God Will "forgive" Them As Long As They Live According To Their Consciences.

[swathdiver]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/religion/the-pope/10302850/Pope-Francis-reaches-out-to-atheists-and-agnostics.html

 

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

 

Excerpts:

 

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.” 

 

the Vatican's newly-nominated secretary of state, said that the rule that priests should be celibate was not "a dogma of the Church" and could be open for discussion.

 

Francis, who has won praise for spontaneous and unusual moves during his six month papacy, wrote a lengthy letter to a newspaper, La Repubblica, which the Italian daily printed over four pages, including page one, under the simple byline "Francesco".

 

"God forgives those who obey their conscience," he wrote in the unprecedented letter, the latest example of the markedly different tone and style from his predecessors that he has set since being elected in March.

The 76-year-old pontiff was responding to editorials written in July and August by Eugenio Scalfari, an agnostic and the paper's founder, in which he was asked whether "the Christian God forgives those who do not believe and do not seek faith".

 

Mr Scalfari said he had not expected the South American pope to respond "so extensively and so affectionately, with such fraternal spirit".

 

The Pope wrote: "The question for those who do not believe in God is to follow their own conscience. Sin, even for a non-believer, is when one goes against one's conscience.

 

"To listen and to follow your conscience means that you understand the difference between good and evil."

He said that the "mercy of God has no limits" and encompassed even non-believers, but his remarks failed to impress the Italian Union of Atheists and Agnostics.

 

 

I would gather this guy has never heard the gospel nor read a King James Bible.  The work of this anti-christ is going to doom hundreds of millions to eternal hell.

 

“But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness;” – Matthew 6:33

 

  “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?” – Jeremiah 17:9

 

“He that trusteth in his own heart is a fool: but whoso walketh wisely, he shall be delivered.” – Proverbs 28:26

 

“The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.” – Proverbs 1:7

[irishman]

Amen to that!

[John81]

Worldly Christians, of whatever stripe, are unable to understand the Word of God because it is spiritually discerned and without the Holy Ghost within them, not only are they lost, they are blind to the truth.

 

It's a popular teaching these days that God saves virtually everyone; and some even proclaim that all people will go to heaven.

 

How can they believe if they have not heard and how can they hear if someone doesn't tell them? The lost need to hear the Gospel and we need to help in the spread of the Gospel through sharing the Gospel, supporting our home church and missionaries.

 

Things such as the above is part of the reason it's so difficult to reach worldly Christians and the lost who see themselves as "good". They have heard these false teachings and have grasped hold of a false hope through them.

 

This is why it's so important to turn to Scripture, not our own arguments or clever words, and speak forth and show the lost just exactly what Scripture says. Once they have been shown how the Word clearly contradicts the false teachings, the Holy Ghost will convict them and they will have the opportunity to believe or continue down the broad road to hell.

 

Catholics I've seen come to Christ did so because for the first time in their lives they were shown what Scripture actually says and they clearly saw that Catholic teaching didn't match the Word of God. They yielded to the work of the Holy Ghost at that point and were born again in Christ, instantly turning from Catholicism and eager to attend a true church of our Lord and Saviour.

[JerryNumbers]

Sad, the leaders of the RCC are still lost in their sins & the RCC does not teach how to be saved & only gives people false hope that comes to them. There will be much wailing & gnashing of teeth among them when they head I never knew you them cast into the lake of fire.

 

Mt 13:42 And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.

[beameup]

They no doubt feel that everyone will go to purgatory for some indefinite amount of time.

[Invicta]

The RCC is not a Christian organization by any means,  It is the church of the Inquisition which murdered millions of Christians over the years.  She says she does not persecute saints, only heretics and she has a perfect right to persecute heretics.  That is you and I.

[JerryNumbers]

Yes, the RCC believes they have to go to purgatory to be punished, cleansed, before getting to enter Heaven, they just do not believe Jesus is enough, that he can truly do this:

 

1Jo 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

 

forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness, so they invented purgatory.

 

Silly isn't it, inventing purgatory while there's no such thing in the Bible.

[Standing Firm In Christ]

Sounds like the beliefs of CS Lewis, a universalist.

He even incorporated those beliefs into his "The Lion, The Witch, And The Wardrobe" series. In it, the evil Tash, upon dying, is accepted into the eternal kingdom. He is told that even though he was evil in life, he did that which he was created to do. His obedience to his purpose caused him to be accepted.

Of course, we know that is only fantasy, just as the universalism doctrine is.

[John81]

Yes, the RCC believes they have to go to purgatory to be punished, cleansed, before getting to enter Heaven, they just do not believe Jesus is enough, that he can truly do this:

 

1Jo 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

 

forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness, so they invented purgatory.

 

Silly isn't it, inventing purgatory while there's no such thing in the Bible.

The idea of purgatory has been a big money maker for the RCC over the centuries. According to RCC teaching, families (and others) can help a departed loved one move out of purgatory and into heaven quicker by giving money to the RCC for them.

 

How many millions, or perhaps billions, of dollars has the RCC raked in through this one false teaching.

[swathdiver]

 He is told that even though he was evil in life, he did that which he was created to do. His obedience to his purpose caused him to be accepted.

Of course, we know that is only fantasy, just as the universalism doctrine is.

 

Sounds a bit calvinistic too!

[JimsHelpmeet]

I have no words. On another site I belong to, people think this is the greatest thing ever, and can't understand why the Pope's words would offend anyone. I find it offensive because it's the mindset that leads people straight to hell.