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What happens to those who die and do not believe?
Catholic Answers ^

Posted on 10/16/2024 9:51:11 AM PDT by Angelino97

It depends. If you mean, “What happens to those who die rejecting Christ?” the Church’s answer is uncompromising: They will go to hell.

But no one goes to hell by accident. If someone is simply ignorant of the name of Christ through no fault of his own, there is no sin in that. He has not rejected Christ. Moreover, we know Christ is not constrained by our knowledge. He can work in a heart even when that heart is only dimly aware of it.

Jesus speaks of this in the Parable of the Sheep and the Goats. The ones judged here are “the nations”—those outside the visible communion of the Church. How are they judged? By the way they responded to Christ when he came to them in disguise. “I was sick and you visited me; hungry, and you fed me; thirsty and you gave me something to drink.” How do the sheep and the goats respond? With surprise.

The point is, we may not know it, but Christ comes to us even when we don’t (or can’t) come to him. This is why the Church counsels us to hope and pray for the dead. We must not pretend we know what God is up to in the lives of others. We know where the Church is. We do not know where it is not.


TOPICS: Religion
KEYWORDS: belongsinreligion
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To: xoxox

Your claim: “Catholic Answers is usually on target.”

No longer holds water. (If it ever did.)

Arguably, Catholic Answers has been overrun with Modernists. Frankly, obviously so in the wake of Amoris Laetitia.


41 posted on 10/16/2024 10:36:19 AM PDT by one guy in new jersey
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To: TigerClaws
You show an ignorance of both the Scriptures and the teaching of the Catholic Church, so you should not presume to speak on either.

Catholics err believing in purgatory. To be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord.

St. Paul never said such a thing. He said for him he would prefer to be with the Lord than be in the body. You need to read your Bible more carefully and not rely on anti-Catholics for your interpretations.

Christ’s sacrifice was sufficient.

Nobody says it wasn't. In fact the Catholic Church teaches that it was:

Christ's death is the unique and definitive sacrifice

CCC 613 Christ's death is both the Paschal sacrifice that accomplishes the definitive redemption of men, through "the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world", and the sacrifice of the New Covenant, which restores man to communion with God by reconciling him to God through the "blood of the covenant, which was poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins".

614 This sacrifice of Christ is unique; it completes and surpasses all other sacrifices. First, it is a gift from God the Father himself, for the Father handed his Son over to sinners in order to reconcile us with himself. At the same time it is the offering of the Son of God made man, who in freedom and love offered his life to his Father through the Holy Spirit in reparation for our disobedience.

Jesus substitutes his obedience for our disobedience

615 "For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by one man's obedience many will be made righteous." By his obedience unto death, Jesus accomplished the substitution of the suffering Servant, who "makes himself an offering for sin", when "he bore the sin of many", and who "shall make many to be accounted righteous", for "he shall bear their iniquities". Jesus atoned for our faults and made satisfaction for our sins to the Father.

Jesus consummates his sacrifice on the cross

616 It is love "to the end" that confers on Christ's sacrifice its value as redemption and reparation, as atonement and satisfaction. He knew and loved us all when he offered his life. Now "the love of Christ controls us, because we are convinced that one has died for all; therefore all have died." No man, not even the holiest, was ever able to take on himself the sins of all men and offer himself as a sacrifice for all. The existence in Christ of the divine person of the Son, who at once surpasses and embraces all human persons, and constitutes himself as the Head of all mankind, makes possible his redemptive sacrifice for all.

617 The Council of Trent emphasizes the unique character of Christ's sacrifice as "the source of eternal salvation" and teaches that "his most holy Passion on the wood of the cross merited justification for us." And the Church venerates his cross as she sings: "Hail, O Cross, our only hope."

I suggest you do some real homework before displaying ignorance of things you know little about.

42 posted on 10/16/2024 10:39:34 AM PDT by fidelis (Ecce Crucem Domini! Fugite partes adversae! Vicit Leo de tribu Juda, Radix David! Alleluia!)
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To: one guy in new jersey

You threaten people with eternal hell.

That is like a wife beater telling his wife she is in “denial” for failing to be intimidated by him.

You need to do some deep thinking about what you believe and why you believe it—and who exactly you are serving.


43 posted on 10/16/2024 10:39:58 AM PDT by cgbg ("Our democracy" = Their Kleptocracy)
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To: PeterPrinciple
The Five Points of Calvinism, or Doctrines of Grace, are merely summaries of what the Bible teaches about salvation. We do not revere these doctrines because they were taught by John Calvin, but because they are found in Scripture.

AMEN!

44 posted on 10/16/2024 10:47:39 AM PDT by P8riot (You will never know Jesus Christ as a reality in your life until you know Him as a necessity.)
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To: Angelino97

They’re in for a big surprise.


