If you do interview Jesse Romero please ask him to pray the Our Father in Latin. I heard him once and it sounded amazing. It sounded like an exorcist praying.
The answer given by Fr. Boniface is contrary to the dogmatic definition on Faith, that one must believe in God as an absolutely necessary condition to have faith. However, without belief in God, you can't have faith, and without faith you can't enter heaven (Heb 11:6)
I share with you the concern about the watering down of the faith in general, but I don't think this is one case of that. He's actually stating the dogma about salvation, just without using the technical jargon (invincible ignorance and all that) and finishing with an invitation of seeking God further. I think is a rather good answer to a person asking that kind of question.
@@GustavoAndresHerrera invincible ignorance doesnt apply to atheists (i.e., those who positively reject God's existence). See Romans 1:18-20 and the definition of Vatican I: “If anyone says that divine faith is not to be distinguished from natural knowledge about God and moral matters, and consequently that for divine faith it is not required that revealed truth should be believed because of the authority of God who reveals it: let him be anathema.”
It doesn't if you persist, no, I know. But think about this specific case we're talking about: whoever asked the question is watching Matt Fradd videos and worried about his eternal damnation if he's wrong about it. We've good reasons then to believe he IS searching, and the best thing to do is to encourage him in his search. In that context I think the response is appropriate: "God is merciful, but look harder, don't rely on your dumb luck".
@@GustavoAndresHerrera the answer given is still false. it presupposes that a lack of faith in God is compatible with salvation. If you die as an atheist or agnostic, you certainly will not be saved because as St. Paul argues, they suppress the knowledge of truth through their own malice.
Actually, for the majority of Atheists who still fear Hell is because it's an irrational fear that is a leftover from a heavily indoctrinatied childhood.
@@Morgan-kn6xb Sorry I don't have clever comments just evidence to support my statement. www.atheist-faq.com/are-you-afraid-of-going-to-hell www.patheos.com/blogs/godlessmom/2020/02/yes-there-are-atheists-who-still-fear-hell/
@@username82765 People like him don't recognize the inherent ablism in their beliefs. The (fictitous) concept of Hell can be very stressful even to those who do not believe in it, especially if they have OCD or other disorders, like I do.
He didn’t answer the question. And atheists will use that against him and other Christians. Please, take a stand for the Gospel. Hell isn’t a comfortable or nice topic, but atheists and non-believers need to hear the truth of where people go after death when they don’t believe in Jesus as Saviour.
Atheists won't use it against him because the majority of us don't believe in Hell anymore then the rest of Christianity's claims. and all the Atheists I know of that are worried about Hell came from a heavily indoctrinatied childhood that can be difficult to move pass even if you don't believe anymore. Also, many God/s beliefs have a "Hell' NOT just Christianity. So why would we be concerned about any one particular faith's "Hell" and NOT all the others?
@@username82765 when presenting our Faith, we can’t water it down, irrespective of what conclusion an atheist comes to. The priest in this video should have answered the question plainly, but with respect and compassion. He is respectful and compassionate, but simply didn’t answer if atheists go to hell or not. Since Jesus died for our sins, He did so in order to save us from hell. Why be born of a virgin, preach a message of repentance, be executed, if those who don’t believe go to heaven?
@@guygibson4 Ironically you're pointing out one of the biggest reasons I am convinced the Christian does not exist. Christians can't agree on a single interpretation of the Bible. Yet flawed humans is the only way to learn about Jesus Christ. That means if this God existed either this is what he wants to happen or he does not have unlimited power and knowledge. Both answers disprove the God claim of the Bible. Let me for warn you. If you agree God as unlimited Knowledge and Power. Any explanation will have to answer one question to even be consider it. "Does this explanation require this God to have limitations?"
@@username82765 I'm assuming you're not familiar with Matt's channel, but Pints With Aquinas is a Catholic apostolate. We're not precisely relativists: there is One Church, and True Doctrine is whatever the Roman Catholic Chuch has said on matters of Faith and Morals. The problem schism, heresy or simple intellectual error is nothing but a corollary of the Existence of evil, and the existence of Evil doesn't prove that God wills it, or that He doesn't have the power to stop it. I understand you were foreseeing a certain kind of answer that would imply God has limitations. As a former atheist, I can imagine what your point could be, but rather than making a straw man out of an hipotetical objection, I'd like you to elaborate on your last comment, because I'm not following you. How does what you said disprove the existence of an omniscient and onmnipotent God? The fact that men err, follow false religions or reject God altogether doesn't imply He is limited.
There’s a difference between having doubts and choosing to doubt. Everyone experiences feelings and thoughts of doubt. But what do you do as soon as you’re aware of those thoughts and feelings? Do you choose to entertain it? Do you go along with them? If you do, it’s a sin against the supernatural virtue. No, It’s not OK, like so many people I’ve heard say. Yea, the saints “had doubts”, but they also fought them! You hardly ever hear that second part! When you have been given the gift of Supernatural Faith, you have a moral obligation to guard that gift, and not to give into those temptations.
Well said! Fight the doubts. Pray for grace. There is enough grace and information to be compelling to choose God. If you are asking this type of question, you need to choose God and go from there.
IDK: I tried being an atheist for a week... It didn't stick. I've always believed in God even when I didn't know him. So, I don't know how to talk to athiests because I've never been one. I just wish you could see what I see.
You dont try being an atheist you are 1 or your not 1. Your not trying out a car prior to buying it. I am an Atheist I do not believe, never have believed and never will believe. I've been sent to Catholic Schools, mass all of it. I rejected it my whole life and will reject it till the day I die
You believe in something that has no real proof i was raised a Christian but have fallen away from religion the older i get hell is just a scare tactic to make you believe
@@liamodonovan6610 I wasn't a believer so Hell was never in my journey to belief.(hope that made sense) I didn't believe in Hell so there was nothing to be afraid of. And if I was convinced that Christianity being false, then I would think I wouldn't be afraid of Hell then either I think Hell can be used as a scare tactic but to put it as a blanket statement is... well, foolish
I was an atheist, and I don't even waste my time with them. Atheism is mostly an emotive response. Trying to deal rationally with them most often doesn't work. When they want a relationship with God, they'll find Him.
@@liamodonovan6610 Why would you risk hell, if there is no God then its just black after death and if he exist then, well eternal fire(just imagine billions and billions od years passing and you are still there burning and being tortured). I pray for you this night my friend.
Yes but outside of Christ doesn't necessarily mean those who don't explicitely believe in Christ. You can fail to believe explicitely in Christ or God but still be saved if you have an implicit faith in God.
Christ is ALWAYS the one who saves. YES! However, He is just and merciful. I personally do not believe our God shall condemn a person to Hell if they were truly unable to get to know Him. Also the Church teaches about such things as invincible ignorance
@Harry Waddington Implicit faith need not require indifferentism. Even if they are not saved by the explicit declaration of faith, they still may be saved by Christ through the graces mediated by the Church. God is just, and does not judge all in precisely the same way (insofar as all do not have the same knowledge and consequent culpability for their actions). It is not a matter of faith to believe that every individual who does not explicitly declare belief in Christ through words is necessarily damned, although we certainly may not presume that they are saved, and are thus required to evangelize with the same level of urgency. Hope this helps
@@betsybattles2696 After a man finishes beating his wife he shouts "look what you made me do!" Your God does the same thing, except the beating is infinitely worse
Salvation is open to all but it is still up to the individual with their free will to chose the path to eternity, as long as we are still on this earth it is never too late.
Why does believing in Jesus lead you to eternal salvation? I think I’d rather have eternal damnation rather than believe in something I don’t want to. I am a Buddhist and we don’t have god.
Unfortunately what he fears is exactly what is going to happen. No if and or buts about it, of u leave this earth without him you will definitely, enter the next separate and without him aswell. That's why they say to get right b4 it's too late. You only have the rest of your life, whenever that may be.
Well, according to some catholics which i spoke with, there is in fact a way atheists can go to heaven, and that is the purgatory. According to a Italian blessed called Edvige Carboni, Mussolini's soul would have entered heaven, even though he was an atheist
But, in general, bible qualifies "unbelievers" as sentenced to a godless afterlife, but it also states a lot of other things related to hell, "hell" corresponds a translation for four other words and we dont know exactly what it is...
True, Christianity is so watered down - that some “Christians” do not even believe in the devil or hell. They do not realize the dangers their soul faces. Sr. Lucia -"If men only know what awaits them in eternity, they would do everything in their power to amend their lives" St. Catherine of Siena was permitted by God to see the beauty of a soul in the state of grace. Blessed Raymond, her confessor, asked her to describe to him, as far as she was able, the beauty of the soul she had seen. ” My father,” she answered. “I cannot find anything in this world that can give you the smallest idea of what I have seen. Oh, if you could but see the beauty of a soul in the state of grace, you would sacrifice your life a thousand times for its salvation. I asked the angel who was with me what had made that soul so beautiful, and he answered me, “It is the image and likeness of God in that soul, and the Divine Grace which made it so beautiful.”
Please pray for me & my family. Please pray for reconciliation and for my conversion. If you all can please offer your Holy Communions and Holy masses for me. Trying to shake evil ways and life is like trying to carry gigantic boulders for miles without resting. I ask our Blessed Mother for the gifts of the Holy Ghost. Mother Mary, help me. I am so desperate. Jesus, don't leave. St. Michael, fight for me. I know I'm not worth much. But I still a soul. Amen.🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏
The questioner did not ask, "What do I do if I have a reasonable degree of uncertainty?". The question was "What will happen to me if I die, sincerely, not believing?" So this answer is merely ducking the question. "God will probably torture you for ever" makes Him sound like a monster, I guess.
-"In this clip, Fr. Boniface answers the question, 'Will an atheist go to hell?' He doesn't though. He says he _hopes_ Doublebass won't go to hell. But that doesn't tell us if they will or won't go to hell. Fr. Boniface's hopes and wishes are compatible with either outcome. He can hope that Doublebass won't go to hell and still be confident that they will, just like I can be virtually certain that I won't win the lottery but hope that I will. There's a difference between giving a sensitive and nuanced answer and giving a politician's answer. I'm afraid this is the latter.
Reality is that we don't know who goes to heaven and who doesn't. The only ones we as catholics can be 100% sure about are the saints, as for everyone else we don't know what their fate is (we don't even know about our own fate).
@@illyrian9976 Let’s say God came to you and said “Illyrian, I want to make you a wager. There’s a random person I want to ask you about. I won’t tell you anything about this person other than they are currently an atheist. Do you think this person will go to Heaven or Hell if they die right now? Being God, I of course know the answer. If you choose the correct answer, then you will join me in Heaven. If you choose the wrong answer however, then you will suffer in Hell forever. Your eternal salvation is on the line.” What would you choose? Are you going to bet for or against this atheist going to Heaven?
@@samuelstephens6904 God is not a trickster, why would he do such a thing? The God you described here sounds more like a petty pagan God like Loki. Our christian God has revealed himself to us in the form of Jesus Christ, and by seeing his actions and hearing his speeches I can come to the conclussion that God wants all the people to be saved (but still respects their free will and lets them reject him if they so wish). How would I know if this atheist actively rejected Christ or was just ignorant of him? How do I know if that atheist was living with the ideal of Love and Goodness as his motivation? Yes, it is very likely that many atheists, especialy in the west, actively reject and even hate God and Christ, but I also know that there are millions of "atheists" in places like China or North Korea who never had a true chance given to them. I myself come from Albania, a country where atheism was state enforced and owning a Bible would be punished with 5 years of brutal prison time. Many people who grew up during our time of communism grew up learning that Religion is evil and used to oppress the working classes, only to see the truth after the fall of the evil regime. But sadly many died before ever having been given the chance. So that is why I don't see the issue as black and white as you do (without trying to demean you in any way, I'm sure your perspective can also help me see clearer).
@@illyrian9976 So many words to not answer one simple question. -"God is not a trickster, why would he do such a thing?" It's a thought experiment Illyrian. You don't have to take the framing of it so seriously. Just play along. -"How would I know if this atheist actively rejected Christ or was just ignorant of him? How do I know if that atheist was living with the ideal of Love and Goodness as his motivation?" You don't. All you know about this person is that he/she/they are an atheist. That's it. -"but I also know that there are millions of "atheists" in places like China or North Korea who never had a true chance given to them." I don't really count them as atheists, and neither do you judging by the quotations marks you put around the word "atheist." How about we modify the thought experiment slightly by saying this atheist is a former Christian or was brought up in the faith. So now all you know about this person is that he/she/they was once a Christian and is now an atheist. How are you going to bet? Is this person going to Heaven or Hell? Your eternal salvation is at stake!
@@samuelstephens6904 Okay, I will entertain this idea and say in this case, the chance is pretty high for that person to be in Hell, since he actively refused God, considering that he was an ex-Christian.
@@konyvnyelv. As an Atheist Heaven does sound horrible. Think about it. If the Catholic Heaven is real, then you will spend every second of every month, year, decade , century and millennium doing the exact same thing, worshipping God.
