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to be honest, this DID come up.... he felt that there was no Hell, in some sort of way, that even if you were sorry for your sins after dying, you would go to heaven.

Now, we had that talk, where I asked, “well, what about someone who repents, not out of true regret, but only for the purpose of going to heaven?” “for selfish reasons?”

I remember this conversation, not word for word, but I do remember him telling me “that was OK, you just had to “say you were sorry”.

I asked “what if you said you were sorry, but had all intentions of committing the same thing again? Like killing someone or robbing someone?”

His explanation was that people like that have a mental disorder, and are not accountable for their actions...

Now, this got even further... so, as one would, I said something along the lines that “repeat offenders are mentally ill and deserve to go to heaven?”

His general stance was that those who do not repent are mentally ill, and Jesus accepts everyone who is incapable of clear thought, sort of like how if a drunk person or someone strung out on drugs might kill someone, they will go to heaven as well because they are mentally not in the right state of mind.

I happen to not agree with that sentiment. Maybe many Christians do. I don’t know.

He would find bible passages that would affirm his belief, that there really was no accountability for your actions in life, just so long as you said “ok, I’m sorry”, and not even before death, but you somehow got some sort of mulligan in the after life.

It is a weird sort of theology he has.

Now, I’m not a dedicated Catholic for decades (my wife is though), I’m pretty agnostic now in my old age, but I just don’t agree with his views at all. I personally think there is a responsibility for your your actions on earth, you WILL answer to God for your actions. There will be judgement.

I guess I’m kind of old in my thinking.