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Pope Francis: Even Non-Believers Go to Heaven

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/pope-francis-assures-sceptics-you-dont-have-to-believe-in-god-to-go-to-heaven-8810062.html

Fair Use for Education and Discussion Purposes



In comments likely to enhance his progressive reputation, Pope Francis has written a long, open letter to the founder of La Repubblica newspaper, Eugenio Scalfari, stating that non-believers would be forgiven by God if they followed their consciences.

Responding to a list of questions published in the paper by Mr Scalfari, who is not a Roman Catholic, Francis wrote: “You ask me if the God of the Christians forgives those who don’t believe and who don’t seek the faith. I start by saying – and this is the fundamental thing – that God’s mercy has no limits if you go to him with a sincere and contrite heart. The issue for those who do not believe in God is to obey their conscience.

“Sin, even for those who have no faith, exists when people disobey their conscience.”

Robert Mickens, the Vatican correspondent for the Catholic journal The Tablet, said the pontiff’s comments were further evidence of his attempts to shake off the Catholic Church’s fusty image, reinforced by his extremely conservative predecessor Benedict XVI. “Francis is a still a conservative,” said Mr Mickens. “But what this is all about is him seeking to have a more meaningful dialogue with the world.”

In a welcoming response to the letter, Mr Scalfari said the Pope’s comments were “further evidence of his ability and desire to overcome barriers in dialogue with all”.

In July, Francis signalled a more progressive attitude on sexuality, asking: “If someone is gay and is looking for the Lord, who am I to judge him?”


Time absolutely fails me to refute this guy. He will soothe the consciences of untold numbers and thus they will spend eternity in hell. Oh Lord, open his eyes, please and let not his words resonate in this sinful, dying world. The world needs your Truth and that Truth is Jesus Christ.

Keith

Re: Pope Francis: Even Non-Believers Go to Heaven
Re: Pope Francis: Even Non-Believers Go to Heaven

Hi Servant,

Sorry! I must have missed your post. I thought I had looked pretty well to make sure it wasn't already posted.

Either way, my jaw dropped when I read the article. Christ did not die in vain! Only He could take away my sins. They were not taken away by "following my conscience".

Re: Pope Francis: Even Non-Believers Go to Heaven

What a travesty! This pope is very liberal in his views and all inclusive. He's all about "social justice" and everybody goes to heaven... there is no narrow road...Jesus isn't the only way.

What he is preaching is so ****ing to many.

Good one, pope Francis.



The TRUTH is~ ONLY Jesus saves!

Re: Pope Francis: Even Non-Believers Go to Heaven

Shiloh,

That first picture has me belly laughing!!

Have a great evening.

Keith

p.s. I see you're cursing in your posts again....lol!!

Re: Pope Francis: Even Non-Believers Go to Heaven

km, maybe we posted at the same time :)

The last time the pope said atheists could go to heaven, my atheist friends all had a field day with it. Not sure why they care...

Re: Pope Francis: Even Non-Believers Go to Heaven

LOL! WHAT? I don't curse Keith.....are you talking about the thing they had on the world news tonight about how people from Ohio curse the most? Not true!

But sometimes, I feel like Isaiah~

"Woe to me!" I cried. "I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the LORD Almighty." (Isaiah 6:5)

But never in front of people...only in my mind.


Re: Pope Francis: Even Non-Believers Go to Heaven

He was referring to the asterisks that replaced the other word. Sometimes they aren't really necessary and make things appear worse than the original version. Sometimes, using normal language involves asterisks.

Re: Pope Francis: Even Non-Believers Go to Heaven

The belief in Christian universalism, otherwise known as the doctrine of inclusion has been around since Christ. The basic thought I think is this:
If through Adams sin, who was originally without sin, ALL became sinful, then through Yeshua, the second Adam who was without sin, all become righteous. 

Excerpt:
The doctrine of universal salvation (also known as Apokatastasis or Apocatastasis ) has usually been considered through the centuries to be heterodox but has become orthodox. It was maintained by the Second Vatican Council and by Pope John Paul II and it is promoted in the new Catechism of the Catholic Church and in the post-Vatican II liturgy.

Here is an interesting poem written by an author in the 
1800's named Anne Bronte from the same
Website:
A Word to The 'Elect'

You may rejoice to think yourselves secure;
You may be grateful for the gift divine -
That grace unsought, which made your black hearts pure,
And fits your earth-born souls in Heaven to shine.

But, is it sweet to look around, and view
Thousands excluded from that happiness
Which they deserved, at least, as much as you, -
Their faults not greater, nor their virtues less?

And, wherefore should you love your God the more,
Because to you alone his smiles are given;
Because he chose to pass the many o'er,
And only bring the favoured few to Heaven?