@@renariwoods9014 your comment proves why Heaven isn't great. As I understand it in Heaven you spend every moment of everyday for TRILLIONS upon TRILLIONS of years worshipping God because you'll no longer need food, sleep or restroom breaks. However, today when you had some free did you spend every moment of it worshipping God? No. You went on UA-cam. If you can't give your entire free time today to worshipping God, you can't expect me to believe you'd be happy giving every moment to the end of time itself.
@Username Don’t forget we live in a fallen, broken, sinful world, where the default of our flesh is to rebel against God, aka sin. Thus, it’s a constant challenge to always love, but with God all things are possible, but ONLY if we are accepting His grace. Hopefully that helps you understand.
This was an interesting watch as an evangelical Protestant who has recently struggled with doubts related to atheism. Matt's point about applying Pascal's wager properly is a good one. It's sad to see that Pascal's wager (a clever but also common sense insight) has been dumbed down/strawmanned and dismissed as a result
I have prayed for a time. It didn’t help. I stopped praying and decided to take matters into my own hands, only then did my problems left me. Praying doesn’t fix, solving does.
Paul explains in Rom 1:18-21 that those who knowingly reject God receive His condemnation. God wills all to be saved. To be damned, a person must willfully reject God’s plan for his salvation.
As a Jewish kid growing up in Kentucky i experienced a lot of prejudice, kids used to throw pennies at me..but you know i saved everyone of those Pennies...
Hell is being separated from God by the nature of sin. It's not like God punishes people by throwing them in the lake of fire out of revenge. Lake of fire is the state of being in which one freely choose to be. One can't be in unity with God who is perfect and in the state of sin at the same time. God's love burns those who reject it because it's a conscious free-willed choice to reject His love (Holy Spirit). It hurts, but some souls are so lost that they would rather stay hurt than accept it. Their pride stands in the way. Lucifer, who was closest to God, had this pride issue. Jesus, on the other hand, who was God, opted for humility and became a human, tortured, humiliated and died as a human. He sacrificed Himself to us "petty humans". He made Himself "smaller" so to speak. To believe in God means to let yourself be the sheep, and have Lord as your Shepard. That means accepting that you don't know everything, but still believing in His capability to lead you, to accept Christ as your head, although you don't have all the answers and at the same time, exactly because of that. You get in touch with your humility, which becomes the state of your soul, in which you can accept God's love. And when you do that, you make yourself open to receive God's forgiveness and mercy that wash away your sin. Prideful people don't want forgiveness and they don't ask for it. They wouldn't want God even if they had all the evidence presented. I strongly believe that those are the ones who will burn in the lake of fire, by their own free will. Others will probably end up in Purgatory or something where they will face the same issue, this time without life's usual distractions that momentarily make things less hard, but also without the constant support of the Church community and Sacramental life. That's why it is so important to pray for the souls that are now in purgatory, and living people who struggle with their faith. We will all end up there (except if you are a saint), so I hope I'll have someone to pray for me when I die.
Personally, as an Atheist, I like this conception of Hell. It sounds more consistent than an eternal torture chamber designed by an omnibenevolent being. I think, barring some outrageously drastic circumstances, if this perspective is correct I'm 100% damned. "letting myself be a sheep", to paraphrase your comment, is something I just can't see myself doing. I can't conceive of a way of doing so which I wouldn't find degrading and debasing in the extreme. In that way, I would be choosing "non serviam", and quite rightly that would bar me from Heaven (which is just a place where people spend eternity worshiping God anyway, which sounds like the 2nd worst way to spend forever) Despite that, I'm in a similar position that Fr. Hicks was in when he was an atheist: Catholic girlfriend whom I love deeply and support by going to Mass with her and singing hymns with her (she's in the choir and likes when I practice with her, despite how much worse I am at singing xD). In having this relationship, it's shifted my position insofar as I now *hope* that I'm wrong and that Heaven & Hell exist; because I'm fine with my particular mental framework condemning me to the latter, if it means the woman I love has a chance to enjoy the former.
We’re in the Bible is that? Bible says clearly that hell is a place for demons to be punished don’t change biblical doctrine to sound nice: Matthew 25:46 ESV / 1,577 helpful votes And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal
@@EspadaKing777The generic hellfire and brimstone is why I hate the Southern Baptist Convention with a passion. All I ever saw was some trick used to drag in unwilling convert children. One can call me a reddit fedora tipper. One cannot switch off my childhood encounters.
I see the realism of despicable acts in the world and that convinces me of a tangible evil and hell. That realism in turn informs me search for truth, one truth. That I believe is the one Roman Catholic Church...
The worst moment for an atheist is when he feels grateful and has nobody to thank…. Gentleman believe me HE exists. Ask HIM to prove HIMSELF to you so as to believe.
What do you mean nobody to thank? Wouldn’t they have so many people to thank? This reminds me of the meme where an atheist thanks Jésus at supper time, the Mexican farmer who grew the food on his plate.
A god who would torture you for eternity for exercising your free will (which he deliberately gave you) to not believe in him, is not a god deserving of worship.
Fear is what makes people believe in god. They are scared to question their beliefs because of the idea of hell for being wrong. Its not a coincidence that most people that turn to god at a time of desperation. The idea of god gives people false hope and takes advantage over them when they are vulnerable and scared. Making them delusional.
IDK, but someone who was raised to be an athiest and was not exposed to Jesus Christ, like my son's gf, I can understand it. Doesn't mean we can't try to convert her or at least expose her enough to put some doubt on her stance. 😁🙏❤ She doesn't know all the prayers and novena's I've prayed for her! 🙏
I feel for your son. My wife is an atheist, but is very much a cultural Christian. Christmas is her favorite holiday, she hates abortion, she watched and enjoyed a movie about the New Testament, but whenever I discuss with her the idea of God she cringes and says it’s a weird topic and doesnt believe there is a God. To her Jesus is a cool guy like Gandalf, and likes the tenants of Christianity and it’s holidays, but she thinks it’s just a fun myth.
I’m definitely not a Feeneyite, but I do feel like “baptism of desire” and “invincible ignorance” are EXTREMELY overused terms. If someone commits a heinously grave sin, then the burden of proof is on anyone who would want to prove he/she is in Heaven. Not saying definitively that they’re in hell, but it’s a logical conclusion. Yes, we’re not supposed to go around condemning everyone, but we don’t have to exonerate them all either! PS: this isn’t about anything Matt or Fr. said, just a thought.
📖John 14:6 Jesus said, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” John 3:5 Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit.”
Mattt's little prayer, "Lord, if You exist, show me in a way I'll understand," is a great way to respond to the atheists and satanists who troll social media just to attack God.
@@fabianradomski3178 well if God did do something, it was something too subtle for me to notice as I'm still waiting. I prayed the rosary for a bit to see if that would help, and it didn't seem to. Hard to keep up a habit when it feels like talking to yourself/the wall.
About the Willard Building Guy… Ive seen him quite often whenever my calculus class happens, and that stuff is the exact kind of thing he would say. He comes off as a little weird though, but there are usually 1-3 students who listen to him at one time. I’ve even seen him chatting and patiently listening to students ask him questions too. I don’t usually stick around to hear his stuff but if anyone is interested the willard building is on the lawn of the Patee/Paterno library uphill from the big gates on S. Allen St and the corner room. This will most likely get buried, but if anyone is actually on campus for whatever reason he is usually active between 3:00 and 5:00 PM on weekdays…
So you're telling me someone is kind , polite , respectful , helpful to people and is in general a good human being yet he / she / they are sent to hell just cuz they didn't believe in a sky wizard type of being? Unfair.
1 John 2:22 “Who is the liar? It is whoever denies that Jesus is the Christ. Such a person is the antichrist-denying the Father and the Son. 23 No one who denies the Son has the Father; whoever acknowledges the Son has the Father also.”
John 3:5,6,7 Truly I tell you, no one can enter the Kingdom of God unless he is born of water and Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but spirit gives birth to spirit.You should not be surprised at my saying. You must be born again.
@@cheechak481 are you implying that, though they don’t believe the truth of the gospel, Christ will save them sort of behind the scenes? Or what do you mean by that?
@@sethgilbert1086 Though Salvation is only through Jesus Christ. The Church recognizes that a loving God does not condemn those who are innocently ignorant of the truth about his offer of salvation "may" also be saved. Catechism of the Catholic Church (quoting Vatican II document Lumen Gentium, 16) states: Those who, through no fault of their own, do not know Christ and his Church: Those who, through no fault of their own, do not know the Gospel of Christ or his Church, but who nevertheless seek God with a sincere heart, and, moved by grace, try in their actions to do his will as they know it through the dictates of their conscience-those too may achieve eternal salvation. (CCC 847)
Alot of priests talk about God's mercy but not much on God's justice. Do atheists deserve to go to heaven if they have no faith in God, don't love God, and have not desired heaven or prepared themselves for it??? Is not a loving God just as well as being mercyfull? If God is just, he gives people what they deserve based on what they have done and failed to do as well as their faith and the love they have for God and man.
THE most critical question deserves an answer with certainty and God's Truth. Respectfully our clergy must stop softening the Truth bc it becomes a lie.
I think everybody is pulled at by God or some divine force… if God is real I hope he does have mercy because it’s hard to believe in God with the realities & nuances of life sometimes.
You only have to ask Him to reveal Himself to you. GOD bless you for watching this and searching for Him. That means He is calling you. I will pray for you, dear Brother. I promise God is real. JESUS CHRIST died for your sins and wants to make you a Saint....much love to you. Focus on the things above.
Dear MilitantGreen, our loving God is gentle and is calling you to Himself. As Jesus promised, 'Ask, and you will receive; seek and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened to you.' Hang on and be prepared for your life to change if you call to Him. He will draw you from the world.
@@paulcjakubik217 How would you recommend "calling" or "knocking on the door". I'm just looking for a general procedure, I have no idea how people actually go about praying (besides what I've see in films)
@@stephenkaake7016 One can not be rich by just wanting it, you need to do something about it, in the same manner, one can not just gain salvation just by wanting it, you also need to do something about it.
Revelation 21:8 But as for the cowardly, *the faithless*, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.
The fear of hell is a way of helping someone stay close to God or get close to Him. It seems so common today, out of a fear of offending, for Christians to actually use what the Holy Ghost is doing in someone's life. This man basically stated that he had a legitimate concern, and instead he was told that God is compassionate. Don't get me wrong. The other stuff said was gold - telling him to try and pray. But I do think we can show that there is always hope and mercy while still giving a stern loving warning that hell is a real possibility for everyone - especially those who never pray.
We must first and foremost correct the flawed understanding of hell. It is not a literal lake of fire where people get sent to against their will rather is it the absence of God that is chosen definitively by the person even while God has done everything to get that person to himself. That is hell
Disappointing. Too much emphasis is placed upon the sacraments being the ordinary means and there being the possibility of other means. It is safer for souls to assume that there are no other means. We are only saved by Grace. Even the extraordinary means are by Grace. It is just that Christ MAY bring you into the Church in some other unknown means at your death(akin to baptism by desire - such deathbed occurrences have been talked about through private revelation but were the result of much prayer and sacrifice by a loved one for that person). If we were to count on such things, we would be committing the sin of presumption (I say this in a general sense and direct the accusation at no one). Father, why didn't you just say that the general answer is 'yes - without the Grace of the sacraments you can't join Christ's mystical Body, which is the"door to the sheepfold" and therefore can't go to heaven. Only one other place to go.' After this, continuing with the beauty of eternal happiness with God, in His Kingdom, and the Hope for this given to us by Christ, through His Church, which is His Kingdom and His Body, would have rounded out the answer, and, by God's Grace, MAY have put this chap on the path to heaven. Don't be afraid to tell the Truth, and when you do, tell it properly.
@Amicus N it looks like we are going to disagree on this. I acknowledge everything you said, though my YT app makes it impossible to view all of your points as I amtyping my response, so my apologies for not responding to all of your points. Pius Xi, I think, talked about the scenario of invincible ignorance, which was reiterated by VII, but not to the contrary of "outside of the Church, there is No Salvation" which remains the teaching of the Church. There is a difference between declaring someone in Hell, and defining what leads people to Hell. Christ Himself, in the parable about the 10 Virgins, alludes to the necessity of Grace (oil in the lamp), though, to be fair, the foolish Virgins were baptised, as indicated by the fact they had a lamp at all, but didn't maintain a life of Grace, so this scenario is only loosely related to what I am saying. The Church always emphasised the necessity of Missionary work as these Aztecs and Koreans weren't being saved (generally, not specifically). I am pretty sure I have heard Fathers talk about how God does not owe us salvation, though I couldn't begin to remember where, hence why I stayed the assumption (in response to the atheist's position, but his specific soul). It is true, in cases of invincible ignorance, there might be a chance they were saved, but these would have had to have lived a life (or at least ended their ) aligned with natural law and would have had to have been open to Christ - something that many theologians have conceded would be hard to do. Anyway, I am starting to ramble, I have no references to hand, and I have other things to get into, so I am going to throw the ball back in your court, if you wish to say another word on this, but then otherwise tap-out of this one. Best wishes
It does not help atheists or agnostics to equivocate over Hell. Our Lord mentions its existence many times; as do the Saints in word and vision; Our Blessed Mother speaks often of Hell and purgatory in revelation. The dread of Hell is a raising of conscience; a siren of warning. The presence of a Hell in so many religions signifies its engraving into the deep conscience of Man. Through acceptance of the Lord’s Grace and His alone can we be spared. This is the very essence of the Gospel.
