Pope says atheists can do good and go to heaven

[Zguy28]

Pope Francis says atheists can do good and go to heaven too!

Pope Francis says atheists can do good and go to heaven too! - Living Faith - Home & Family - Catholic Online

LOS ANGELES, CA (Catholic Online) - The Holy Father is full of surprises, born of true and faithful humility. On Wednesday he declared that all people, not just Catholics, are redeemed through Jesus, even atheists.

However, he did emphasize there was a catch. Those people must still do good. In fact, it is in doing good that they are led to the One who is the Source of all that is good. In essence he simply restated the hope of the Church that all come to know God, through His Son Jesus Christ.

Francis based his homily on the message of Christ to his disciples taken from the Gospel of Mark. Francis delivered his message by sharing a story of a Catholic who asked a priest if atheists were saved by Christ.

"They complain," Francis said, "If he is not one of us, he cannot do good. If he is not of our party, he cannot do good." He explained that Jesus corrected them, "Do not hinder him, he says, let him do good."

The disciples, Pope Francis explained, "were a little intolerant," closed off by the idea of possessing the truth, convinced that "those who do not have the truth, cannot do good." "This was wrong... Jesus broadens the horizon." Pope Francis said, "The root of this possibility of doing good - that we all have - is in creation."

"Even them, everyone, we all have the duty to do good, Pope Francis said on Vatican Radio.

"Just do good" was his challenge, "and we'll find a meeting point."

Rest of article at link.


Curious what my Catholic friends think about this article. I think he is saying that atheists can be converted, and that doing good works causes this somehow.

 

[hotcoffee]

I'm afraid this time your Pope has confused me.... so I'll have to go read the whole story....

 

[hotcoffee]

Does the Pope mean that an atheist's works can earn them eternal life?

Does the Pope mean that an atheist can do the good thing and believe in the Father through the Son?

I read the article but I still don't get which the Pope is saying....

 

[itsbob]

I think he's saying his God is not an arrogant, narcissistic #######, and if you're a good person you'll be welcomed to heaven despite your belief or non belief in Him.

Telling God how great he is everday shouldn't be the measure of a person when it comes time... your interaction with your fellow man everday should be much more important.. unless you do believe God is an arrogant narcissistic #######..

 

[hotcoffee]

So Jesus came for nothing?

So He allowed His only son to go through all the hassle of becoming a human, going through human emotion, accused of being in league with Satan, accused of being insane, being harassed by the Temple leaders, being beaten, hung on a cross, humiliated, going through the atonement, being laid in a guarded borrowed tomb, and conquering death for no reason?

Oh.... I have a real problem with that.

There was a little girl who came over to play with my daughter. That little girl bit my daughter on the arm... horribly.... clamping down on my daughter's arm like a bull dog. Was I supposed to allow her to come back before she learned not to do that any more?

I just can't imagine that.... God destroyed cities because they wouldn't obey His Commandments. God flooded the earth and multitudes of people did die because they wouldn't obey His Commandments. God turned His chosen people over to the king of Babylon because they wouldn't obey His commandments.

I can't believe that He will allow those who snub Him or His Son into Heaven.

It's just that simple.

 

[itsbob]

So Jesus came for nothing?

So He allowed His only son to go through all the hassle of becoming a human, going through human emotion, accused of being in league with Satan, accused of being insane, being harassed by the Temple leaders, being beaten, hung on a cross, humiliated, going through the atonement, being laid in a guarded borrowed tomb, and conquering death for no reason?

Oh.... I have a real problem with that.

There was a little girl who came over to play with my daughter. That little girl bit my daughter on the arm... horribly.... clamping down on my daughter's arm like a bull dog. Was I supposed to allow her to come back before she learned not to do that any more?

I just can't imagine that.... God destroyed cities because they wouldn't obey His Commandments. God flooded the earth and multitudes of people did die because they wouldn't obey His Commandments. God turned His chosen people over to the king of Babylon because they wouldn't obey His commandments.

I can't believe that He will allow those who snub Him or His Son into Heaven.

It's just that simple.

The atheist hasn't bitten anyone... and just because he doesn't believe doesn't make him a bad person. In fact many atheists do a lot of good work, and moreso than their "christian" counterparts. Their accepting, quiet and humble unlike the idiot atheists you hear about in TV.. (IF you're an atheist why would a cross be offensive to you? It has NO meaning)... if there were a heaven, and I was allowed entry I'd much rather spend eternity with a good atheist then some Christian like Stonethrower.

 

[GURPS]

simple really;

John 14: 6

6 Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

 

[GURPS]

interesting discussion

No one comes to the Father except through me - Catholic Answers Forums

 

[PsyOps]

I think he's saying his God is not an arrogant, narcissistic #######, and if you're a good person you'll be welcomed to heaven despite your belief or non belief in Him.

Telling God how great he is everday shouldn't be the measure of a person when it comes time... your interaction with your fellow man everday should be much more important.. unless you do believe God is an arrogant narcissistic #######..

