I have read what the Pope said and did not see where he said that his statement applied to those people with a complete conception of God and still chose to ignore Him.
I believe he was referring to people who for various and sundry reasons were “invincibly ignorant”. And those who are invincibly ignorant have always been thought to be able to get to heaven. In a nutshell they lived Christlike lives and so could be considered to have arrived in heaven or journeyed back to the Father through Christ unaware.
If you did read the letter or interview and it stated what you said in your first paragraph,I would like to see it because it would make a considerable difference in my estimation of the Pope. Thank you.
“You ask me if the God of the Christians forgives those who don’t believe and who don’t seek the faith. I start by saying – and this is the fundamental thing – that God’s mercy has no limits if you go to him with a sincere and contrite heart. The issue for those who do not believe in God is to obey their conscience.
“Sin, even for those who have no faith, exists when people disobey their conscience.”
The pope specifically says .”those who do not BELIEVE in God”. The pope does not say ,”those who are ignorant of God”. How can they not believe if they don't know who he is?
If someone asked you any kind of question about someone you were ‘invincibly ignorant’ (you state that as though it has some scriptural background. where did you get that?) of, what would be your reply? You probably would say something like, “I have no idea who he/she is, so I don't know”. You wouldn't come out and flatly say, “ I don't believe him/her?
How about this line from the ‘pope’ for a cherry on the sundae?
“Sin, even for those who have no faith, exists when people disobey their conscience.”
This guy's nuts and this is the kind of comment you get from a clueless teenager. Thousands of murderer's, rapists, abortionists, etc. have no problem with their conscience relative to their crimes. Does that mean they didn't sin? This ‘pope’ seems to think so. Please run, no sprint, in the opposite direction from this guy.
So let me get this straight. Catholics believe that anyone who has never heard of Christ and know nothing of God but live what Catholics would call “good lives” are going to heaven. Right?
Then Christ teaches, and Catholics believe, that they should go out to teach the world about Jesus. Right>
So now you have people who would have gone to heaven who refuse to believe in this Jesus guy because they have been good anyway and are now going to hell because they didn’t believe and become a Catholic. Am I getting this right so far?