Romans 1:18-20 "18 The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of people, who suppress the truth by their wickedness, 19 since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. 20 For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities-his eternal power and divine nature-have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse."
Sorta: "All we offer in the Church is the ordinary means of salvation". God ultimately is the one calling the shots, and He may choose to save anyone He seems fit; that, however, in no way gives _you_ any concrete guarantees that _you_ yourself will be saved - and, truth be told, it seems more likely you won't...
@@thstroyur I don't know how you can affiliate yourself with such an entity. I don't how one can characterize a loving God and believe in the reality of hell simultaneously. I really don't get it. Eternal punishment for a finite crime is not synonymous with "God of love".
@@lebogangjr1286 Changing subject, I see; well, first things first: if God and this Hell place exist, then it doesn't matter what you or I believe in or affiliate to - that'd be a brute fact, and facts say feelings be damned. Secondly is the "love" thing, which culture portrays as fuzzy-wuzzy tickles that make you warm inside, and as such worthless; real love entails, i.a., mercy _and_ justice (no _or_ there). Next is "eternal punishment for a finite crime", which assumes the truth of what I call the "cosmic jailer thesis", which legalistically stipulates God is basically a cosmic bully who throws into jail all the people who don't happen to observe His seemingly arbitrary moral and soteriological criteria; Christians, I'd say, are more inclined towards a "cosmic savior thesis", in which Hell may be appreciated as the natural endpoint of a fallen world (which is so in many ways, including according to the 2nd Law of Thermodynamics, and the biology of your own inexorable death) which we're inertially headed to, but which _may_ be subverted by God's intervention (enter the Christ with His eyes like blazing fire, His many-crowned head, and a robe dipped in blood [see Revelation 19:11-16]), provided we don't reject the hand that is raised towards us
@@thstroyur Changing subject? Well, no we are still on the subject of Hell. I asked a question previously, you answered and now I'm asking another. I don't see the issue. I don't see how Christian God isn't consistent with the cosmic jailor thesis. In pretty much every Biblical description of Hell it is described as a place of torment [Luke 16:23, Rev 14:10], weeping, [Matthew 13:42], burning [Many many verses] etc. It is explicitly described it to be place that no one wants to be in. So either the Christian which subscribe to this so called 'cosmic saviour thesis' are wrong or the Bible is. Which is It?
@@lebogangjr1286 "I don't see the issue" Didn't say there is one "It is explicitly described it to be place that no one wants to be in. So either the Christian which subscribe to this so called 'cosmic saviour thesis' are wrong or the Bible is. Which is It?" You set that up as a false dichotomy - which, again, is done by _presupposing_ the truth of the cosmic jailer thesis (CJT, for short). My point in introducing the CJT and the CST is to show that the Bible is what it is, what changes is one's approach towards it (which in this case is more emotional than intellectual, so this isn't 'hermeneutics' per se, but close to). You read Scripture via the lens of the CJT and find it objectionable - the question is, is the CJT you're using good exegesis, or does it provide a better picture than the CST's? You tried to impose tyranny into God by saying that Hell is the "place that no one wants to be in"; well, so what? Suicidal ideation aside, nobody really wants to die--but there we go, it is the way of the world. This is stringent when you realize you can't really call someone a 'tyrant' when all that person did was warn another of, say, the dangers of a premature death by chainsmoking. If you can challenge your own preconceptions, try studying the Bible with the CST as a backdrop, and see how coherent the picture is--and how long Dawkins' bully strawman lasts...
@@drewdrake9130 , I'm Catholic and I think that anyone can to Heaven if they're good people. What I mean is that if your kind, caring, respectful, accepting people, I think you'll go to Heaven. I think that Christians, Catholics, Buddhists, Jews, Muslims, etc. Can go to Heaven. This is includes Atheists, Agnostics, Deists, etc.
@@MrFossil367ab45gfyth Sorry, this seems weird You believe hell might exist, and heaven and Purgatory might exist as well? Or, do you believe heaven and Purgatory exist? Sorry I'm confused
“Since Christ died for all, and since all men are in fact called to one and the same destiny, which is divine, we must hold that the Holy Spirit offers to all the possibility of being made partakers, in a way known to God, of the Paschal mystery. Every man who is ignorant of the Gospel of Christ and of His church but seeks the truth and does the will of God in accordance with his understanding of it, can be saved. It may be supposed that such persons would have desired baptism explicitly if they had known its necessity” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1260). Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence in the presence of God. - 1 John 3:21
I love my Jesus my saver my lord not going to gamble on my soul in you shouldn't not gamble yours he'll is forever not 999 years but forever accept Jesus now for tomorrow not promiss to you 🙏
I once befriended an atheist (teacher) Who also was not convinced of God’s existence. His belief was basically, I lead an altruistic and moral life and if God exists( which He does) then He is just and will not send me to hell. How would an atheist explain scientifically proven Eucharistic miracles around the world?
@@colinmatts yes, a strong logical inference can be made. Type: 4 Eucharist miracles in the 21st century. If they are “approved” by the church that means the scientific inquiry has concluded. By the way, the scientific inquiry is not made by priests who have a science degree.
Atheism is the lack of belief in a God/s, not the belief that there is no God/s. Where an agnostic would say "I don't know" an atheist would say "I don't think so, but it's possible". I was raised secular and this was something that is always perceived the wrong way. As of now though I am looking into becoming a believer, but am stuck between the catholic and orthodox churches. Hard decision to be made.
If you do not believe in God then what makes you afraid of Hell? God revealed there is a Hell. You have a “seed” of faith in you. God is pursuing you because He loves you beyond your comprehension.
@@questionasker8791...terrible analogy. To your question....no. While watching the movie I might have been scared but after leaving the theater those feelings do not linger. For this person to have a deep fear of Hell and to call in with this statement means something much deeper is touching his/her heart: God.
The Willard Preacher. Yes, from what I remember of him, he thinks that you, as Roman Catholics, are going to Hell. A reason why, on the days I'm a believer, I'm convinced that something like modified universalism is true. Re Pascal's Wager, it's never between two. It's between and among Roman Catholicism, Protestant fundamentalism, countless other Protestant sects, Mormonism, Judaism, Islam, etc. etc.
God's mercy is wonderful, but what's the point in following Christ's teachings at all if everyone has the potential to be saved even when they deny Him? I hope and pray that people finally give themselves over to Him even if it takes until the moment of death. However, the Bible made it clear throughout the Old and New Testaments that there are people that will deny Him even in death and will be cast into Hell. There are multiple books in the Old Testament about the Jews witnessing miracles but still disobeying Him. I pray that people turn to God every day, but the fact is many won't. It breaks my heart that my sister is damning herself to Hell by rejecting Him, but ultimately that's what she decided. I pray for her intensely but that won't matter if she continues to willingly close her eyes to the Truth. To the questioner, He's out there and you know it. If you fear Hell so much there's 0 harm in giving yourself over to Him, but consequences of not doing so will burden you for eternity.
Exactly, why do non-members of God's Fan Club receive the same benefits as the already paying subscribers of the Club? Pretty unfair if you ask me, God should punish everyone not in his fan club because you need to join it for the benefit of not falling into the eternal pit of hellfire. Pfft, atheists. Oh wait, Islam just called and said they're the true Club to join, if not, everyone, including the Christians, burn in hell. Man, what a dilemma i'm facing.
#'Fr'. Boniface Hicks, OSB ...you're not a Catholic Pope Pius IX, First Vatican Council, Session 3, On Revelation, Can. 1: “If anyone shall have said that the one true God, our Creator and Lord, cannot be known with certitude by those things which have been made, by the natural light of human reason: let him be anathema.” Pope Pius IX, First Vatican Council, Session 3, On God the Creator, Can. 1: “If anyone shall have denied the one true God, Creator and Lord of visible and invisible things: let him be anathema.”
Council of Florence. Cantate Domino. His Holiness Pope Eugene IV. It (The Holy Roman Church) firmly believes, professes, and proclaims that those not living within the Catholic Church, not only pagans, but also Jews and heretics and schismatics cannot become participants in eternal life, but will depart “into everlasting fire which was prepared for the devil and his angels”, unless before the end of life the same have been added to the flock; and that the unity of the ecclesiastical body is so strong that only to those remaining in it are the sacraments of the Church of benefit for salvation, and do fastings, almsgiving, and other functions of piety and exercises of Christian service produce eternal reward, and that no one, whatever almsgiving he has practiced, even if he has shed blood for the name of Christ, can be saved, unless he has remained in the bosom and unity of the Catholic Church.
Am I being uncharitable for crying out to people that their eternal salvation are at risk as everyone else for christian, believer, non believer; we are all can be lost but who would be in the best and only place for healing and salvation after all? If I am may God forgive me.
whats the probability of Dawkins existing? odds can only be calculated based off available knowledge, he makes dumb probability arguments based off his ignorance
Revelation 20:10 “And the devil, who deceived them, was thrown into the lake of burning sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet had been thrown. They will be tormented day and night for ever and ever. 11 Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. The earth and the heavens fled from his presence, and there was no place for them. 12 And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books. 13 The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what they had done. 14 Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death. 15 Anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire.”
I believe if god is real and does actually love everyone only truly bad people would go to hell, let’s say someone was a good person their entire life but was a aethiest, would they go to hell just because they where a aeithiest?
I once joked from auto repair. I said ""The shinto and zen Buddhist show a huge commitment to thou shalt not steal. Often more than the God squad of Detroit Michigan."
I dont know why Christian youtubers don't go to scripture to respond to these. And maybe they did on the 2 hour version of this interview bit this seems to be a question that could be entirely answered with scripture
regarding the privilege way and the right to practice other religions for example about the muhammadan, Vatican 2 says "they together are worship the One True God along with us" what? have you read the Quran, they reject and deny Christ's Divinity, His death and the crucifixion and the redemption and the Resurrection again and again and blasphemed Him as being mere human and the Blessed Mother as being a mother of mere human person and they blasphemed the Holy Trinity they say again and again that God has no son do you think that by worship Satan who pretend to be God and therefore they worship the One true God along with us? let listen to what the saints says about them, shall we? “Whoever does not embrace the Catholic Christian faith is lost, like your false prophet Muhammad.” -St. Peter Mavimenus (d. 8th century), martyr from Gaza “We profess Christ to be truly God and your prophet to be a precursor of the Antichrist and other profane doctrine.”-Sts. Habenitus, Jeremiah, Peter, Sabinian, Walabonsus, and Wistremundus (d. 851), martyrs of Cordoba, Spain. “Any cult which denies the divinity of Christ, does not profess the existence of the Holy Trinity, refutes baptism, defames Christians, and derogates the priesthood, we consider to be damned.”-Sts. Aurelius, Felix, George, Liliosa, and Natalia (d. 852), martyrs of Cordoba, Spain. Even if all the things contained in his law were fables in philosophy and errors in theology, even for those who do not possess the light of reason, the very manners (Islam) teaches are from a school of vicious bestialities. (Muhammad) did not prove his new sect with any motive, having neither supernatural miracles nor natural reasons, but solely the force of arms, violence, fictions, lies, and carnal license. It remains an impious, blasphemous, vicious cult, an innovention of the devil, and the direct way into the fires of hell. It does not even merit the name of being called a religion.”-St. Juan de Ribera (d.1611), Archbishop of Valencia, missionary to Spanish Muslims, and organizer of the Muslim expulsions of 1609 from Spain. Now how can you make a square circle with that incompatible and inconsistency and incontinuity between the teaching of the saints and the fathers and doctors of the church and tradition with Vatican 2 and thank be to God for the Saracens and their diabolical and evil doctrine that help me understand the catholic doctrine of Extra Ecclesiam nulla salus outside the Church there is no salvation in a real way and realistic approach.
If a person does not believe in God and does not believe in Heaven, how can they possibly go to God's home. Even if they could enter Heaven, they would feel totally uncomfortable and desire to get out, as they have absolutely nothing in common with others there. That only leaves Hades for the soul to depart to. Followed by the resurrection unto judgement at the great White Throne before the God who they rejected in life.
Question ❓ would any parents. Have their Children resight this: Now I lay me down to sleep, I pray the Lord my Soul to keep[;] If I should die before I 'wake, I pray the Lord my Soul to take.
Hebrews 10:26 “If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left, 27 but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God. 28 Anyone who rejected the law of Moses died without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. 29 How much more severely do you think someone deserves to be punished who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, who has treated as an unholy thing the blood of the covenant that sanctified them, and who has insulted the Spirit of grace? 30 For we know him who said, “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” and again, “The Lord will judge his people.” 31 It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.”
