Free Republic
Browse · Search
Smoky Backroom
Topics · Post Article

To: CobaltBlue; ALS
But if you take God-in-general out of the picture, and put Jesus Christ in charge, then only Christians who believe exactly the way they believe have a chance of being right.

Then, what was this all about?

I pray that Christ remove all deception from your heart and mine.

I ask this in the Name of Christ our Lord, Amen.

In light of --->

I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the LORD do all these [things].

4,163 posted on 07/18/2003 8:34:41 AM PDT by AndrewC
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4157 | View Replies ]


To: AndrewC
One of the things that Catholics believe is that good Jews, good Muslims, good pagans (and even good Protestants) may be saved, but it's actually easier for a pagan.

You see, a good and pious pagan, who never heard of Jesus, but believes in God, and has lived a good and Godly life, will be saved.

A Protestant can be saved if the Protestant is capable of making an act of perfect contrition, which means (gross oversimplification here) being sorry that you've sinned simply because sin is wrong, not because you're afraid of going to Hell. If you are not capable of making an act of perfect contrition, then you can only obtain forgiveness through the Sacrament of Confession.

So, as a Catholic I believe in Jesus Christ, but I accept that good pagans, good Jews, good Muslims, and even good Protestants who seek God with a true heart will be saved.

"'Basing itself on Scripture and Tradition, the Council [Vatican II] 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 to enter it or to remain in it. (Lumen Gentium 14)'

. . . .

"'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.' (Lumen Gentium 16)"
http://www.vatican.va/archive/hist_councils/ii_vatican_council/documents/vat-ii_const_19641121_lumen-gentium_en.html
4,167 posted on 07/18/2003 8:51:58 AM PDT by CobaltBlue (Never voted for a Democrat in my life.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4163 | View Replies ]

Free Republic
Browse · Search
Smoky Backroom
Topics · Post Article


FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson