If you do some research you would find the Catholic Church is less likely to condemn a protestant or a muslim etc... or any other religion as much as a cafeteria Catholic who knows Church teaching and rejects it.
The Catechism details the "natural law" pretty well. Basically, God has written onto our hearts the Law of Love. Even a person who has never heard of Jesus Christ can "know" this law. If a person loves, He abides in Christ. 1 John makes that statement several times. We know that we can do nothing good without Christ abiding within us. Thus, when a person who has never heard of Christ can listen to that divine natural law printed inside of us - and the Spirit blows where He will. Thus, a person who has never heard of Jesus Christ CAN be saved - because they are not specifically rejecting Him - AND they ARE following His Law of Love - which is the summary of the Commandments, says James. The Catechism refers to the Muslims - Some have not heard the truth of the Gospel, so they cannot reject it. They have been presented a scare crow by their mullahs, so they are considered invincibly ignorant (as the Catechism calls them and other such people). A person will not go to hell if he is invincibly ignorant and loves others.Many Muslims in extreme Muslim area's of the world don't know Jesus Christ and the Gospel. They haven't been presented it. So how can they reject it? They only reject a scare crow, much like anti-Catholic's who don't know Catholicism.
There is only one person by whom men can be saved through: Jesus Christ. And He sends His Spirit to those whom He will. Christ said that NO ONE can do good without ME. NO ONE. Thus, when you see a good Muslim, or a good Hindu, what's the explanation? God's Spirit is working through the natural law written on that person's heart. He is saved through Christ, even though He doesn't know that Jesus rose from the dead.
I hope this help you clear things up in your understanding of Catholicism,dear friend.
I wish you a Blessed Evening!
That may be; I would simply say that any condemnation is non Biblical and equally wrong!
A person will not go to hell if he is invincibly ignorant and loves others.Many Muslims in extreme Muslim area's of the world don't know Jesus Christ and the Gospel. They haven't been presented it. So how can they reject it? They only reject a scare crow, much like anti-Catholic's who don't know Catholicism.
What is the Biblical basis for this? Jesus proclaimed quite explicitly that it was only though faith in Him that a person is saved.
It is good intentions to not want those who have never heard of Christ should not be condemned to Hell, but it is not our decision to be made; it is Christ's. Thus the only thing we can do is evangelize as best we can, to let people hear the Word of God. It is not our position to state one way or another that they are saved or condemned.
I wish you a Blessed Evening!
I hope yours, is too! Mine is still 12 hours away - the day is just getting started here in Suzhou, China. My morning ritual: get up, stretch, a few situps, a few pushups, devotions, check out FR, then breakfast...:)