This is the safe answer.... This is why some people think there are 2 Gods of new and old testament...Jesus spoke the truth hells waiting for the unbelievers... Simple. Modern left hand balcszar shake will lead you to dispare... Bishop Barron
Some of the early Fathers believed in an "apocatastasis" ie salvation in the end is for everyone and "all things will be restored" (Acts 3:21). Gregory of Nyssa certainly did. Ambrose of Milan suggested it. Origen believed that even Satan will be saved. Scaring people into belief is not a good approach.
Christ is not a privilege way or one path among others many paths that lead to God No, He is the Only Way to the Father and for those who are willingly deny and reject Him will not and cannot be saved. We forget that we own God justice that is due to Him that is to know and to love and to serve Him, to worship and give thank to Him and worship no one else except Him as the Being who is worthy of worship and as a justice and obligation to Him as the Creator for us creature to worship Him and serve Him and for His sake and not for the sake of our own good first of all but for the glory of God this is the fundamental error of modernism is that it's a self centered not God centered we forget the very basic doctrine in our modern catechesis today that is I AM the Lord "your God" you shall have no other gods before Me.
It matter and radically different to be Christian than not to be, Christ is the necessity and not an option to choose among different paths No, He is the only way to the Father I am the Way the Truth the Life no one and *no one can come to the Father except through Me. He is not a privilege way He is the necessity and the only way for otherwise it would be insulting to God and to His faithful people for all of their sacrifices. even for christian there is still a risk for their salvation for their transgression and sin but for at least they believe in God and can seek His forgiveness and for those who are not christian you are not just at risk for your salvation you're in an emergency situation to put it rightly people like Jordan Peterson who speaks that i act as if God exists or as if to say I'll do it on my way, Don't understand that Life is not about you and never be it's all about God who is the center of the Universe and not you and not your way but His way and not your will but His will. There is an atheist who say he won't believe even if he stands before God and do you think that person can or will enter the heaven?
Eternal torment is morally wicked and unfitting of our Lord, who is Himself the Good. Scripture is clear: all will be reconciled. God will be “all in all” (1 Corinthians 15).
I think the reasoning behind unbelief being sinful isn’t so much to punish the unbeliever but to warn the unbeliever that such a path moves one farther away from loving God and living a life worthy of eternal life. So, let’s say you’re an atheist and die as an atheist, then you meet God and now you believe. Congrats, does that now mean you’ve lived a life worthy of eternal life with God? Not necessarily. Also, if you’re an atheist and you live your entire life hating the idea of Christianity or view it as “oppressive” (I know #notallatheist) then why would death change that? Faith isn’t a way for God to force his will on us, but a way to help us trust and accept His will. And if we don’t accept His will then we are more likely be consumed by our based instincts, and this is true whether you’re an atheist or theist.
Do atheists want heaven? Heaven means humility, obedience and worship of God. God is God, not you. It means praising, serving and worshiping him for all eternity. In Marino Restrepo's extraordinary conversion story, he saw his sins and was forgiven them, but could not draw near to Jesus because he really didn't know or love him even though he wanted to. That takes time. I believe Jesus gives everyone on last chance at the moment of death. The problem is, if you are full of sin and completely lack grace, how will you respond if you see yourself in the light of God? Will you beg forgiveness or refuse to admit that you need it and blame god for making you look bad?
I really like this idea. I must admit, the idea of heaven as eternal (I.e never ending) obeisance and servitude doesn't sound very attractive. If offered the choice between that and exile to some outer darkness, replete with pain and misery... I mean, to me, both options sound awful! Seems a pity total annihilation of the consciousness isn't an option, because that sounds preferable to either alternative as described.
@@EspadaKing777 Read “The Great Divorce” by C.S. Lewis. It gives a great insight into your line of reasoning and demonstrates an allegorical concept of Heaven and Hell which may help straighten out your misconceptions. If nothing else, it’ll give you something profound to think about. I highly recommend the audiobook version because it isn’t terribly long. It won’t hurt to give it a read/listen.
@@kidus_1010 great recommendation, just finished listening to it (it's available here on UA-cam) and as always C.S Lewis doesn't disappoint. Would be nice if some post-death offer/offers of salvation of the kind used as metaphor were actually in Catholicism; which (and please correct me if I'm wrong) they are not.
@@EspadaKing777 Well I’m not a Catholic so I couldn’t give you a perfect answer to that (I’m Oriental Orthodox) but I do know that this book along with C.S. Lewis’ other works have been received really well by Catholics and Orthodox alike. It does a really good job of representing the afterlife more accurately overall than some caricatures of it that people may have in their heads. For example many Orthodox are of the opinion that hell isn’t literally being burned by literal fire (that’s more of a Protestant idea) and that it’s more like either the presence of God being hell to a person or the separation from God that is in itself eternal torment because God is the source of all good. Also in Orthodoxy we believe that before the Final Judgement, the living members of the Church can pray for those in hell so they might still be saved by God’s mercy. Here’s a short video that explains a little more on that: ua-cam.com/video/CL33XjqMcck/v-deo.html Anyway I’m glad you liked the book.
The trouble with Pascal's wager is that it requires me to give up my vices if I am to believe God exists. It costs everything. The stakes are as high as any stakes can go when Jesus says he who loses his life for my sake. Don't get me wrong, I'm a cradle Catholic but Pascal's wager is no small thing.
The question itself is incoherent, because if you're an atheist you have no reason to believe in or fear an afterlife of any kind. So the questioner must, it seems, have some doubts about his atheism. So that's where to begin. If he's amenable to reason about the subject, the rational arguments of St. Thomas' five ways should be definitive in proving the existence of God. Then, having established His existence one can move on to His properties, eventually leading to the Christian, and more specifically the Catholic understanding. Pascal's Wager isn't a proof, but a strategy. It's a game-theoretic Cayley Table, the expectation value of which favors belief in God. It's just a way of saying that belief in God is not an unreasonable idea. Another approach along those lines would be the examination of miracles. Emil Zola went to Lourdes ostensibly to see if anything supernatural was going on there, but when presented evidence of a woman cured of lupus, he refused to look at her. So he went there to confirm his presupposition that nothing supernatural was occurring and wouldn't consider a counterexample. This is precisely the opposite of what the scientific method would dictate. There are now 70 approved miracles at Lourdes. The requirements are that the cure be sudden, complete, and permanent, and that full medical documentation before and after be provided. How reasonable is it to think that nothing supernatural is going on there? If we're 99% skeptical in each individual case (note: can't be 100% because that would be circular reasoning), then the probability that none of the cases is actually miraculous is (99%)^70 = 49.5% . In other words, even at this level of skepticism there's an even chance that at least one of the cases is miraculous. If we're a bit less skeptical, say 95%, the probability of nothing miraculous drops to 2.76%, i.e., there's a 97.24% chance of at least one of these documented cases being miraculous. This is a proof of anything, of course, but a suggestion that belief in the supernatural might not be so very unreasonable, simply because there have been so many of these documented occurrences.
@@questionasker8791 It would be irrational to fear something you're absolutely certain doesn't exist. If it doesn't exist, it can't harm you, so there's nothing to fear. So if one is rational and fears, there must be at least some small doubt about the non-existence. IOW, skepticism rather than disbelief. And as the above statistical example suggests, skepticism erodes quickly upon examination of evidence. If, OTOH, unwinding your analogy, you're suggesting that atheism is irrational, that would be correct. Since the existence of God is knowable through natural reason alone, it is irrational to disbelieve in Him. This poses a bit of a problem for people who label themselves "brights" and claim to be fonts of rationality. So atheists tend to redefine themselves as simply "lacking belief". This is dishonest, but doesn't work anyway. If you lack belief in gravity, you do not thereby begin to float. And if you act in this lack of belief, the consequences can be dire. Similarly one's lack of belief in God does not cause him to wink out of existence, and the consequences of _this_ lack of belief can be dire as well. For example, Marxist regimes, in which state atheism has been enforced, have been the most murderous in human history. For a modern presentation of reasoning for God's existence, I recommend looking up Ed Feser. He was an atheist philosopher who decided to give St. Thomas Aquinas' arguments a fair consideration, and found them sound. He's written several books on the subject, given talks, made YT videos, and has a blog. I'd supply links, but YT tends to delete comments with links in them.
@@m1lkb0n3z Our mind is the result of many, many, many generations who survived past reproduction. These generations have had a survival benefit from overestimating agency. This overestimating agency can also be found in fears to things like TV shows, and fears for things like a God or the devil. The data is well explained on my world view.
@@questionasker8791 Those are your personal ideas, and non-responsive to the objective arguments I have presented. It's only your personal theory as to how ideas may have developed, but there is no factual evidence for it. You're welcome to think that, and others are welcome to propose alternative theories, but what criteria are there to decide among these opinions?
If you do not want HIM in your life here on Earth... HE will not force you to spend Eternity with HIM in Heaven. Don't be a stranger, get to know your Creator ❤
Stop being so judgmental; the Church is ultimately subordinate to God's will, not the other way around - and, just like He may make sons of Abraham out of stones, He may also bring an atheist to Heaven if He sees fit, as unlikely as that might be. Saying so by no means is apologizing for atheism, is merely acknowledging who really is in charge, here
Well if you do not believe, then you put yourself at risk if not accepting it when you are show out of love and have been left the guilt of denying it. I will hope for the conversion of that person, that He accepts the Church and does not risk his soul to hell and being separated for the loving God.
I’d love to see an interview with Jesse Romero. He’s a great Catholic apologist and always fun to listen to!
yes!!!
He's loved by Our Lady and hated by the demons! Jesse Rocks!
I agree but it has to be a 5 hour interview.
If you do interview Jesse Romero please ask him to pray the Our Father in Latin. I heard him once and it sounded amazing. It sounded like an exorcist praying.
What is a catholic apologist?
The answer given by Fr. Boniface is contrary to the dogmatic definition on Faith, that one must believe in God as an absolutely necessary condition to have faith. However, without belief in God, you can't have faith, and without faith you can't enter heaven (Heb 11:6)
I share with you the concern about the watering down of the faith in general, but I don't think this is one case of that. He's actually stating the dogma about salvation, just without using the technical jargon (invincible ignorance and all that) and finishing with an invitation of seeking God further.
I think is a rather good answer to a person asking that kind of question.
@@GustavoAndresHerrera invincible ignorance doesnt apply to atheists (i.e., those who positively reject God's existence). See Romans 1:18-20 and the definition of Vatican I: “If anyone says that divine faith is not to be distinguished from natural knowledge about God and moral matters, and consequently that for divine faith it is not required that revealed truth should be believed because of the authority of God who reveals it: let him be anathema.”
It doesn't if you persist, no, I know.
But think about this specific case we're talking about: whoever asked the question is watching Matt Fradd videos and worried about his eternal damnation if he's wrong about it. We've good reasons then to believe he IS searching, and the best thing to do is to encourage him in his search. In that context I think the response is appropriate: "God is merciful, but look harder, don't rely on your dumb luck".
@@GustavoAndresHerrera the answer given is still false. it presupposes that a lack of faith in God is compatible with salvation. If you die as an atheist or agnostic, you certainly will not be saved because as St. Paul argues, they suppress the knowledge of truth through their own malice.
An atheist who is frightened of hell? No - he is not an atheist - he is an Agnostic.....
Actually, for the majority of Atheists who still fear Hell is because it's an irrational fear that is a leftover from a heavily indoctrinatied childhood.
@@username82765 tips fedora. m'lady
@@Morgan-kn6xb Sorry I don't have clever comments just evidence to support my statement.
www.atheist-faq.com/are-you-afraid-of-going-to-hell
www.patheos.com/blogs/godlessmom/2020/02/yes-there-are-atheists-who-still-fear-hell/
@@username82765 People like him don't recognize the inherent ablism in their beliefs. The (fictitous) concept of Hell can be very stressful even to those who do not believe in it, especially if they have OCD or other disorders, like I do.
@@username82765 I imagine you with a phedora hat
He didn’t answer the question. And atheists will use that against him and other Christians. Please, take a stand for the Gospel. Hell isn’t a comfortable or nice topic, but atheists and non-believers need to hear the truth of where people go after death when they don’t believe in Jesus as Saviour.
Atheists won't use it against him because the majority of us don't believe in Hell anymore then the rest of Christianity's claims. and all the Atheists I know of that are worried about Hell came from a heavily indoctrinatied childhood that can be difficult to move pass even if you don't believe anymore.
Also, many God/s beliefs have a "Hell' NOT just Christianity. So why would we be concerned about any one particular faith's "Hell" and NOT all the others?
@@username82765 when presenting our Faith, we can’t water it down, irrespective of what conclusion an atheist comes to. The priest in this video should have answered the question plainly, but with respect and compassion. He is respectful and compassionate, but simply didn’t answer if atheists go to hell or not.
Since Jesus died for our sins, He did so in order to save us from hell. Why be born of a virgin, preach a message of repentance, be executed, if those who don’t believe go to heaven?
If torture devices is all your religion has to offer, then you are really to pitty.
Your founder of religion rejected torture as a valid argument.
@@guygibson4 Ironically you're pointing out one of the biggest reasons I am convinced the Christian does not exist.
Christians can't agree on a single interpretation of the Bible. Yet flawed humans is the only way to learn about Jesus Christ. That means if this God existed either this is what he wants to happen or he does not have unlimited power and knowledge. Both answers disprove the God claim of the Bible.
