how does a catholic person get to heaven? also do they relaly believe that if their baby is not baptized and dies that they will go to hell? and....if you did not live a catholic lifestyle here on earth...do they believe that someone can pray you to heaven while you are in purgatory?
2006-09-26 05:15:49 · 21 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
God saves them by the grace obtained through the redemptive work of his only begotten son, Jesus Christ.
The earthly fountain of that grace is the Holy Catholic Church ... the one and only church that Jesus ever personally founded, so that all men might be saved.
Unbaptized babies, due to original sin, are not assured of admittance to heaven. Since God has provided little or no direct revelation on this matter, all we can do is continue to trust in God's mercy.
If these tiny souls are indeed deprived of heaven, it would certainly make the sin of abortion even more horrendous than it already appears.
Purgatory is an official teaching of the Catholic Church and as such, it has never been repealed.
Purgatory is a place of refinement and eventual perfection for those who die friends of God, but still attached to significant personal sins.
The truly evil go to hell. The truly just go to heaven. God mercifully provides another place for the great majority of human souls who die in neither of the above conditions.
All souls in Purgatory will eventually obtain heaven, and Purgatory will cease to exist at the end of this present age.
And yes, humans on earth and the saints in heaven can assist those in Purgatory by both prayers and works.
It's not surprising that those who showed up 1500 years late, after the world had already been converted for Christ, and who operate under cleverly crafted, false faith traditions, have a hard time understanding these things.
Some Catholics do, too.
2006-09-26 06:36:27 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
Catholics get to heaven the same way any Christians get to heaven. They do not believe that unbaptized babies go to hell. They believe these babies go to limbo, a special place which is neither heaven or hell. Some people do believe in purgatory which they see as a holding place when a person wasn't bad enough for hell, but did accept the Lord but have unrepented sins.
2006-09-26 05:23:58 · answer #2 · answered by ruthie 6 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Same way as any Christian: Faith in Jesus as the savior.
Original Sin condemns humans to imperfection, but the responsibility for the sin is on Adam. Infants are pure of the responsibility of their sin, and therefore eligable for Heaven, until the age of responsibility (which depends on the mental capacity of the child).
Limbo is an old belief that no longer is taught in the Roman Catholic Church as it was not Biblically inspired.
Purgatory is (and in fact, even more evidence of such can be found in the Jewish Talmud, particularly the story of Abraham's death) still taught. It is a place of purification where the guilt of the sin is burned away, a place of pain and suffering, but filled with hope because these people have won the race ... they just need to take a shower, as it were. The Blood of Christ washed away the sin, but the sinner still carries the responsibility of it.
The official stance of the Roman Catholic Church is that faith in the Messiah, the Christ, Jesus of Nazareth, is the ideal expression of the path to heaven, but that people of other faiths are still part of the family of God. As Jesus said, the gentiles are a law unto themselves. The church does not presume that it has the ability to judge, and so teaches that people should live righteous lives whatever their faith or lack thereof, and entrust God's judgement to God and God alone.
2006-09-26 05:23:37 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
Catholic teaching says that the unbaptised baby will spend Eternity in a place called Limbo. It is not hell. Prayers can, and are said for 'indulgences' for souls being held in purgatory. Personally, as a Catholic, I do not accept the argument for Limbo as the same teachings say that anyone not Baptised will, if they die in the state of grace, also go to Limbo. I cannot accept that my God would be so hard on an innocent baby or a holy man from another religion. God forgive me if I am considered wrong, but again I say, my God is not as hard as the teaching suggests.
2006-09-26 05:23:25 · answer #4 · answered by thomasrobinsonantonio 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Heaven is not conditional on what people believe. I cannot say that any way to heaven other than the way Jesus said is another valid way.
Muslims may believe that they go to heaven either as a martyr or being judged on their good works, but that is not what Jesus said.
In the same way, any doctrine by the Roman church that is contrary to what Jesus said, will not get anyone into heaven.
Jesus said that the only way to get to heaven was through Him. As it is written: "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." (John 14:6)
And
"I am the gate. If anyone enters through me, he will be saved. He will come in and go out and find pasture." (John 10:9)
Notice He didn't say anything about doing good deeds, martyrdom, or anything that is a tradition of man. He said it is only through Him. And that is all about trusting in Him alone. If we trust in good works, martyrdom, jumping through religious hoops, etc., then we are trusting in something less. And we will then be like these people Jesus talked about:
"Then you will say, 'We ate and drank with you, and you taught in our streets.' But he will tell you, 'I don't know where you come from. Get away from me, all you evildoers!' In that place there will be crying and gnashing of teeth when you see Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, and you yourselves being driven away on the outside." (Luke 13:26-28)
2006-09-26 05:28:40 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Catholics get to Heaven just like everyone else. Through Jesus. To Catholics, Baptism is a Sacrament, like Confession, the Eucharist, Confirmation, Marriage, Holy Orders, and Last Rites. You can go to Heaven without becoming a priest (Holy Orders), so I'd think you could get there without a Cathollic identifier like Baptism. It's more like a branding than a ticket to heaven.
I was once told a dirty little secret by a Catholic priest. There IS no Purgatory. It is just a way of helping people understand certain things. (Sorry, I forgot exactly what things those were)
2006-09-26 05:24:38 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 3⤋
The same way anyone who believes in Christ does. What are you implying that only American Born Again Christians are Christian? I ask this only because this Catholic vs. Christian thing comes up a lot from U.S. questioners.
BTW, Catholics DO NOT put Mary of above Jesus but she is an important figure within the Church.
2006-09-26 05:21:27 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
I am not catholic but I think all Christians get to heaven the same way. You need to be baptized, be genuinely sorry for your sins, and believe that Christ died to save you. He took your sins upon himself when he died on the cross.
2006-09-26 05:22:34 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
wow, where do you get your info from friend.
read the catachism if you want to know how catholics think
we get there same as any other religion through prayer, and confession
no we never believed that, we believe in one baptism for the forgivness of sins, that by being baptised it shields us from sin.
and yes, thats why we "pray to mary" remember the prayer.
Holy mary mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death. by asking the angels and saints to pray for us. then we can be relieved of purgatory.
2006-09-26 05:22:07 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Catholics get into heaven by living their lives anyway they want and then asking forgiveness before they die . Anyone murders rapes or steals can go to heaven (by catholic law ) if they are baptized and confess before they die.
2006-09-26 05:22:52 · answer #10 · answered by Dala C 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