45 posted on 10/16/2024 10:47:57 AM PDT by gdzla (Tyrannis Seditio, Obsequium Deo)
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To: cgbg

gaslight

project


46 posted on 10/16/2024 10:52:16 AM PDT by one guy in new jersey
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To: Angelino97

https://www.ligonier.org/learn/articles/are-those-who-have-never-heard-christ-going-hell

Paul labors the point that from the very first day of creation and through the creation, God has plainly manifested His eternal power and being and character to every human being on this planet. In other words, every human being knows that there is a God and that He is accountable to God. Yet every human being disobeys God. Why does Paul start his exposition of the gospel at that point? What he’s trying to do, and what he develops in the book of Romans, is this: Christ is sent into a world that is already on the way to hell. Christ is sent into the world that is lost, that is guilty of rejecting the Father whom they do know.

Now, let’s go back to your original question, “Does God send people to hell who have never heard of Jesus?” God never punishes people for rejecting Jesus if they’ve never heard of Jesus. When I say that, people breathe a sigh of relief and say, “Then we’d better not tell anybody about Jesus because somebody might reject him. Then they’re really in deep trouble.” But again, there are other reasons to go to hell. To reject God the Father is a very serious thing. And no one will be able to say on the last day, “I didn’t know that you existed,” because God has revealed Himself plainly.


This Theologian says you will not go to hell for being ignorant of Jesus, but you will for.....................

Read the whole post, read it again, and then read it with lips moving.


47 posted on 10/16/2024 10:52:27 AM PDT by PeterPrinciple (Thinking Caps are no longer being issued but there must be a warehouse full of them somewhere.)
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To: Angelino97

Read Ecclesiastes 12:7.


48 posted on 10/16/2024 10:53:28 AM PDT by Tom Tetroxide
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To: cgbg
You threaten people with eternal hell.

How else to get you into mass. I bet you don't even pray to the Virgin Mary. Then you accuse Catholics of intimidation, why back in the good ol' days they had the Inquisition. Now there was some intimidation. They didn't mess around. Now you'll feel a lot better if you buy an indulgence from Father Nambla and say three Hail Marys. Let's all be friends.

49 posted on 10/16/2024 10:54:28 AM PDT by BipolarBob (I may have flunked high school but the pigeons have accepted me as their leader, so I have that.)
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To: one guy in new jersey

Back to you my Friend.

Intimidate.

Gaslight.

Zero introspection.


50 posted on 10/16/2024 10:54:47 AM PDT by cgbg ("Our democracy" = Their Kleptocracy)
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To: xoxox

The modernist influence at Catholic Answers, as an omnipresent ingredient, now spoils every dish.


51 posted on 10/16/2024 10:56:32 AM PDT by one guy in new jersey
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To: BipolarBob

The Inquistion did get folks to verbally agree with whatever it was they were supposed to agree to...and appear where they were supposed to appear.

That is not belief.

That is just intimidation that creates obedience.

The slightest hint of intimidation—physical or verbal—is a waving red flag.


52 posted on 10/16/2024 10:57:17 AM PDT by cgbg ("Our democracy" = Their Kleptocracy)
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To: gdzla

1 Peter 3:18-19
King James Version
18 For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit:

19 By which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison;

1 Peter 4:6
King James Version
6 For for this cause was the gospel preached also to them that are dead, that they might be judged according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the spirit.


53 posted on 10/16/2024 10:57:20 AM PDT by imabadboy99
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To: cgbg

Good talk. /s


54 posted on 10/16/2024 11:00:41 AM PDT by one guy in new jersey
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To: dp0622

—> So a tribe member somewhere in the amazon who’s never heard of Jesus goes to hell??

Nice to see you concerned about the theoretical tribesman.

We know things about all humanity:

1. They all have creation as natural revelation that there is a God.
2. They are born to a fallen and sinful race.
3. God responds to those who seek Him.


55 posted on 10/16/2024 11:01:38 AM PDT by aMorePerfectUnion (🦅 MAGADONIAN ⚔️ )
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To: one guy in new jersey

Are you the reincarnation of Torquemada—missing the old days?

Lol.


56 posted on 10/16/2024 11:01:51 AM PDT by cgbg ("Our democracy" = Their Kleptocracy)
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To: mn-bush-man

“The point is, we may not know it, but Christ comes to us even when we don’t (or can’t) come to him. This is why the Church counsels us to hope and pray for the dead.”

This is not correct, as far as I understand it. The soul is judged at the moment of death and it has never been Catholic theology that prayers for the dead can change the permanent judgement made at that instant. Catholics pray for the dead because they may be in Purgatory en route to Heaven proper, and the prayers are for the easing or expediting of that purification process.


57 posted on 10/16/2024 11:02:55 AM PDT by Stingray51 ( )
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To: cgbg

Are you not concerned that you are retreating headlong into effeminacy?


58 posted on 10/16/2024 11:03:01 AM PDT by one guy in new jersey
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To: Angelino97
John 3:16-18, "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God."

Pretty straightforward and simple to understand.

59 posted on 10/16/2024 11:20:32 AM PDT by ducttape45 (Jeremiah 17:9, "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?")
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To: dp0622

I’m sorry you don’t understand the Scriptures. The answers are all there.


60 posted on 10/16/2024 11:23:54 AM PDT by mn-bush-man
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