Let me for warn you. If you agree God as unlimited Knowledge and Power. Any explanation will have to answer one question to even be consider it. "Does this explanation require this God to have limitations?"
@@username82765 I'm assuming you're not familiar with Matt's channel, but Pints With Aquinas is a Catholic apostolate. We're not precisely relativists: there is One Church, and True Doctrine is whatever the Roman Catholic Chuch has said on matters of Faith and Morals. The problem schism, heresy or simple intellectual error is nothing but a corollary of the Existence of evil, and the existence of Evil doesn't prove that God wills it, or that He doesn't have the power to stop it.
I understand you were foreseeing a certain kind of answer that would imply God has limitations. As a former atheist, I can imagine what your point could be, but rather than making a straw man out of an hipotetical objection, I'd like you to elaborate on your last comment, because I'm not following you. How does what you said disprove the existence of an omniscient and onmnipotent God? The fact that men err, follow false religions or reject God altogether doesn't imply He is limited.
There’s a difference between having doubts and choosing to doubt.
Everyone experiences feelings and thoughts of doubt. But what do you do as soon as you’re aware of those thoughts and feelings? Do you choose to entertain it? Do you go along with them? If you do, it’s a sin against the supernatural virtue. No, It’s not OK, like so many people I’ve heard say. Yea, the saints “had doubts”, but they also fought them! You hardly ever hear that second part!
When you have been given the gift of Supernatural Faith, you have a moral obligation to guard that gift, and not to give into those temptations.
How is that different from confirmation bias?
Well said! Fight the doubts. Pray for grace. There is enough grace and information to be compelling to choose God. If you are asking this type of question, you need to choose God and go from there.
@@ClassicNathan How is that different from confirmation bias?
Doubt is not a choice, it is a state of mind when you are not convinced. So, yes:
, there is a difference: doubt is a thing, choosing to doubt is not.
@@ClassicNathan Don't waste your time and energy to fight the doubts. Try to find evidence and truth instead.
IDK: I tried being an atheist for a week... It didn't stick. I've always believed in God even when I didn't know him.
So, I don't know how to talk to athiests because I've never been one. I just wish you could see what I see.
You dont try being an atheist you are 1 or your not 1. Your not trying out a car prior to buying it. I am an Atheist I do not believe, never have believed and never will believe. I've been sent to Catholic Schools, mass all of it. I rejected it my whole life and will reject it till the day I die
You believe in something that has no real proof i was raised a Christian but have fallen away from religion the older i get hell is just a scare tactic to make you believe
@@liamodonovan6610
I wasn't a believer so Hell was never in my journey to belief.(hope that made sense)
I didn't believe in Hell so there was nothing to be afraid of. And if I was convinced that Christianity being false, then I would think I wouldn't be afraid of Hell then either
I think Hell can be used as a scare tactic but to put it as a blanket statement is... well, foolish
I was an atheist, and I don't even waste my time with them. Atheism is mostly an emotive response. Trying to deal rationally with them most often doesn't work. When they want a relationship with God, they'll find Him.
@@liamodonovan6610 Why would you risk hell, if there is no God then its just black after death and if he exist then, well eternal fire(just imagine billions and billions od years passing and you are still there burning and being tortured). I pray for you this night my friend.
There is no hope of salvation outside of Christ. See John 14:6
Even people who believe in a God will perish.
This is a scary thought.
Yes but outside of Christ doesn't necessarily mean those who don't explicitely believe in Christ. You can fail to believe explicitely in Christ or God but still be saved if you have an implicit faith in God.
@@vituzui9070 Where did Christ or His apostles teach this?
Christ is ALWAYS the one who saves. YES! However, He is just and merciful. I personally do not believe our God shall condemn a person to Hell if they were truly unable to get to know Him. Also the Church teaches about such things as invincible ignorance
@Harry Waddington Implicit faith need not require indifferentism. Even if they are not saved by the explicit declaration of faith, they still may be saved by Christ through the graces mediated by the Church. God is just, and does not judge all in precisely the same way (insofar as all do not have the same knowledge and consequent culpability for their actions). It is not a matter of faith to believe that every individual who does not explicitly declare belief in Christ through words is necessarily damned, although we certainly may not presume that they are saved, and are thus required to evangelize with the same level of urgency. Hope this helps
If you have access to information about God and Jesus and you CHOOSE to reject it, your fate is clear. You have had your chance and have chosen hell.
What if your belief is a thought addiction, and your mind will not let you see that it's a false belief?
How is this different from confirmation bias?
This is the same logic domestic abusers use.
@@dumbautisticmutt what, that you are responsible for acting on the information you have? That's how life works.
@@betsybattles2696 After a man finishes beating his wife he shouts "look what you made me do!"
Your God does the same thing, except the beating is infinitely worse
Salvation is open to all but it is still up to the individual with their free will to chose the path to eternity, as long as we are still on this earth it is never too late.
@@konyvnyelv. How do you know?
Why does believing in Jesus lead you to eternal salvation? I think I’d rather have eternal damnation rather than believe in something I don’t want to. I am a Buddhist and we don’t have god.
OK, so does believing in Jesus immediately, guarantee your trip to hevean no matter what
Unfortunately what he fears is exactly what is going to happen. No if and or buts about it, of u leave this earth without him you will definitely, enter the next separate and without him aswell. That's why they say to get right b4 it's too late. You only have the rest of your life, whenever that may be.
What if you don't care about living forever ?!?
Well, according to some catholics which i spoke with, there is in fact a way atheists can go to heaven, and that is the purgatory. According to a Italian blessed called Edvige Carboni, Mussolini's soul would have entered heaven, even though he was an atheist
But, in general, bible qualifies "unbelievers" as sentenced to a godless afterlife, but it also states a lot of other things related to hell, "hell" corresponds a translation for four other words and we dont know exactly what it is...
Maybe fear of Hell the first step in how God is revealing Himself to this man. May he find God!
True, Christianity is so watered down - that some “Christians” do not even believe in the devil or hell. They do not realize the dangers their soul faces.
Sr. Lucia -"If men only know what awaits them in eternity, they would do everything in their power to amend their lives"
St. Catherine of Siena was permitted by God to see the beauty of a soul in the state of grace.
Blessed Raymond, her confessor, asked her to describe to him, as far as she was able, the beauty of the soul she had seen.
” My father,” she answered. “I cannot find anything in this world that can give you the smallest idea of what I have seen. Oh, if you could but see the beauty of a soul in the state of grace, you would sacrifice your life a thousand times for its salvation. I asked the angel who was with me what had made that soul so beautiful, and he answered me, “It is the image and likeness of God in that soul, and the Divine Grace which made it so beautiful.”
Maybe. I just saw it as Southern Baptist Convention and their adjacents getting the unwilling to do their bidding.
Please pray for me & my family. Please pray for reconciliation and for my conversion. If you all can please offer your Holy Communions and Holy masses for me. Trying to shake evil ways and life is like trying to carry gigantic boulders for miles without resting. I ask our Blessed Mother for the gifts of the Holy Ghost. Mother Mary, help me. I am so desperate. Jesus, don't leave. St. Michael, fight for me. I know I'm not worth much. But I still a soul. Amen.🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏
Read the gospel of John.
why don't you go talk to a traditional priest?
Praying for you
Will do.
Will do. " I know I'm not worth much" - our Lord died for you. You are worth everything.
If not to hell, then to Portland. Take your pick.
As of recently, difficult to tell one from the other..
The questioner did not ask, "What do I do if I have a reasonable degree of uncertainty?". The question was "What will happen to me if I die, sincerely, not believing?" So this answer is merely ducking the question. "God will probably torture you for ever" makes Him sound like a monster, I guess.
It all sounded like "Can't not doubt? Sounds like a YOU problem."
-"In this clip, Fr. Boniface answers the question, 'Will an atheist go to hell?'
He doesn't though. He says he _hopes_ Doublebass won't go to hell. But that doesn't tell us if they will or won't go to hell. Fr. Boniface's hopes and wishes are compatible with either outcome. He can hope that Doublebass won't go to hell and still be confident that they will, just like I can be virtually certain that I won't win the lottery but hope that I will. There's a difference between giving a sensitive and nuanced answer and giving a politician's answer. I'm afraid this is the latter.
Reality is that we don't know who goes to heaven and who doesn't. The only ones we as catholics can be 100% sure about are the saints, as for everyone else we don't know what their fate is (we don't even know about our own fate).
@@illyrian9976
Let’s say God came to you and said “Illyrian, I want to make you a wager. There’s a random person I want to ask you about. I won’t tell you anything about this person other than they are currently an atheist. Do you think this person will go to Heaven or Hell if they die right now? Being God, I of course know the answer. If you choose the correct answer, then you will join me in Heaven. If you choose the wrong answer however, then you will suffer in Hell forever. Your eternal salvation is on the line.” What would you choose? Are you going to bet for or against this atheist going to Heaven?
@@samuelstephens6904 God is not a trickster, why would he do such a thing? The God you described here sounds more like a petty pagan God like Loki. Our christian God has revealed himself to us in the form of Jesus Christ, and by seeing his actions and hearing his speeches I can come to the conclussion that God wants all the people to be saved (but still respects their free will and lets them reject him if they so wish). How would I know if this atheist actively rejected Christ or was just ignorant of him? How do I know if that atheist was living with the ideal of Love and Goodness as his motivation?
Yes, it is very likely that many atheists, especialy in the west, actively reject and even hate God and Christ, but I also know that there are millions of "atheists" in places like China or North Korea who never had a true chance given to them. I myself come from Albania, a country where atheism was state enforced and owning a Bible would be punished with 5 years of brutal prison time. Many people who grew up during our time of communism grew up learning that Religion is evil and used to oppress the working classes, only to see the truth after the fall of the evil regime. But sadly many died before ever having been given the chance. So that is why I don't see the issue as black and white as you do (without trying to demean you in any way, I'm sure your perspective can also help me see clearer).
@@illyrian9976
So many words to not answer one simple question.
-"God is not a trickster, why would he do such a thing?"
It's a thought experiment Illyrian. You don't have to take the framing of it so seriously. Just play along.
-"How would I know if this atheist actively rejected Christ or was just ignorant of him? How do I know if that atheist was living with the ideal of Love and Goodness as his motivation?"
You don't. All you know about this person is that he/she/they are an atheist. That's it.
-"but I also know that there are millions of "atheists" in places like China or North Korea who never had a true chance given to them."
I don't really count them as atheists, and neither do you judging by the quotations marks you put around the word "atheist." How about we modify the thought experiment slightly by saying this atheist is a former Christian or was brought up in the faith. So now all you know about this person is that he/she/they was once a Christian and is now an atheist. How are you going to bet? Is this person going to Heaven or Hell? Your eternal salvation is at stake!
@@samuelstephens6904 Okay, I will entertain this idea and say in this case, the chance is pretty high for that person to be in Hell, since he actively refused God, considering that he was an ex-Christian.
"To the irreligious person, heaven would be hell." ~St John H. Newman
@@konyvnyelv. In the same sermon, St John explains that, being the endless worship of God, Heaven is not a place of happiness except to the holy.
@@konyvnyelv. As an Atheist Heaven does sound horrible. Think about it. If the Catholic Heaven is real, then you will spend every second of every month, year, decade , century and millennium doing the exact same thing, worshipping God.
Only those who love God understand that worshipping him is exhilarating
@@renariwoods9014 your comment proves why Heaven isn't great. As I understand it in Heaven you spend every moment of everyday for TRILLIONS upon TRILLIONS of years worshipping God because you'll no longer need food, sleep or restroom breaks.
However, today when you had some free did you spend every moment of it worshipping God? No. You went on UA-cam. If you can't give your entire free time today to worshipping God, you can't expect me to believe you'd be happy giving every moment to the end of time itself.
@Username Don’t forget we live in a fallen, broken, sinful world, where the default of our flesh is to rebel against God, aka sin. Thus, it’s a constant challenge to always love, but with God all things are possible, but ONLY if we are accepting His grace.
Hopefully that helps you understand.
This was an interesting watch as an evangelical Protestant who has recently struggled with doubts related to atheism. Matt's point about applying Pascal's wager properly is a good one. It's sad to see that Pascal's wager (a clever but also common sense insight) has been dumbed down/strawmanned and dismissed as a result
The way to know if you’re trying...
Making an attempt to pray.
I have prayed for a time. It didn’t help.
I stopped praying and decided to take matters into my own hands, only then did my problems left me. Praying doesn’t fix, solving does.
Paul explains in Rom 1:18-21 that those who knowingly reject God receive His condemnation.
God wills all to be saved. To be damned, a person must willfully reject God’s plan for his salvation.
