"Pope Francis rocked some religious and atheist minds today when he declared that everyone was redeemed through Jesus, including atheists."

Looks like there's hope for us yet!

Source.

Standard?

woo-hoo! eternal party time!

Does being Catholic at least give you some sort of edge? If not why bother?

Love of God

In b4 mouth breathing evangelicals claim that Catholics aren't real Christians-further proof.

How would he know? Does he have something like a Bat Phone to God?

Exactly what I was thinking. Way to shoot yourself in the foot, popes of the past (particularly the Inquisition period) must be spinning in their impressive mausoleums.

However, since I think he's completely deluded (even though deluded doesn't mean what I think it means) he can say what he likes and it means nothing to me. Oh Vienna.

It seems to me is actually saying "atheists are not unable to do good, so let us at least agree to do good together", more so than commenting on salvation. Maybe I lack the full picture.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anonymous_Christian

+

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dominus_Iesus

=

The essence is selflessness, whether cognized or not. We are all born into a nation, race, clan, even religion and each can offer something virtuous to our fellow man. The GENERIC doesn't speak to the individual man nor is looking at any man in the GENERIC sense seeing the real being of the individual.

Somewhere in the New Testament there is the apparent war of sons against Father, Mother against daughter in law, etc..Its not a call to war with our families, each and individually. but a prophetic notion of the breakdown of the old, the GENERIC, that is of clan, nation, race, etc.. and the entrance of the individual into a New Earth, transformed into the Planet of Love, in Freedom through Christ.

Again, I'll repeat,its time to come to the understanding of reincarnation and karma for none of this happens without each individual man gaining capabilities within each nation, race, clan,... from life to life. Coming to grips with reincarnation and karma necessitates seeing man as a spirit/soul being and that's a good start for this knowledge is prior knowledge of the heavenly/spiritual world which one travels through after death until the next life.

At the end of times, "The New Earth", or Planet of Love, reincarnation will be no more as we will have "overcome" death.

Sorry for the lecture but context is important to me as I rather not "throw things out there" but I have , anyway, haven't I?

Next time a Catholic mentions Pascal's wager, it may be appropriate to remind him that he's already free-rolling with a Catholic God, so he'd be better off switching to another religion to give him 2 lottery tickets instead of just 1.

They took it back, atheists still condemned to hell regardless of good works

I really like this Pope, and I definitely consider myself evangelical. I'm not the only one, either. Just yesterday I read a statement by Kenneth Copeland saying that Pope Francis was "hand-picked by the Lord Jesus Himself." Many in the charismatic/pentecostal set are actually excited about this Pope too, as he seems to come from a background of believing in faith and miracles (see his 'exorcism' the other day), as well as seems to be a uniter who is going to work with evangelical and charismatic churches.

You should look into the "grace movement" happening in the evangelical sphere. Much of it started with Joseph Prince.

You've been clamoring for something like this for years. Now you're shifting to an "edge" issue. If there is an "edge" being Catholic you'll complain that's unfair for those unable to believe things without evidence. On the other hand, if there is no "edge" being Catholic you'll claim there's no reason to bother being Catholic.

There may be no "edge" being Catholic. Yet for many people the religion may resonate and evoke experiences of spiritual truths including the experience of a spirit of faith which does not involve belief in things without evidence but rather is a kind of faith that sustains them in the living of their lives. So for such people, being Catholic is no bother at all. Just the opposite.


PairTheBoard

Maybe, for others though: http://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/13...sects-1335266/

Well yea, it would help if Pope Francis came out and added that one of the ways of "doing good" is to have great sex at every opportunity possible. Might have to wait for the first woman Pope for that.

PairTheBoard

^+1

I think Pope Francis is going to do many great things for the world , specifically for impoverished populations

Go Pope Francis

I made a pretty extensive post a few years back explaining why an atheist who lives her life in the spirit of the Gospel is a strong favorite for eternal salvation over a nominal Christian whose actions are continually, gravely at odds with the Gospel's message:

http://archives1.twoplustwo.com/show...fpart=all&vc=1

Seems like the Pope is making essentially the same argument.

It is not who I am underneath, but what I do that defines me.

i have always been of the opinion that an atheist who devotes his or her life to doing good is far more godly and in tune with christ's message than a christian who "believes" (or even just pays lip service) and doesn't do a whole lot about it.

"Vatican Confirms Atheists Still Going To Hell"

http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2013...?utm_hp_ref=uk

From Link:
a Vatican spokesman, saying that people who know about the Catholic church “cannot be saved” if they “refuse to enter her or remain in her.”
------------------


Evidently they've been reading this thread and decided to hold on to their edge by offering a lifetime of sex with the Catholic Church.


PTB

So.. we're redoomed?