[John O]

However. The Pope's point was, we are all commanded to do good and avoid evil, and, lo and behold, we meet each other by doing good and avoiding evil. The point of "meeting" can be the point of "conversion." Eyes are opened. Hearts are opened. The soul, under the influence of Grace, acknowledges the need for Grace. And the Good Lord enters in.

That's what Pope Francis was telling the atheists.

Possibly, but that's not how it read to me.

Not that they or anybody else has a "Get Out Of Hell Free" card,

I've got a get out of hell free card! Jesus paid for it on the cross and gave it to me. All I had to do was accept His sacrifice as payment (atonement) for my sins. EVERYONE else can get the every same card in the very same way. IN fact, that is the ONLY way to get out of hell. God is so good to us.

[piusv]

He's even said that atheists, if we lead a good life, aren't necessarily going to hell.

Whether the Pope meant this or not is irrelevant. The issue is that MANY people took his words this way (Catholic and non-Catholic alike), not just the atheist author of this piece. We can sit here and say well, that's the problem of those who misunderstood him. Or we can say that perhaps the Pope needs to make sure that he is CLEAR when he talks about Heaven/Hell and atheists in the same homily. Those topics are way too important to cause confusion in the minds of anyone.

[Mrs. Don-o]

True. So how are these atheists going to come to know Jesus. By reading the Gideon Bible in a hotel room? Not likely, esp. if the motel has cable. By wandering into a Bible Church by accident? Even less likely. By being involved in something where he meets committed Christians? Much more likely.

Two atheists I know who have become Christians, did so because of their involvement in thinks like special ed for handicapped kids, "first responder" volunteer groups for disaster relief, and plain old ordinary soup kitchen.

So it makes sense to invite atheists to be involved in good works, not because they can "earn" their way to heaven (that's impossible) but because they may meet people who know about the Source of all good.