As a Jewish kid growing up in Kentucky i experienced a lot of prejudice, kids used to throw pennies at me..but you know i saved everyone of those Pennies...
that sucks, sorry to Hear, I hope the Lord has Blessed you
Hell is being separated from God by the nature of sin. It's not like God punishes people by throwing them in the lake of fire out of revenge. Lake of fire is the state of being in which one freely choose to be. One can't be in unity with God who is perfect and in the state of sin at the same time. God's love burns those who reject it because it's a conscious free-willed choice to reject His love (Holy Spirit). It hurts, but some souls are so lost that they would rather stay hurt than accept it. Their pride stands in the way. Lucifer, who was closest to God, had this pride issue. Jesus, on the other hand, who was God, opted for humility and became a human, tortured, humiliated and died as a human. He sacrificed Himself to us "petty humans". He made Himself "smaller" so to speak. To believe in God means to let yourself be the sheep, and have Lord as your Shepard. That means accepting that you don't know everything, but still believing in His capability to lead you, to accept Christ as your head, although you don't have all the answers and at the same time, exactly because of that. You get in touch with your humility, which becomes the state of your soul, in which you can accept God's love. And when you do that, you make yourself open to receive God's forgiveness and mercy that wash away your sin. Prideful people don't want forgiveness and they don't ask for it. They wouldn't want God even if they had all the evidence presented. I strongly believe that those are the ones who will burn in the lake of fire, by their own free will. Others will probably end up in Purgatory or something where they will face the same issue, this time without life's usual distractions that momentarily make things less hard, but also without the constant support of the Church community and Sacramental life. That's why it is so important to pray for the souls that are now in purgatory, and living people who struggle with their faith. We will all end up there (except if you are a saint), so I hope I'll have someone to pray for me when I die.
Personally, as an Atheist, I like this conception of Hell. It sounds more consistent than an eternal torture chamber designed by an omnibenevolent being.
I think, barring some outrageously drastic circumstances, if this perspective is correct I'm 100% damned. "letting myself be a sheep", to paraphrase your comment, is something I just can't see myself doing. I can't conceive of a way of doing so which I wouldn't find degrading and debasing in the extreme. In that way, I would be choosing "non serviam", and quite rightly that would bar me from Heaven (which is just a place where people spend eternity worshiping God anyway, which sounds like the 2nd worst way to spend forever)
Despite that, I'm in a similar position that Fr. Hicks was in when he was an atheist: Catholic girlfriend whom I love deeply and support by going to Mass with her and singing hymns with her (she's in the choir and likes when I practice with her, despite how much worse I am at singing xD).
In having this relationship, it's shifted my position insofar as I now *hope* that I'm wrong and that Heaven & Hell exist; because I'm fine with my particular mental framework condemning me to the latter, if it means the woman I love has a chance to enjoy the former.
We’re in the Bible is that? Bible says clearly that hell is a place for demons to be punished don’t change biblical doctrine to sound nice: Matthew 25:46 ESV / 1,577 helpful votes
And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal
@@EspadaKing777The generic hellfire and brimstone is why I hate the Southern Baptist Convention with a passion. All I ever saw was some trick used to drag in unwilling convert children. One can call me a reddit fedora tipper. One cannot switch off my childhood encounters.
He believes in hell, but not heaven. Interesting.
Good point!
He should check out Pascal's Wager - a bet on the Christian God.
I see the realism of despicable acts in the world and that convinces me of a tangible evil and hell. That realism in turn informs me search for truth, one truth. That I believe is the one Roman Catholic Church...
Yah, it's odd. If there is negative there must be postive
For the majority of Atheists who still fear Hell it because it's an irrational fear that is a leftover from a heavily indoctrinatied childhood.
The worst moment for an atheist is when he feels grateful and has nobody to thank…. Gentleman believe me HE exists. Ask HIM to prove HIMSELF to you so as to believe.
What do you mean nobody to thank? Wouldn’t they have so many people to thank? This reminds me of the meme where an atheist thanks Jésus at supper time, the Mexican farmer who grew the food on his plate.
I tried to get the so called "door" to unlock. The one holy men says Jesus knocks on. It never worked a day in my life.
What a beautiful response. Amen brothers
A god who would torture you for eternity for exercising your free will (which he deliberately gave you) to not believe in him, is not a god deserving of worship.
Fear is what makes people believe in god. They are scared to question their beliefs because of the idea of hell for being wrong. Its not a coincidence that most people that turn to god at a time of desperation. The idea of god gives people false hope and takes advantage over them when they are vulnerable and scared. Making them delusional.
Exactly this is why i never repent or believe in him, i would rather do any sort of evil crimes for life than pray.
Just graduated from PSU this May. The Willard Preacher is still going strong!
IDK, but someone who was raised to be an athiest and was not exposed to Jesus Christ, like my son's gf, I can understand it. Doesn't mean we can't try to convert her or at least expose her enough to put some doubt on her stance. 😁🙏❤
She doesn't know all the prayers and novena's I've prayed for her! 🙏
I feel for your son. My wife is an atheist, but is very much a cultural Christian. Christmas is her favorite holiday, she hates abortion, she watched and enjoyed a movie about the New Testament, but whenever I discuss with her the idea of God she cringes and says it’s a weird topic and doesnt believe there is a God. To her Jesus is a cool guy like Gandalf, and likes the tenants of Christianity and it’s holidays, but she thinks it’s just a fun myth.
This is why it’s so important to marry a catholic so there’s no confusion and you can raise your kids catholic
@@quaintcatholiccottage183George Carlin was raised Catholic. It accelerated his atheism and led him to build a career on telling dirty jokes.
I’m definitely not a Feeneyite, but I do feel like “baptism of desire” and “invincible ignorance” are EXTREMELY overused terms. If someone commits a heinously grave sin, then the burden of proof is on anyone who would want to prove he/she is in Heaven. Not saying definitively that they’re in hell, but it’s a logical conclusion. Yes, we’re not supposed to go around condemning everyone, but we don’t have to exonerate them all either! PS: this isn’t about anything Matt or Fr. said, just a thought.
Short answer: Yes
Long answer: Yes
Nope
📖John 14:6 Jesus said, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” John 3:5 Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit.”
Mattt's little prayer, "Lord, if You exist, show me in a way I'll understand," is a great way to respond to the atheists and satanists who troll social media just to attack God.
gonna try it myself! I don't pretend that I think it will work, but I would be remiss if I didn't at least attempt it and I'm open to being surprised.
@@EspadaKing777 update us please:)
@@fabianradomski3178 well if God did do something, it was something too subtle for me to notice as I'm still waiting. I prayed the rosary for a bit to see if that would help, and it didn't seem to. Hard to keep up a habit when it feels like talking to yourself/the wall.
People often forget that God is someone
Being someone means being someone who is determined by the past.
So let's see how the past moves that someone through time.
About the Willard Building Guy… Ive seen him quite often whenever my calculus class happens, and that stuff is the exact kind of thing he would say. He comes off as a little weird though, but there are usually 1-3 students who listen to him at one time. I’ve even seen him chatting and patiently listening to students ask him questions too.
I don’t usually stick around to hear his stuff but if anyone is interested the willard building is on the lawn of the Patee/Paterno library uphill from the big gates on S. Allen St and the corner room. This will most likely get buried, but if anyone is actually on campus for whatever reason he is usually active between 3:00 and 5:00 PM on weekdays…
Short answer: No.
Long answer: Yes, but only for as long as it takes for you to call on the name of the Lord Jesus and be rescued.
So you're telling me someone is kind , polite , respectful , helpful to people and is in general a good human being yet he / she / they are sent to hell just cuz they didn't believe in a sky wizard type of being? Unfair.
@@eman-tz9hh no, that's not what I am saying.
1 John 2:22 “Who is the liar? It is whoever denies that Jesus is the Christ. Such a person is the antichrist-denying the Father and the Son. 23 No one who denies the Son has the Father; whoever acknowledges the Son has the Father also.”
John 3:5,6,7 Truly I tell you, no one can enter the Kingdom of God unless he is born of water and Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but spirit gives birth to spirit.You should not be surprised at my saying. You must be born again.
Jesus says "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."
Yes......even the Muslims, Hindus, Jews, Protestants etc....who enter heaven it will be through Jesus.
@@cheechak481 are you implying that, though they don’t believe the truth of the gospel, Christ will save them sort of behind the scenes? Or what do you mean by that?
@@sethgilbert1086 Though Salvation is only through Jesus Christ. The Church recognizes that a loving God does not condemn those who are innocently ignorant of the truth about his offer of salvation "may" also be saved.
Catechism of the Catholic Church (quoting Vatican II document Lumen Gentium, 16) states: Those who, through no fault of their own, do not know Christ and his Church: Those who, through no fault of their own, do not know the Gospel of Christ or his Church, but who nevertheless seek God with a sincere heart, and, moved by grace, try in their actions to do his will as they know it through the dictates of their conscience-those too may achieve eternal salvation. (CCC 847)
Alot of priests talk about God's mercy but not much on God's justice. Do atheists deserve to go to heaven if they have no faith in God, don't love God, and have not desired heaven or prepared themselves for it??? Is not a loving God just as well as being mercyfull? If God is just, he gives people what they deserve based on what they have done and failed to do as well as their faith and the love they have for God and man.
THE most critical question deserves an answer with certainty and God's Truth. Respectfully our clergy must stop softening the Truth bc it becomes a lie.
I think everybody is pulled at by God or some divine force… if God is real I hope he does have mercy because it’s hard to believe in God with the realities & nuances of life sometimes.
You only have to ask Him to reveal Himself to you. GOD bless you for watching this and searching for Him. That means He is calling you. I will pray for you, dear Brother. I promise God is real. JESUS CHRIST died for your sins and wants to make you a Saint....much love to you. Focus on the things above.
@@christinelivebird Thank you for your positive comment.
St. Paul argues that people have no excuse for rejecting the existence of God. Romans 1:18-20
Dear MilitantGreen, our loving God is gentle and is calling you to Himself.
As Jesus promised, 'Ask, and you will receive; seek and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened to you.'
Hang on and be prepared for your life to change if you call to Him. He will draw you from the world.
@@paulcjakubik217 How would you recommend "calling" or "knocking on the door". I'm just looking for a general procedure, I have no idea how people actually go about praying (besides what I've see in films)
God bless you father Boniface
I hope it won't be too late. Imagine anyone trying to learn to swim when he/she is about to drown.
God has designed the System perfectly, Anyone who wants salvation will receive it, anyone who doesn't want it, won't be forced into it
@@stephenkaake7016 One can not be rich by just wanting it, you need to do something about it, in the same manner, one can not just gain salvation just by wanting it, you also need to do something about it.
Revelation 21:8
But as for the cowardly, *the faithless*, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.
The fear of hell is a way of helping someone stay close to God or get close to Him. It seems so common today, out of a fear of offending, for Christians to actually use what the Holy Ghost is doing in someone's life. This man basically stated that he had a legitimate concern, and instead he was told that God is compassionate.
Don't get me wrong. The other stuff said was gold - telling him to try and pray. But I do think we can show that there is always hope and mercy while still giving a stern loving warning that hell is a real possibility for everyone - especially those who never pray.
We must first and foremost correct the flawed understanding of hell. It is not a literal lake of fire where people get sent to against their will rather is it the absence of God that is chosen definitively by the person even while God has done everything to get that person to himself. That is hell
Just answer the question directly
Disappointing. Too much emphasis is placed upon the sacraments being the ordinary means and there being the possibility of other means. It is safer for souls to assume that there are no other means. We are only saved by Grace. Even the extraordinary means are by Grace. It is just that Christ MAY bring you into the Church in some other unknown means at your death(akin to baptism by desire - such deathbed occurrences have been talked about through private revelation but were the result of much prayer and sacrifice by a loved one for that person). If we were to count on such things, we would be committing the sin of presumption (I say this in a general sense and direct the accusation at no one). Father, why didn't you just say that the general answer is 'yes - without the Grace of the sacraments you can't join Christ's mystical Body, which is the"door to the sheepfold" and therefore can't go to heaven. Only one other place to go.' After this, continuing with the beauty of eternal happiness with God, in His Kingdom, and the Hope for this given to us by Christ, through His Church, which is His Kingdom and His Body, would have rounded out the answer, and, by God's Grace, MAY have put this chap on the path to heaven. Don't be afraid to tell the Truth, and when you do, tell it properly.
@Amicus N it looks like we are going to disagree on this. I acknowledge everything you said, though my YT app makes it impossible to view all of your points as I amtyping my response, so my apologies for not responding to all of your points.
Pius Xi, I think, talked about the scenario of invincible ignorance, which was reiterated by VII, but not to the contrary of "outside of the Church, there is No Salvation" which remains the teaching of the Church. There is a difference between declaring someone in Hell, and defining what leads people to Hell. Christ Himself, in the parable about the 10 Virgins, alludes to the necessity of Grace (oil in the lamp), though, to be fair, the foolish Virgins were baptised, as indicated by the fact they had a lamp at all, but didn't maintain a life of Grace, so this scenario is only loosely related to what I am saying. The Church always emphasised the necessity of Missionary work as these Aztecs and Koreans weren't being saved (generally, not specifically). I am pretty sure I have heard Fathers talk about how God does not owe us salvation, though I couldn't begin to remember where, hence why I stayed the assumption (in response to the atheist's position, but his specific soul). It is true, in cases of invincible ignorance, there might be a chance they were saved, but these would have had to have lived a life (or at least ended their ) aligned with natural law and would have had to have been open to Christ - something that many theologians have conceded would be hard to do. Anyway, I am starting to ramble, I have no references to hand, and I have other things to get into, so I am going to throw the ball back in your court, if you wish to say another word on this, but then otherwise tap-out of this one. Best wishes
It does not help atheists or agnostics to equivocate over Hell. Our Lord mentions its existence many times; as do the Saints in word and vision; Our Blessed Mother speaks often of Hell and purgatory in revelation. The dread of Hell is a raising of conscience; a siren of warning. The presence of a Hell in so many religions signifies its engraving into the deep conscience of Man. Through acceptance of the Lord’s Grace and His alone can we be spared. This is the very essence of the Gospel.
