In most Protestant denominations probably yes (but teach me if I’m wrong, there are so many I’m not familiar with that I may be wrong), but AFAIK, according to Catholic dogma, a person who lead a righteous life but never accepted or believed in Jesus can go to Heaven, at least since the Second Vatican Council.
Since he didnt, this is kinda like the angels dancing on the head of a pin question.
Right. Maybe some time in Purgatory.
Every once in awhile we have to remember that “Christian” is an umbreall term. The Hartford Institute catalogs more than 200 denominations that identify as “Christian” in the U.S. alone, and some 44,000 non-denominational churches that follow their own path.
Christians don’t even agree on what Heaven is - whether it’s some holy version of the Phantom Zone or an actual place; whether the people there are in the same shape they were when they died or their best physical shape or some sort of ideal in God’s eye version; much less whether a particular individual is “truly” accepting of Jesus as their Savior.
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.
I was going to ask the same thing. No one else was there to record his final words. Maybe he prayed sincerely at the end. Although i think suicide is a sin.
FWIW, “accepting Jesus as your savior” seems to be more a Protestant thing, especially among the more conservative Evangelical and Fundamentalist churches and denominations.
Catholics tend to believe that you are saved once you are baptized (which typically is done when you’re a baby), and that there is no need to make a further conscious decision to “accept Jesus.”
Soory, yes I know that. It is just my go to when arguing with my brother on the subject. No hijack intended but according to him Southern Baptists are the only true Christians. That is why it is so fun to troll him on any religion topic.
I was taught it was the greatest sin. I don’t believe in “sin” anymore though.
Because after doing that, he committed suicide, and was in no shape to confess his sins and ask forgiveness- as he was dead, In any case, he didnt. He was crazy and delusional and SURE he was right.
You’ll notice I said prior too and that I doubted he did,
Ugh. That’s disheartening. You’re all super depressed, constantly tortured by your own thoughts, perhaps even facing an objectively painful future. You can’t stand the suffering and finally end it. Good to know that even the supposedly merciful God also hates you.
Seriously, the idea that suicide is sinful is extremely harmful to people’s mental health, and I am very, very much against it.
Depression is nearly always accompanied by extreme guilt, and feeling guilty that you want to end your life is only going make that depression worse.
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.
Not since 1054, the Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox Church are not in full communion. They split during the East-West Schism in 1054 due to major disagreements over theological concepts and the authority of the Pope
Rules from the Catholic Side:
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The Catholic Church recognizes Eastern Orthodox sacraments and holy orders as valid.
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Under Catholic canon law, a Catholic may receive communion from an Orthodox priest in urgent or exceptional circumstances (such as danger of death or severe persecution) if no Catholic priest is available.
Rules from the Orthodox Side:
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The Eastern Orthodox Church strictly prohibits its members from taking communion in Catholic churches.
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Orthodox churches generally do not permit Catholics to receive the Eucharist in their services, viewing communion as an expression of total unity in faith and church membership.
Disagreements ( the key reasons why)
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Papal Authority: Catholics believe the Pope has supreme power over all churches. Orthodox Christians view the Pope as “first among equals” without ruling authority over other bishops.
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The Filioque: Catholics say the Holy Spirit comes from the Father and the Son. Orthodox Christians maintain the Holy Spirit comes only from the Father.
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Purgatory: Catholics believe in a place of cleansing before heaven. Orthodox Christians reject the concept of purgatory but pray for the dead.
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Papal Infallibility: Catholics believe the Pope cannot err when defining doctrine. Orthodox Christians believe only the whole Church, acting in council, is infallible.
When you look into the Filioque, it seems that the whole thing is traced back to a different on textual translation, the West is using Latin a language which is more legalistic than the Greek that the Eastern Orthodox Church uses which has more of a philosophical nuance than the Latin… at least that’s the way it was explained to me by my Jesuit uncle.
To which church are you referring? “The Eastern Orthodox Church” is not a defined entity. There are many different Eastern Orthodox Churches, each with its own rules. Some hold the views that you describe, and some do not.
Constantinople, Russian Orthodox Church, Greek Orthodox Church, Romanian Orthodox Church, Antioch Orthodox Church, Serbian Orthodox Church.
Do Roman Catholics actually believe these two things?
IME, generally speaking, most Catholics – at least, those who actually paid attention in catechism class, and who are more than “Christmas & Easter” Catholics – really do believe in Purgatory, even though it is never mentioned in the Bible.
Papal infallibility is something that most Catholics probably don’t think about or talk about much, but it’s something that those who understand their church’s teachings would agree is true, as it’s Catholic dogma.
Bear in mind that infallibility does not apply to every single thing that the Pope says or does: it only applies when he is speaking ex cathedra:
Thank you for clarifying the second point.
You are welcome! I grew up Catholic, and though I’m no longer in that church, it’s all still stuck in my brain.
Which is rare. Last one was likely 1950 when Pope Pius XII defined the dogma of the “Assumption of Our Lady” into heaven.
And now, Catholic Priests can be married- under certain circumstances. like if a Byzantine or Maronite Catholic priest is married before ordination.