it, though, as it’s written in the Commandments.

1 John 4:20

If anyone says, “I love God,” but hates his brother, he is a liar; for whoever does not love a brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen.

 

[0Scarlett_nidiyilii]

protestants, muslims and atheists can get to Heaven

“Can” is not the same as “will”.

Anybody who willfully sins, regardless of their religion, is answerable for their choices.

When the catechism talks about the salvation of non Catholics through other means than formal Church membership, this isn’t some cool loophole for them to do whatever they like while the Catholics are over here doing the heavily lifting.

And furthermore, every person, whether they accept this or not, has a grave responsibility to make a sincere effort to discover the Truth and then align themselves with what they’ve learned…

 

[Dan_Defender]

And furthermore, every person, whether they accept this or not, has a grave responsibility to make a sincere effort to discover the Truth and then align themselves with what they’ve learned…

This is a good point. I’ve met Hindus and others who know basic Christianity because they ‘read it on the internet’. Tough to be part of the information age and claim ignorance. In this age most knowledge is at a person’s fingertips.

 

[0Scarlett_nidiyilii]

Also, God knows if you’re playing games. If you deliberately keep yourself ignorant so you have “permission” to do wrong (“But I didn’t know any better!”) He isn’t gonna fall for that one.

Allegedly, when Christianity was taking hold on Rome, there were people who were intellectually convinced of the truth of the Church, but delayed baptism until their deathbed so they could still have their sex-drugs-rock & roll lifestyle in this world and eternal bliss in the next.

All snorts and giggles until you die in your sleep unexpectedly…

 

[sudy]

In addition, I just wanted to add… The Our Father prayer, ‘forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us…’

Matthew 6:14

If you forgive others their transgressions, your heavenly Father will forgive you.

James 2:13

For the judgment is merciless to one who has not shown mercy; mercy triumphs over judgment.

1 Peter 4:8

Above all, let your love for one another be intense, because love covers a multitude of sins.

 

[Greenfields]

As a catholic I’m ready to take on life’s hardships,God alone knows how to hone this being,what is needed in life lessons for my salvation .What virtues need working on to get to heaven.I wouldn’t be on the same path if life was easy,I know that for a fact .

 

[RedDuke]

Non-Catholics have a conscience and know when something is seriously evil, so I’d say most non-Catholics who commit adultery or any other big sin like that are likely culpable for mortal sin. Catholics can go to Confession with only imperfect contrition and be absolved of their sins, but non-Catholics don’t have this so they need perfect contrition. Not to mention the rest of the Sacraments that give Catholics graces to remain faithful to God and fight temptation. Trying to get to heaven without the Sacraments is extremely difficult.

 

[Thom18]

To piggyback off of what you said, committing a mortal sin would be like a Catholic seeing, for example, a deep pit and purposefully jumping into it. For someone who doesn’t know (or, see) any better, it would be more like falling into it unintentionally.