Romans 1:18-20 "18 The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of people, who suppress the truth by their wickedness, 19 since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. 20 For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities-his eternal power and divine nature-have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse."
So do we go to hell or not ?
It wasn't clearly answered
Sorta: "All we offer in the Church is the ordinary means of salvation". God ultimately is the one calling the shots, and He may choose to save anyone He seems fit; that, however, in no way gives _you_ any concrete guarantees that _you_ yourself will be saved - and, truth be told, it seems more likely you won't...
@@thstroyur
I don't know how you can affiliate yourself with such an entity. I don't how one can characterize a loving God and believe in the reality of hell simultaneously. I really don't get it.
Eternal punishment for a finite crime is not synonymous with "God of love".
@@lebogangjr1286 Changing subject, I see; well, first things first: if God and this Hell place exist, then it doesn't matter what you or I believe in or affiliate to - that'd be a brute fact, and facts say feelings be damned. Secondly is the "love" thing, which culture portrays as fuzzy-wuzzy tickles that make you warm inside, and as such worthless; real love entails, i.a., mercy _and_ justice (no _or_ there). Next is "eternal punishment for a finite crime", which assumes the truth of what I call the "cosmic jailer thesis", which legalistically stipulates God is basically a cosmic bully who throws into jail all the people who don't happen to observe His seemingly arbitrary moral and soteriological criteria; Christians, I'd say, are more inclined towards a "cosmic savior thesis", in which Hell may be appreciated as the natural endpoint of a fallen world (which is so in many ways, including according to the 2nd Law of Thermodynamics, and the biology of your own inexorable death) which we're inertially headed to, but which _may_ be subverted by God's intervention (enter the Christ with His eyes like blazing fire, His many-crowned head, and a robe dipped in blood [see Revelation 19:11-16]), provided we don't reject the hand that is raised towards us
@@thstroyur
Changing subject? Well, no we are still on the subject of Hell. I asked a question previously, you answered and now I'm asking another. I don't see the issue.
I don't see how Christian God isn't consistent with the cosmic jailor thesis. In pretty much every Biblical description of Hell it is described as a place of torment [Luke 16:23, Rev 14:10], weeping, [Matthew 13:42], burning [Many many verses] etc.
It is explicitly described it to be place that no one wants to be in. So either the Christian which subscribe to this so called 'cosmic saviour thesis' are wrong or the Bible is. Which is It?
@@lebogangjr1286 "I don't see the issue" Didn't say there is one
"It is explicitly described it to be place that no one wants to be in. So either the Christian which subscribe to this so called 'cosmic saviour thesis' are wrong or the Bible is. Which is It?" You set that up as a false dichotomy - which, again, is done by _presupposing_ the truth of the cosmic jailer thesis (CJT, for short). My point in introducing the CJT and the CST is to show that the Bible is what it is, what changes is one's approach towards it (which in this case is more emotional than intellectual, so this isn't 'hermeneutics' per se, but close to). You read Scripture via the lens of the CJT and find it objectionable - the question is, is the CJT you're using good exegesis, or does it provide a better picture than the CST's? You tried to impose tyranny into God by saying that Hell is the "place that no one wants to be in"; well, so what? Suicidal ideation aside, nobody really wants to die--but there we go, it is the way of the world. This is stringent when you realize you can't really call someone a 'tyrant' when all that person did was warn another of, say, the dangers of a premature death by chainsmoking. If you can challenge your own preconceptions, try studying the Bible with the CST as a backdrop, and see how coherent the picture is--and how long Dawkins' bully strawman lasts...
The answer is yes.
I would love to have a beard like that
God is the final judge I pray for all to one day no and live his infinite mercy
Do you think it is just for the god of the Bible to send people to Hell simply because they are not convinced of its existence?
@@drewdrake9130 , I'm Catholic and I think that anyone can to Heaven if they're good people. What I mean is that if your kind, caring, respectful, accepting people, I think you'll go to Heaven. I think that Christians, Catholics, Buddhists, Jews, Muslims, etc. Can go to Heaven. This is includes Atheists, Agnostics, Deists, etc.
@@MrFossil367ab45gfyth
Do you believe a hell exists?
@@drewdrake9130 , yes I believe that a Hell might exist "just like a Heaven and Purgatory".
@@MrFossil367ab45gfyth
Sorry, this seems weird
You believe hell might exist, and heaven and Purgatory might exist as well?
Or, do you believe heaven and Purgatory exist?
Sorry I'm confused
“Since Christ died for all, and since all men are in fact called to one and the same destiny, which is divine, we must hold that the Holy Spirit offers to all the possibility of being made partakers, in a way known to God, of the Paschal mystery. Every man who is ignorant of the Gospel of Christ and of His church but seeks the truth and does the will of God in accordance with his understanding of it, can be saved. It may be supposed that such persons would have desired baptism explicitly if they had known its necessity” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1260).
Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence in the presence of God. - 1 John 3:21
I love my Jesus my saver my lord not going to gamble on my soul in you shouldn't not gamble yours he'll is forever not 999 years but forever accept Jesus now for tomorrow not promiss to you 🙏
I once befriended an atheist (teacher)
Who also was not convinced of God’s existence. His belief was basically, I lead an altruistic and moral life and if God exists( which He does) then He is just and will not send me to hell.
How would an atheist explain scientifically proven Eucharistic miracles around the world?
No "miracle" has ever been scientifically proven.
@@colinmatts yes, a strong logical inference can be made. Type: 4 Eucharist miracles in the 21st century. If they are “approved” by the church that means the scientific inquiry has concluded. By the way, the scientific inquiry is not made by priests who have a science degree.
@@arkofthecovenant6235 You cannot infer something you haven't demonstrated to exist. Approved by the church is not scientific proof
Expected more from this channel…way to make Jesus’ death irrelevant. Yes, God is mercy but you have to make a choice…it’s not grey.
It is grey. For example, those whom have no education or sufficient education on it, or babies who die in the womb, etc etc. Many greys
Atheism is the lack of belief in a God/s, not the belief that there is no God/s. Where an agnostic would say "I don't know" an atheist would say "I don't think so, but it's possible". I was raised secular and this was something that is always perceived the wrong way. As of now though I am looking into becoming a believer, but am stuck between the catholic and orthodox churches. Hard decision to be made.
If you do not believe in God then what makes you afraid of Hell? God revealed there is a Hell.
You have a “seed” of faith in you. God is pursuing you because He loves you beyond your comprehension.
How you ever watched a scary movie and felt fearful after? Does that mean that you believe the movie is real and happening in your house?
@@questionasker8791...terrible analogy. To your question....no. While watching the movie I might have been scared but after leaving the theater those feelings do not linger.
For this person to have a deep fear of Hell and to call in with this statement means something much deeper is touching his/her heart: God.
@@marteld2108 It's just to demonstrate that people do have irrational fears.
@@questionasker8791 so fear of punishment for our misdeeds is irrational?
@@TrendyWeb1 How do you define misdeeds?
So eternal conscious torment is okay of people “don’t really try”?
What kind of an "atheist" is afraid of eternal hellfire? This question just made me laugh.
The kind that was Pascal's Wagered, but can't shake off OCD, trauma responses, or paranoid schizophrenia.
The Willard Preacher. Yes, from what I remember of him, he thinks that you, as Roman Catholics, are going to Hell. A reason why, on the days I'm a believer, I'm convinced that something like modified universalism is true.
Re Pascal's Wager, it's never between two. It's between and among Roman Catholicism, Protestant fundamentalism, countless other Protestant sects, Mormonism, Judaism, Islam, etc. etc.
God's mercy is wonderful, but what's the point in following Christ's teachings at all if everyone has the potential to be saved even when they deny Him? I hope and pray that people finally give themselves over to Him even if it takes until the moment of death. However, the Bible made it clear throughout the Old and New Testaments that there are people that will deny Him even in death and will be cast into Hell. There are multiple books in the Old Testament about the Jews witnessing miracles but still disobeying Him. I pray that people turn to God every day, but the fact is many won't. It breaks my heart that my sister is damning herself to Hell by rejecting Him, but ultimately that's what she decided. I pray for her intensely but that won't matter if she continues to willingly close her eyes to the Truth. To the questioner, He's out there and you know it. If you fear Hell so much there's 0 harm in giving yourself over to Him, but consequences of not doing so will burden you for eternity.
Exactly, why do non-members of God's Fan Club receive the same benefits as the already paying subscribers of the Club? Pretty unfair if you ask me, God should punish everyone not in his fan club because you need to join it for the benefit of not falling into the eternal pit of hellfire. Pfft, atheists.
Oh wait, Islam just called and said they're the true Club to join, if not, everyone, including the Christians, burn in hell. Man, what a dilemma i'm facing.
@@KrazyJP4 You have nothing to gain but everything to lose by being Atheist. I'll pray for you.
@@purelysmetalnightcore Thanks bro. I'm sure the Muslims, Jews, Hindus, and other club goers have your best interest at heart too. Peace
The Willard Preacher!! Miss that guy.
We are!
@@maxpetrosky2887 Penn State!
#'Fr'. Boniface Hicks, OSB ...you're not a Catholic
Pope Pius IX, First Vatican Council, Session 3, On Revelation, Can. 1:
“If anyone shall have said that the one true God, our Creator and Lord, cannot be known with certitude by those things which have been made, by the natural light of human reason: let him be anathema.”
Pope Pius IX, First Vatican Council, Session 3, On God the Creator, Can. 1:
“If anyone shall have denied the one true God, Creator and Lord of visible and invisible things: let him be anathema.”
Council of Florence. Cantate Domino.
His Holiness Pope Eugene IV.
It (The Holy Roman Church) firmly believes, professes, and proclaims that those not living within the Catholic Church, not only pagans, but also Jews and heretics and schismatics cannot become participants in eternal life, but will depart “into everlasting fire which was prepared for the devil and his angels”, unless before the end of life the same have been added to the flock; and that the unity of the ecclesiastical body is so strong that only to those remaining in it are the sacraments of the Church of benefit for salvation, and do fastings, almsgiving, and other functions of piety and exercises of Christian service produce eternal reward, and that no one, whatever almsgiving he has practiced, even if he has shed blood for the name of Christ, can be saved, unless he has remained in the bosom and unity of the Catholic Church.
Yes.
Am I being uncharitable for crying out to people that their eternal salvation are at risk as everyone else
for christian, believer, non believer; we are all can be lost but who would be in the best and only place for healing and salvation after all?
If I am may God forgive me.
Even Dawkins said that the existence of God is possible, though (according to him) highly unlikely.
whats the probability of Dawkins existing? odds can only be calculated based off available knowledge, he makes dumb probability arguments based off his ignorance
Revelation 20:10 “And the devil, who deceived them, was thrown into the lake of burning sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet had been thrown. They will be tormented day and night for ever and ever. 11 Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. The earth and the heavens fled from his presence, and there was no place for them. 12 And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books. 13 The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what they had done. 14 Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death. 15 Anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire.”
Bible copy and paste?
I believe if god is real and does actually love everyone only truly bad people would go to hell, let’s say someone was a good person their entire life but was a aethiest, would they go to hell just because they where a aeithiest?
I once joked from auto repair.
I said ""The shinto and zen Buddhist show a huge commitment to thou shalt not steal. Often more than the God squad of Detroit Michigan."
Better question would be; Why are you scared of hell if atheism tells us that there is NO God therefore the existence of hell is irrelevant?
Atheism does tell us there is no God.
The reason to not be scared of hell, is there is no evidence for it.
OCD and paranoid schizophrenia.
Would have loved to see scripture quoted in that response.
I dont know why Christian youtubers don't go to scripture to respond to these. And maybe they did on the 2 hour version of this interview bit this seems to be a question that could be entirely answered with scripture
regarding the privilege way and the right to practice other religions
for example about the muhammadan, Vatican 2 says "they together are worship the One True God along with us" what? have you read the Quran, they reject and deny Christ's Divinity, His death and the crucifixion and the redemption and the Resurrection again and again and blasphemed Him as being mere human and the Blessed Mother as being a mother of mere human person and they blasphemed the Holy Trinity they say again and again that God has no son
do you think that by worship Satan who pretend to be God and therefore they worship the One true God along with us?
let listen to what the saints says about them, shall we?