And, wherefore should your hearts more grateful prove,
Because for ALL the Saviour did not die?
Is yours the God of justice and of love?
And are your bosoms warm with charity?

Say, does your heart expand to all mankind?
And, would you ever to your neighbor do -
The weak, the strong, the enlightened, and the blind -
As you would have your neighbor do to you?

And, when you, looking on your fellow-men,
Behold them doomed to endless misery,
How can you talk of joy and rapture then? -
May God withhold such cruel joy from me!

That none deserve eternal bliss I know;
Unmerited the grace in mercy given:
But, none shall sink to everlasting woe,
That have not well deserved the wrath of Heaven.

And, oh! there lives within my heart
A hope, long nursed by me;
(And, should its cheering ray depart,
How dark my soul would be!)

That as in Adam all have died,
In Christ shall all men live;
And ever round his throne abide,
Eternal praise to give.

That even the wicked shall at last
Be fitted for the skies;
And, when their dreadful doom is past,
To life and light arise.

I ask not, how remote the day,
Nor what the sinners' woe,
Before their dross is purged away;
Enough for me, to know

That when the cup of wrath is drained,
The metal purified,
They'll cling to what they once disdained,
And live by Him that died.

This is an interesting  website and includes articles as well as the history of Christian Universalism through church history. 
"About us" from the site:
Through years of diligent study of various Bible translations, Greek and Hebrew language studies, reading the writings of the early church leaders and much prayer, we are convinced the Creator of the Universe and his Son, Jesus Christ, have gotten a lot of bad and false publicity, often at the hands of those of us who espouse His name. The Christian and Jewish Scriptures unanimously declare Him to be Omnipotent (all-powerful), Omniscient (all-knowing), Omnipresent, Just, One Whose mercy endures forever (Psalm 136) and Whose wrath will come to an end. (Isa. 57:16) More importantly, the Scriptures declare His very nature to be Love, but a love much higher than the Love man is capable of expressing apart from Him. He is unconditional Love, a Love which will lay down His life for His enemies. This love was demonstrated almost 2000 years ago through His Son, Jesus Christ. We feel much of the teachings perpetuated in His name do not reflect these attributes and His nature and therefore are false.

http://www.tentmaker.org/articles/universal_salvation_roman_catholic.html

"Fair use for educational and discussion purposes."

Email: GodIsLove5bc@gmail.com

Re: Pope Francis: Even Non-Believers Go to Heaven

Hasn't this been said already weeks ago? Something like: 'If you're an atheist but you're a good person, you'll go to Heaven.'?

"For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:

Not of works, lest any man should boast." Ephesians 2:8-9 (KJV)

If one doesn't believe and has no interest in doing so either, how can the same have faith?

Oh, and Shiloh, wow.

Re: Pope Francis: Even Non-Believers Go to Heaven

That was a really interesting history, Godislove, thanks!

BrotherJohn, it was posted before, but then the vatican came out and said the pope was mistaken, you do have to believe in God. Now the pope is saying it again.

Re: Pope Francis: Even Non-Believers Go to Heaven

LOL, kmdickinson, I didn't know what you were talking about...lol...that wasn't a curse word at all....lololol...I see it was blocked, but now that it's been blocked, it DOES look like it would have been a curse word. Unnecessary censorship.
Okay, David R. Got it. Those asteriks didn't appear when I had originally read km's post. That's why I didn't know what he was talking about b/c it wasn't a curse word.

Re: Pope Francis: Even Non-Believers Go to Heaven

Well, he's right and he's wrong. Paul says in Romans that before the Law came through Moses, men were governed by their conscience. God will Judge those who died before Moses by their own conscience (Romans 2:14-16).

However, that's not a free ticket into Heaven, because the conscience comes into play *after* you've sinned. You tell a lie and then you feel guilt. Often, your conscience tells you not to do something before you do it yet you do it anyway.

I found it interesting that Paul confirms the Holy Spirit's work within himself in Romans 9:1 because his conscience is clear. In other words, he knows he's not lying because he's not plagued with "liar's guilt".

Now that we have the Law of God, however, we shall all be judged by it. Unfortunately, the wording of the Pope's message makes it sound like God will forgive those who live by their conscience. False hope to itching ears.

~~Becka

Email: rebeccagoings@gmail.com

Website: yahwehishisname.blogspot.com

Re: Pope Francis: Even Non-Believers Go to Heaven

while The Pope's wooing the world ~~ Jesus seemed to be praying just the opposite:

"I pray not for the world, but for them which you have given me; for they are yours, and all things that are Mine are Yours, and Yours are Mine; and I have been glorified in them.… ". . John 17:16

Sounds to me like the Lord Jesus Christ offered this prayer for His people alone who are believers; not for the world did He pray ~~ too, a true believer uses his 'conscience' knowing that he is unworthy to come to Jesus in his own name~~

Re: Pope Francis: Even Non-Believers Go to Heaven

What is wrong with this pope? Why do we keep hearing these stories? Talk about sending people to hell on an E-ticket...

