# Questions for Christians **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [May 7, 2026, 1:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-for-christians/1029875 "2026-05-07T01:29:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 9
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2026, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-for-christians/1029875/161 "2026-08-20T18:00:52Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > And now, Catholic Priests can be married- under certain circumstances. like if a Byzantine or Maronite Catholic priest is married before ordination. And, married Anglican/Episcopalian priests can become Roman Catholic priests, though they must be re-ordained in the Catholic Church. [https://uscatholic.org/articles/201207/how-i-met-your-father-married-episcopalians-becoming-catholic-priests/](https://uscatholic.org/articles/201207/how-i-met-your-father-married-episcopalians-becoming-catholic-priests/) ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2026, 2:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-for-christians/1029875/162 "2026-08-24T02:49:17Z")
> [@puzzlegal](#): > > The idea that the supposedly merciful God hates anyone is problematic. I mean, maybe a little purgatory is okay, but the idea that any finite failing on the part of a finite human being can result in infinite punishment strikes me as really messed up. I don’t disagree on that at all. I’m very much not an eternal punishment type of Christian. And I am fully aware of the harms that that certain doctrines held by various Christians have caused. (My own anxiety disorder was probably worsened by the ones I grew up with.) I just have a strong objection to anyone saying that suicide is a sin\[1\], regardless of their religion. I think that causes harm above and beyond whatever other problems may be present, for the reasons stated in the rest of my post. * * * 1. or whatever word they want to use ---
**Author:** ![doreen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/858c86/32.png) [@doreen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doreen)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2026, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-for-christians/1029875/163 "2026-08-24T17:53:02Z")
Maybe. According to the Catholic church, a mortal sin has three conditions. Grave matter, full knowledge of the gravity of the act and full and free consent. Suicide meets the first condition, but it rarely will meet the latter two. Regardless of what the Catholic Church may have taught in the past, the current teaching is > We should not despair of the eternal salvation of persons who have taken their own lives. By ways known to him alone, God can provide the opportunity for salutary repentance. The Church prays for persons who have taken their own lives. ( Catechism of the Catholic Church paragraph 2283) ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2026, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-for-christians/1029875/164 "2026-08-25T02:52:24Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > I just have a strong objection to anyone saying that suicide is a sin I am not a Christian. I am not asserting that i believe suicide is a sin. I am saying that my understanding of Christian teachings is that attitude is a sin. You aren’t supposed to kill yourself under Jewish doctrine, but the reason is that you are made in God’s image and to respect God you need to care for your health and your body. I suppose that also lays guilt on the depressed, but it doesn’t suggest that God will hate you for doing it. When medical aid in dying was in the ballot in my state my temple held a discussion about it on Yom Kippur, and there were plenty of people arguing in favor. ---
**Author:** ![Leftpopulist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ee7513/32.png) [@Leftpopulist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leftpopulist)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2026, 6:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-for-christians/1029875/165 "2026-11-03T06:54:04Z")
> [@puzzlegal](#): > > Jewish theology says that Satan is one of God’s servants, and that angels do not have free will. So the Bible can’t be too explicit about angels disobeying God. Muslims believe angels only serve God, but JINN have free will. Shaitan, or Iblis, is not an angel but a jinn – an angel could not choose to rebel. ---
**Author:** ![Leftpopulist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ee7513/32.png) [@Leftpopulist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leftpopulist)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2026, 6:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-for-christians/1029875/166 "2026-11-03T06:55:08Z")
> [@Dallas\_Jones](#): > > Catholics and Christians are no where near the same group of people I am not even sure Catholics are Christians, don’t put them into the same pile because they do not belong together. > > Separate Catholics from Christians and ask your questions again. Catholics are part of an old para-military Roman ruling class ruled be the Pope, he is almost powerless now but it wan’t always that way, he was a strong ruler in the Roman Empire and it is still all about power to tell people what to do and not about God at all. Paging Jack Chick! ---
**Author:** ![Leftpopulist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ee7513/32.png) [@Leftpopulist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leftpopulist)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2026, 7:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-for-christians/1029875/167 "2026-11-03T07:09:15Z")
> [@rsat3acr](#): > > How would one know that Hitler, raised a Catholic, did not accept Jesus as his savior, confess his sins and ask forgiveness prior to biting the cyanide and pulling the trigger? FWIIW, I doubt he did. Then shooting himself would still damn him – isn’t that Catholic doctrine? ---
**Author:** ![doreen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/858c86/32.png) [@doreen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doreen)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2026, 1:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-for-christians/1029875/168 "2026-11-03T13:48:28Z")
Yes and no. The Church still teaches that it’s a mortal sin - but in order for something to be a mortal sin, there are three requirements. It must involve a grave matter, and it must be done with full knowledge, and complete consent of the will - which the church now acknowledges may be affected by depression, fear etc. And just like no one knows if someone repented at the last second, no one truly knows the state of someone else’s mind. ---
**Author:** ![zimaane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/a3d4f5/32.png) [@zimaane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zimaane)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2026, 2:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-for-christians/1029875/169 "2026-11-04T02:39:42Z")
Not necessary. See Doreen’s post a few notches above. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2026, 4:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-for-christians/1029875/170 "2026-11-04T04:13:42Z")
Also, the modern Church’s teaching on purgatory is extremely vague: Basically, Purgatory exists, Heaven is far preferable to Purgatory, souls in Purgatory will eventually reach Heaven, and the prayers of those on Earth can help those in Purgatory. Everything beyond that is speculation. It might be fiery torture, it might be a moment of blinding realization of all of the evil we’ve done in our lives, it might be like a stay in a hospital. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2026, 9:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-for-christians/1029875/171 "2026-11-04T09:21:35Z")
The concept of purgatory has a weird hold on popular culture, too. Two relatively recent TV shows that dealt with issues of life and death, heaven and hell - _The Good Place_ and _Lucifer_ - ended by “inventing” their own forms of purgatory, which in both cases strongly resembled psychotherapy. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-for-christians/1029875.md?page=8)