“Whoever does not embrace the Catholic Christian faith is lost, like your false prophet Muhammad.” -St. Peter Mavimenus (d. 8th century), martyr from Gaza
“We profess Christ to be truly God and your prophet to be a precursor of the Antichrist and other profane doctrine.”-Sts. Habenitus, Jeremiah, Peter, Sabinian, Walabonsus, and Wistremundus (d. 851), martyrs of Cordoba, Spain.
“Any cult which denies the divinity of Christ, does not profess the existence of the Holy Trinity, refutes baptism, defames Christians, and derogates the priesthood, we consider to be damned.”-Sts. Aurelius, Felix, George, Liliosa, and Natalia (d. 852), martyrs of Cordoba, Spain.
Even if all the things contained in his law were fables in philosophy and errors in theology, even for those who do not possess the light of reason, the very manners (Islam) teaches are from a school of vicious bestialities. (Muhammad) did not prove his new sect with any motive, having neither supernatural miracles nor natural reasons, but solely the force of arms, violence, fictions, lies, and carnal license. It remains an impious, blasphemous, vicious cult, an innovention of the devil, and the direct way into the fires of hell. It does not even merit the name of being called a religion.”-St. Juan de Ribera (d.1611), Archbishop of Valencia, missionary to Spanish Muslims, and organizer of the Muslim expulsions of 1609 from Spain.
Now how can you make a square circle with that incompatible and inconsistency and incontinuity between the teaching of the saints and the fathers and doctors of the church and tradition with Vatican 2
and thank be to God for the Saracens and their diabolical and evil doctrine that help me understand the catholic doctrine of Extra Ecclesiam nulla salus outside the Church there is no salvation in a real way and realistic approach.
Whose existence of the two are you more sure of?
Your parents or Jesus?
If a person does not believe in God and does not believe in Heaven, how can they possibly go to God's home. Even if they could enter Heaven, they would feel totally uncomfortable and desire to get out, as they have absolutely nothing in common with others there. That only leaves Hades for the soul to depart to. Followed by the resurrection unto judgement at the great White Throne before the God who they rejected in life.
Question ❓ would any parents. Have their Children resight this:
Now I lay me down to sleep,
I pray the Lord my Soul to keep[;]
If I should die before I 'wake,
I pray the Lord my Soul to take.
Hebrews 10:26 “If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left, 27 but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God. 28 Anyone who rejected the law of Moses died without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. 29 How much more severely do you think someone deserves to be punished who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, who has treated as an unholy thing the blood of the covenant that sanctified them, and who has insulted the Spirit of grace? 30 For we know him who said, “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” and again, “The Lord will judge his people.” 31 It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.”
Yes
This is the safe answer.... This is why some people think there are 2 Gods of new and old testament...Jesus spoke the truth hells waiting for the unbelievers... Simple. Modern left hand balcszar shake will lead you to dispare... Bishop Barron
Some of the early Fathers believed in an "apocatastasis" ie salvation in the end is for everyone and "all things will be restored" (Acts 3:21). Gregory of Nyssa certainly did. Ambrose of Milan suggested it. Origen believed that even Satan will be saved. Scaring people into belief is not a good approach.
Holy COW, that is an impressive beard!
Ha I was thinking the same thing.
Christ is not a privilege way or one path among others many paths that lead to God
No, He is the Only Way to the Father and for those who are willingly deny and reject Him will not and cannot be saved.
We forget that we own God justice that is due to Him that is to know and to love and to serve Him, to worship and give thank to Him and worship no one else except Him as the Being who is worthy of worship and as a justice and obligation to Him as the Creator for us creature to worship Him and serve Him and for His sake and not for the sake of our own good first of all but for the glory of God
this is the fundamental error of modernism is that it's a self centered not God centered
we forget the very basic doctrine in our modern catechesis today that is
I AM the Lord "your God" you shall have no other gods before Me.
It matter and radically different to be Christian than not to be, Christ is the necessity and not an option to choose among different paths
No, He is the only way to the Father
I am the Way the Truth the Life no one and *no one can come to the Father except through Me.
He is not a privilege way He is the necessity and the only way
for otherwise it would be insulting to God and to His faithful people for all of their sacrifices. even for christian there is still a risk for their salvation for their transgression and sin but for at least they believe in God and can seek His forgiveness and for those who are not christian you are not just at risk for your salvation you're in an emergency situation to put it rightly
people like Jordan Peterson who speaks that i act as if God exists or as if to say I'll do it on my way,
Don't understand that Life is not about you and never be it's all about God who is the center of the Universe and not you and not your way but His way and not your will but His will.
There is an atheist who say he won't believe even if he stands before God
and do you think that person can or will enter the heaven?
Eternal torment is morally wicked and unfitting of our Lord, who is Himself the Good. Scripture is clear: all will be reconciled. God will be “all in all” (1 Corinthians 15).
If you are truthful and want to know the truth read the new testment. The book of matthew, mark, luke and John. Ponder on it, take your time
Of course
I think the reasoning behind unbelief being sinful isn’t so much to punish the unbeliever but to warn the unbeliever that such a path moves one farther away from loving God and living a life worthy of eternal life. So, let’s say you’re an atheist and die as an atheist, then you meet God and now you believe. Congrats, does that now mean you’ve lived a life worthy of eternal life with God? Not necessarily. Also, if you’re an atheist and you live your entire life hating the idea of Christianity or view it as “oppressive” (I know #notallatheist) then why would death change that? Faith isn’t a way for God to force his will on us, but a way to help us trust and accept His will. And if we don’t accept His will then we are more likely be consumed by our based instincts, and this is true whether you’re an atheist or theist.
Are the Shinto and Zen Buddhist all running on base instinct?
I worked in auto repair and I suspect not.
Do atheists want heaven? Heaven means humility, obedience and worship of God. God is God, not you. It means praising, serving and worshiping him for all eternity.
In Marino Restrepo's extraordinary conversion story, he saw his sins and was forgiven them, but could not draw near to Jesus because he really didn't know or love him even though he wanted to. That takes time.
I believe Jesus gives everyone on last chance at the moment of death. The problem is, if you are full of sin and completely lack grace, how will you respond if you see yourself in the light of God? Will you beg forgiveness or refuse to admit that you need it and blame god for making you look bad?
I really like this idea.
I must admit, the idea of heaven as eternal (I.e never ending) obeisance and servitude doesn't sound very attractive. If offered the choice between that and exile to some outer darkness, replete with pain and misery... I mean, to me, both options sound awful!
Seems a pity total annihilation of the consciousness isn't an option, because that sounds preferable to either alternative as described.
That’s a good response to challenge the questioners authenticity…flip the script
@@EspadaKing777 Read “The Great Divorce” by C.S. Lewis. It gives a great insight into your line of reasoning and demonstrates an allegorical concept of Heaven and Hell which may help straighten out your misconceptions. If nothing else, it’ll give you something profound to think about. I highly recommend the audiobook version because it isn’t terribly long. It won’t hurt to give it a read/listen.
@@kidus_1010 great recommendation, just finished listening to it (it's available here on UA-cam) and as always C.S Lewis doesn't disappoint.
Would be nice if some post-death offer/offers of salvation of the kind used as metaphor were actually in Catholicism; which (and please correct me if I'm wrong) they are not.
@@EspadaKing777 Well I’m not a Catholic so I couldn’t give you a perfect answer to that (I’m Oriental Orthodox) but I do know that this book along with C.S. Lewis’ other works have been received really well by Catholics and Orthodox alike. It does a really good job of representing the afterlife more accurately overall than some caricatures of it that people may have in their heads. For example many Orthodox are of the opinion that hell isn’t literally being burned by literal fire (that’s more of a Protestant idea) and that it’s more like either the presence of God being hell to a person or the separation from God that is in itself eternal torment because God is the source of all good. Also in Orthodoxy we believe that before the Final Judgement, the living members of the Church can pray for those in hell so they might still be saved by God’s mercy. Here’s a short video that explains a little more on that: ua-cam.com/video/CL33XjqMcck/v-deo.html Anyway I’m glad you liked the book.
The trouble with Pascal's wager is that it requires me to give up my vices if I am to believe God exists. It costs everything. The stakes are as high as any stakes can go when Jesus says he who loses his life for my sake. Don't get me wrong, I'm a cradle Catholic but Pascal's wager is no small thing.
Yes they do
No they don’t
The question itself is incoherent, because if you're an atheist you have no reason to believe in or fear an afterlife of any kind. So the questioner must, it seems, have some doubts about his atheism. So that's where to begin. If he's amenable to reason about the subject, the rational arguments of St. Thomas' five ways should be definitive in proving the existence of God. Then, having established His existence one can move on to His properties, eventually leading to the Christian, and more specifically the Catholic understanding.
Pascal's Wager isn't a proof, but a strategy. It's a game-theoretic Cayley Table, the expectation value of which favors belief in God. It's just a way of saying that belief in God is not an unreasonable idea. Another approach along those lines would be the examination of miracles. Emil Zola went to Lourdes ostensibly to see if anything supernatural was going on there, but when presented evidence of a woman cured of lupus, he refused to look at her. So he went there to confirm his presupposition that nothing supernatural was occurring and wouldn't consider a counterexample. This is precisely the opposite of what the scientific method would dictate. There are now 70 approved miracles at Lourdes. The requirements are that the cure be sudden, complete, and permanent, and that full medical documentation before and after be provided. How reasonable is it to think that nothing supernatural is going on there? If we're 99% skeptical in each individual case (note: can't be 100% because that would be circular reasoning), then the probability that none of the cases is actually miraculous is (99%)^70 = 49.5% . In other words, even at this level of skepticism there's an even chance that at least one of the cases is miraculous. If we're a bit less skeptical, say 95%, the probability of nothing miraculous drops to 2.76%, i.e., there's a 97.24% chance of at least one of these documented cases being miraculous. This is a proof of anything, of course, but a suggestion that belief in the supernatural might not be so very unreasonable, simply because there have been so many of these documented occurrences.
Can a person not believe in ghosts, but still be scared walking around the house late at night after watching a movie about ghosts?
@@questionasker8791 It would be irrational to fear something you're absolutely certain doesn't exist. If it doesn't exist, it can't harm you, so there's nothing to fear. So if one is rational and fears, there must be at least some small doubt about the non-existence. IOW, skepticism rather than disbelief. And as the above statistical example suggests, skepticism erodes quickly upon examination of evidence. If, OTOH, unwinding your analogy, you're suggesting that atheism is irrational, that would be correct. Since the existence of God is knowable through natural reason alone, it is irrational to disbelieve in Him. This poses a bit of a problem for people who label themselves "brights" and claim to be fonts of rationality. So atheists tend to redefine themselves as simply "lacking belief". This is dishonest, but doesn't work anyway. If you lack belief in gravity, you do not thereby begin to float. And if you act in this lack of belief, the consequences can be dire. Similarly one's lack of belief in God does not cause him to wink out of existence, and the consequences of _this_ lack of belief can be dire as well. For example, Marxist regimes, in which state atheism has been enforced, have been the most murderous in human history. For a modern presentation of reasoning for God's existence, I recommend looking up Ed Feser. He was an atheist philosopher who decided to give St. Thomas Aquinas' arguments a fair consideration, and found them sound. He's written several books on the subject, given talks, made YT videos, and has a blog. I'd supply links, but YT tends to delete comments with links in them.
@@m1lkb0n3z Our mind is the result of many, many, many generations who survived past reproduction. These generations have had a survival benefit from overestimating agency. This overestimating agency can also be found in fears to things like TV shows, and fears for things like a God or the devil. The data is well explained on my world view.
@@questionasker8791 Those are your personal ideas, and non-responsive to the objective arguments I have presented. It's only your personal theory as to how ideas may have developed, but there is no factual evidence for it. You're welcome to think that, and others are welcome to propose alternative theories, but what criteria are there to decide among these opinions?
@@m1lkb0n3z Actually no, these ideas are established in fields of psychology, it is not just my personal view.
There are no atheists in a foxhole, as the saying goes.
If you do not want HIM in your life here on Earth... HE will not force you to spend Eternity with HIM in Heaven. Don't be a stranger, get to know your Creator ❤
Weak answer.
not only weak, but false.
@@contrasedevacantism6811 That too 😥
Stop being so judgmental; the Church is ultimately subordinate to God's will, not the other way around - and, just like He may make sons of Abraham out of stones, He may also bring an atheist to Heaven if He sees fit, as unlikely as that might be. Saying so by no means is apologizing for atheism, is merely acknowledging who really is in charge, here
@@thstroyur I’m not being judgmental, if he dies without repenting or believing in Christ he will go to Hell. This is basic Catholicism 101.
@@Libera_nos Again - I'm not here apologizing for atheism; notice the nuance in the previous post
Well if you do not believe, then you put yourself at risk if not accepting it when you are show out of love and have been left the guilt of denying it. I will hope for the conversion of that person, that He accepts the Church and does not risk his soul to hell and being separated for the loving God.
Yes, they do.
No, they don’t
No🤬
I’m scared I want to believe, I really do want to
If you believe in god I’m sure god will believe in you ❤
I felt like I spent my whole life just lacking a mental "belief in God circuit."
@@skylinefever REAL
If you don’t seek a relationship with him on earth, he will not force you to spend eternity with him in heaven and why would you want that?