That’s pretty interesting… why would someone go to heaven that doesn’t even want to be there – especially because they don’t believe the place exists?

If you reject God, how does this translate to God being an arrogant, narcissistic #######? Why should God be expected to accept you when you've already rejected Him?

 

[onel0126]

Can't find any info on the original article. I did find this though....

http://www.catholic.org/hf/faith/story.php?id=52669

 

[onel0126]

and now there's this......a pissing match between two Catholic apologists. One defending well known Fr. Robert Barron for saying that hell might be empty and and the other calling BS

Balthasar, Universal Salvation, and Ralph Martin’s “Will Many Be Saved?” |

 

[vraiblonde]

especially because they don’t believe the place exists?

Well, there's that...

Why should God be expected to accept you when you've already rejected Him?

Well, lets see:

Prodigal son
Turning the other cheek
Casting the first stone
Jacob and Esau
etc etc etc

The God in the New Testament - not that mean guy in the OT - would absolutely welcome a kind-hearted do-gooding atheist into His kingdom. It's not enough to simply believe in God; accepting Jesus as your Savior isn't a speed-pass to the Pearly Gates. You must also walk the walk.

Satan believes in God, too, you know.

 

[vraiblonde]

and now there's this......a pissing match between two Catholic apologists. One defending well known Fr. Robert Barron for saying that hell might be empty and and the other calling BS

Balthasar, Universal Salvation, and Ralph Martin’s “Will Many Be Saved?” |

"My God is better than your God!"



It's all right there in the Bible - what seems to be the problem?

 

[GURPS]

Satan can quote Scripture ...

 

[vraiblonde]

Satan can quote Scripture ...

And probably knows it better than most of you.

 

[PsyOps]

The God in the New Testament - not that mean guy in the OT - would absolutely welcome a kind-hearted do-gooding atheist into His kingdom. It's not enough to simply believe in God; accepting Jesus as your Savior isn't a speed-pass to the Pearly Gates. You must also walk the walk.

Satan believes in God, too, you know.

I think we’re talking about two different things. You’re talking about someone that has accepted God, and through that is compelled to do good things. There I most certainly agree with you; except... I have always argued that if you accepted Christ today and died 5 minutes later, you most certainly will go to heaven having not done any good deeds afterwards.

This is not Bob. Bob may do wonderful things for other people all day long every day, but he rejects the one thing that would grant him into heaven. Why would that thing even bother to accept him?

So, Bob does all sorts of good things for people; yet when he comes to your home he, in essence, spits at you and your home; you’d welcome him in your home because of all the nice things he’s done even thought he has rejected and cursed you?

 

[vraiblonde]

So, Bob does all sorts of good things for people; yet when he comes to your home he, in essence, spits at you and your home; you’d welcome him in your home because of all the nice things he’s done even thought he has rejected and cursed you?

If Bob is terrific and his only flaw is that he disses me, I still want him on my zombie apocalypse team.

Who I *don't* want is the guy who sucks up to me, flatters me, and pretends to be my friend, when in reality he's a POS who has no positive qualities (other than that he recognizes my superiority ).

You’re talking about someone that has accepted God, and through that is compelled to do good things.

You shouldn't do good things because God compels you; you should do them from the heart even when God isn't watching. If I were God, those are the folks I'd reward, not the suck-ups who mouth empty words, looking for their gold star and pat on the head. But that's just me.

 

[Toxick]

and probably knows it better than most of you.

BOoM!

 

[itsbob]

That’s pretty interesting… why would someone go to heaven that doesn’t even want to be there – especially because they don’t believe the place exists?

If you reject God, how does this translate to God being an arrogant, narcissistic #######? Why should God be expected to accept you when you've already rejected Him?

Just because you don't believe it exists doesn't mean you wouldn't want to spend eternity there if it does.

Is God going to punish a GOOD atheist for all time and eternity because he made an error that he deisgned us to make?

Good deeds, and good people exist in all shapes sizes colors and religions.. why should heaven not be tolerant of all and base entry solely on the peraon you were?

 

[PsyOps]

Just because you don't believe it exists doesn't mean you wouldn't want to spend eternity there if it does.

Is God going to punish a GOOD atheist for all time and eternity because he made an error that he deisgned us to make?

Good deeds, and good people exist in all shapes sizes colors and religions.. why should heaven not be tolerant of all and base entry solely on the peraon you were?

You don’t believe God exists, but just in case He does, you want a freebie in.

Life on earth doesn’t even work that way. You can’t have it both ways. You can’t claim you’re a conservative, against entitlements and big spending, until it comes time for you to collect then suddenly it’s okay.

Aside from that… I didn’t make the rules, God did. God demands that you accept Him or you don’t get in. You can do all the great things in the world, but if you reject Him, you’re out. Again, why should He accept you when you’ve rejected Him?

The premise for getting in is not doing things; it's accepting God. All the other 'good things' you do should be automatic.