So the sequence of events is looking like this.
Pope Francis says something. —> The media promptly misinterprets it. —> Vatican corrects the media.
—>Media misinterprets the Vatican.
Same old dog and pony show by the drive by!
1. He died for all. All. All.
2. Many don’t care about (1), don’t believe it, don’t want Him, don’t think they need Him.
3. Nobody is conceived caring about (1). He changes unbelievers into believers through the bare pronouncement of (1) and all the facts (Scripture) around it.
4. Comparatively few have heard (1) without any added, man-made error, such as: you have to do extra stuff on top of Christ’s perfect work; He didn’t really die for all; you have to make a decision as though a dead person can wake himself up. Christians care about this (4) and thus try to get the word out, sometimes at their own peril and certainly in the face of mocking.
5. Since His Word (Scripture) is present in all of the Christian churches that teach the above man-made errors, there are Christians in all of those groups. God’s Word and Holy Spirit overcome the errors in spite of, not due to, their added, man-made doctrines. This does not excuse or erase the bad man made teaching; it’s still there and causes massive harm (refer to the arguments already on this page).
6. He does indeed choose us to be saved and go to heaven. He does not predetermine that anyone go to the other place. That is not His will. See (1). He died for All. He spilled His Holy innocent precious blood for all on the cross. He (Jesus) is God and Man. He will come again.
This is Irish journalism at its best. The writer is being willfully obtuse in pretending not to know that papal infallibility is limited to very rare and specific pronouncements, not every sermon or talk the Pope ever gives. And this writer, who would have heard many times growing up that Jesus died to save sinners, is pretending that he never learned that those same sinners have to repent and believe to be saved.
Cormac Murphy-O’Connor Responsible for Tony Blair’s Catholic Instruction
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/3024201/posts?page=31#31
Cormac Murphy-O’Connor - Immigrants, Athiests, Ecumenism
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cormac_Murphy-O%27Connor
Janus was a two faced god.
Atheists who accept Christ will be redeemed like any other sinner.
Atheists who accept Christ will be redeemed like any other sinner.
This is a severe case of compound bad reporting.
This Catholic bashing article calls the Pope “infallible”, as though the term is supposed to mean he can’t make a math or spelling error.
The original article also mischaracterized the Pope’s words and meaning, which is why the follow-up explanation was provided.
The Pope’s ordinal statement, while accurate, was also not presented “Ex-Cathedra”, which is the nature of an “infallible statement”.
Atheists sure are skittish about the "nonexistent" hell, aren't they?
Who is surprised that a populist / liberationist priest from South America should hold such a malleable theology that even the directly-spoken words of Christ are ignored? That Francis I deviates from established doctrine of the Roman church is the small story here; the headline is his direct contradiction of foundational Scripture which is the basis of Christian faith.
In Romans 4:3, Paul quoted Genesis when he said "Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness." Just as Old Testament saints believed in the promised perfect Lamb that was yet to come, New Testament believers are saved by their belief in the accomplished life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, the Son of God who did what no mortal man could do - by paying the just penalty of death for those who believe in Him. As Paul wrote in Romans 3:22, "This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe..." And even that faith itself is a gift, as Paul instructed in Ephesians 2:8: "For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God."
These are scriptural essentials of Biblical Christianity, given from the highest source of authority. No institution of men is superior or even equal to the Word of God, so we must beware when any man or institution contradicts it. Given that much of the non-Christian world believes the bishop of Rome speaks for all Christians, the reign of Francis I looks to be a rocky ride of contradiction and compromise. This is a troubling sign when the West is just beginning to face the coming battle for its existence.
The Pope is right. The redemption is universal. The value of the sacrifice on Calvary is much more than the cost of all the sin of all the people of all time. As Paul put it, “God commends His love toward us in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us.” And as the Apostle John said, “He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.”
It’s the terms of the redemption that are significant: “whoever believes in Him shall have everlasting life.”
As old freeper, DrSteveJ (IIRC) used to say (and I paraphrase): “I can tell you I bought you a plane ticket to Hawaii, and that it’s at the counter waiting for you. If you don’t believe me and go board your flight, then you did not avail yourself of that flight to the island paradise.”
The Pope will probably have to correct the Vatican.
IBSHFOS (In Before Snake Handler From Outer Space!)
As St. Paul wrote God desires that all accept His grace. It's also a fact that many exercise free will and reject that grace.
"I desire therefore, first of all, that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all men: For kings, and for all that are in high station: that we may lead a quiet and a peaceable life in all piety and chastity. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour, Who will have all men to be saved, and to come to the knowledge of the truth." 1 Timothy 2:1-4
Certainly does...For a mere Vatican official having to correct the Vicar of Christ, God's man on Earth over a doctrinal issue is a huge blunder...Maybe the smarter Catholics will finally wake up...
But we were told, by several FRoman Catholics, the pope really didn’t say that!
They’re both right. Anyone who is saved, is saved by Christ’s redemptive death. But not everyone who is redeemed is saved. We can turn our backs on Christ.
Those who know that the Catholic Church is Christ’s Church, yet refuse to enter it, will be damned. However, it is possible for those who are ignorant of Christ’s Church to be saved, if their ignorance is not their fault.
Thus it is possible for atheists to be saved —and by Christ’s redemptive death.
translation: not giving money to church means no paradise.