In the words of the immortal Susan Powter: "Stop the madness!"

Re: Pope Francis: Even Non-Believers Go to Heaven

Ravi Zacharias was asked the question of whether those who have never heard of the Gospel will make it to heaven. His answer was that we should trust God when it comes to matters of justice because His ways are superior to ours. If we find it unjust that God would judge those who have never heard of the Judeo-Christian God, then how much more God whose mind we cannot even begin to comprehend?

Romans 1:20 tells us that God's invisible qualities are evident in His creation. People really have no excuse not to believe in a God because life and the mechanism that supports are so complex and it would be foolish to believe that it all happened by random chance.

And I think it's the only qualifier for those who had lived and died in the remote places of the earth with no connection to the outside world whatsoever. Their circumstances allowed their conscience to play a role in salvation because in the absence of the Word, the conscience given by God is enough for man to recognize the existence of a Creator.

On the other hand, if you have heard of the Gospel but continue to resist it, there's nothing much left for you but the "blackness of darkness forever". That's why God hates Mystery Babylon more than anything. Mystery Babylon represents those who have been privileged to hear God's Word but have opted to trample it down and tweak its message instead.

As I was studying Genesis, I realized that the Garden of Eden still existed prior to the Flood. People weren't allowed to enter it but they could see the Shekinah Glory from afar. And yet Cain and his descendants continued with their rebellious ways, settling as far to the east as possible and even mating with the fallen angels.

God hates those who insist in their own understanding in spite of His revelation. The same thing happened during the Tower of Babel where people chose to go their own path despite having heard the first-hand accounts of Noah and his sons of the reality of God's existence.

Re: Pope Francis: Even Non-Believers Go to Heaven

We ought to pray for the lost to be rescued from the broad road, ~~~ but to herald that a soul is saved by his own interpretation of 'conscience'? can't find that applicable according to the narrow way Jesus saves ~

~~ God Almighty woo'd by our consciences? The Father is woo'd by His Son's work @ the Cross and His shed Blood granting Christ's Grace and Mercy to souls saved IN HIM ~~ The Bible is so clear, a believer does not trust his 'conscience' to save his soul~~

Re: Pope Francis: Even Non-Believers Go to Heaven

Donna, I didn't mean to say that conscience is what saves a man. I'm just saying that if you didn't have the privilege of hearing about the Judeo-Christian God, your conscience and your natural mental faculty should lead you to believe that God exists and the least you could do is acknowledge that and humble yourself before the Creator. This is consistent with Romans 1:20.

I used to struggle with this because from history, I learned that before the Spaniards came to our country in the 16th century, my ancestors had their own set of beliefs pertaining to a Creator. Upon studying the Bible and hearing Billy Graham and Ravi Zacharias' take on this matter, I came to the conclusion that God is not as legalistic as we thought Him to be. Of course this doesn't excuse us from preaching the Gospel to the ends of the earth. :)

Re: Pope Francis: Even Non-Believers Go to Heaven

I understand what you're saying, Sammy,~~ I wrote my reply before I read yours ~

~ no doubt God delights in a soul truly searching for the One True God and Savior ~~

will the Lord not illuminate such a soul ~~ God is a Father of Good gifts ~~ amen, dear brother~

~ It is amazing, too how technology (short wave radio, for example), is making way for the Truth to be heard around the world ~~ another 'sign' Jesus is returning~

Re: Pope Francis: Even Non-Believers Go to Heaven

Amen, Donna. God loves those who seek Him with their whole heart and soul. :)

Re: Pope Francis: Even Non-Believers Go to Heaven

We should pray for this Pope. Seriously. If he continues in this vein, then on Judgment Day it would be better for him if a millstone was placed about his neck and he was cast into the depths of the sea. He's causing a LOT of God's little ones to stumble.


~~Becka

Email: rebeccagoings@gmail.com

Website: yahwehishisname.blogspot.com

Re: Pope Francis: Even Non-Believers Go to Heaven

Yes: please pray for him! My goodness, he certainly appears to be a wolf wearing wool, doesn't he? Oh, dear...

Email: sylvarin@gmail.com

Re: Pope Francis: Even Non-Believers Go to Heaven

I dont know if anyone mentioned this already but maybe this is what the Bible refers to as the apostasy or falling away in the last days.Maybe people believe
they don't have to believe in God to be saved.What?????Craziness!

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