According to iamcatholic2? you don´t need to be catholic to go heaven?

Question

So that means that all catholics could became evangelicals and still be saved.

Catholics believe that non-Catholic Christians can go to heaven.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church states,

Furthermore, many elements of sanctification and of truth are found outside the visible confines of the Catholic Church: the written Word of God; the life of grace; faith, hope, and charity, with the other interior gifts of the Holy Spirit, as well as visible elements.

Christ's Spirit uses these Churches and ecclesial communities as means of salvation, whose power derives from the fullness of grace and truth that Christ has entrusted to the Catholic Church.

All these blessings come from Christ and lead to him.

For more information, see the Catechism of the Catholic Church, section 819: http://www.usccb.org/catechism/text/pt1s...

Answer 1

Pastor Billy says: why would I want to give up the whole pie for just a piece?

ah no that's not how it works partner, a Catholic would technically become a heretic by renouncing the fullness of Christian faith for acceptance of only a piece or part of it.

Catholicism teaches that the final veto is our Lord's and therefore even if it is beyond our discernment and reasoning God can save whoever he so chooses. After this of course we'll all be Catholic anyway ;)

addition: Splinter finger guy, anyone tell you about conserving bandwidth? Please stop with the short spaced out sentences and stop with the caricature of Catholicism.

Catholicism 101 without God's grace there can be no salvation. It starts all with God's grace so Amen brother and learn what you are attacking so you hit your target and not the bible chapel wall, Amen?

BTW Splinter-guy try quoting Eph 2:10 when you quote 2:8-9 ;)
I challenge you to join me at spero-forum for some real intellectual debate and study on early Christianity .
http://www.speroforum.com/forum/forum.asp?FORUM_ID=8

Answer 2

O.K. I've been a student of the Bible since 1994, and I have yet to come across the word "catechism" or any derivative of said word.
Could sum1 tell me, what it is plz.?
Thx.
never mind I'll look it up, I'll b back.
O.k., got it...it's a study aid, that gives u the answers.
Since its a book that asks the Q's & then gives u the answer sounds 2 me as tho' the Catholic church, wanted er'1 to believe the same thing.
Not, necessarily a bad thing. Is there room for independent thought? Can 'U' come up w/ an answer, that's in harmony w/ the Holy Scriptures? I know sometimes a Brother/Sister will point something out that I hadn't thought of.
Some folks been @ it longer than others, ya know.
We r individuals, capable of independent thought.
We r to b in union w/ God,Jesus,and the will of God.
Speakin' of independent thought......
I don't follow the Pope. I'm Not trying 2 dis n/e1 or n/ething, just giving my opinion, and thoughts.
From what we see,live,learn, hear about...I do not feel that the Catholic church is not the 1 true faith*, that Jesus reffered to.
; Matt. 24:14; Jo.13:35; Rev. 18:4,5; Mark7:6,7;
* Faith is strengthened when a person acts on god's promises and then sees the evidence of God's blessing on what he has done.

Answer 3

There is no salvation outside the Church translated positively means that if you make it to heaven you were somehow saved by the Church. If you know the Church to be the truth and reject it then you are not saved.

From the Catechism:
846 How are we to understand this affirmation, often repeated by the Church Fathers? Re-formulated positively, it means that all salvation comes from Christ the Head through the Church which is his Body:

Basing itself on Scripture and Tradition, the Council teaches that the Church, a pilgrim now on earth, is necessary for salvation: the one Christ is the mediator and the way of salvation; he is present to us in his body which is the Church. He himself explicitly asserted the necessity of faith and Baptism, and thereby affirmed at the same time the necessity of the Church which men enter through Baptism as through a door. Hence they could not be saved who, knowing that the Catholic Church was founded as necessary by God through Christ, would refuse either to enter it or to remain in it.

Answer 4

Hello Leslewis65. I was born and raised Roman Catholic in the 1950s and the product of an Old Country Italian Family. As such, my Catholic training was of a very strict nature. As firm as it was, I was taught by both my family and the Sacramental Catechism classes that God doesn't care what faith a person is as long as he/she lives right by that faith and lives a good life in relation to God, Others and their selves. The doctrines of the Roman Catholic Faith are for Catholics and as such are not considered binding to others by The Church. I, of course don't know which documents you've read but if you wish to lean about The Roman Catholic Faith, I suggest you use only Catholic sources. Many of the non-Catholic information sites are very prejudicial towards Catholics (and other faiths) and post either slanted, antiquated or incorrect information. In some cases I've also found outright mis-information posted. The Church doesn't want congregation members who are not comfortable with The Catholic Faith. Priests and other clergy members will try to work through any conflicts of faith a Catholic may have but if a member cannot find comfort as a Catholic, they will discuss other options including conversion to other Christian Faiths. Last, I will point out how in most cases those who convert to Roman Catholicism from other Christian Faiths are not required to be re-baptised Catholic. The Church fully recognises the validity of Protestant Baptism and the authority of Protestant Clergy to perform them. Catholic Doctrine does not support multiple baptisms as do many of the Protestant Faiths. All faiths as all countries and all people go through changes throughout their existence. The Catholic Church is no different. For currant doctrine I'd suggest researching post Vatican II Catholicism. In answer to you question, Catholics believe God has the ability to choose who His future neighbors will be. Regards, Lenny.

Answer 5

*Is Catholic*

Actually I have to disagree with what you posted from iamacatholic2 on this including what you added. It is wrong because it is not reading the Catechism fully, it is just quoting 846-848.

This is one of my areas of study.

There is no one in heaven who is not a Catholic. This is the logic of the totality of the CCC. In order to be in heaven
1. You must be Baptized into the Body of Christ, which is the Catholic Church.
2. You must have faith without which it is impossible to please God, and that faith entails the totality of the Catholic faith, implicit in its totality, explicit in not denying fundamental aspects.
3. Catholic Church is the Ark outside which no one is saved.

Hence in order to be in heaven, one must be somehow incorporated into the Ark through Baptism, the normal means is water, though by blood and by desire exist.

Hence an individual who knowingly leaves the Church, leaves the faith by which they are saved and they no longer reside in the Church.

Now a non-Catholic MAY MAY MAY be saved if they are inculpably ignorant AND they have done God's will to the best of their knowledge AND they must have the implicit desire of joining the Church AND this desire is prompted by grace.

Let me quote from the letter that warned against Fr. Leonard Feeney. (Letter of the Holy Office to the Archbishop of Boston)
Non-Catholics are in a condition "in which they cannot be secure about their salvation...since they lack many great gifts and helps from God which they can enjoy ONLY in the Catholic Church" ....It must not be considered that any desire whatsoever of entering the Church is sufficient for a person to be saved. It is necessary that the desire by which one is related to the Church be informed by perfect charity. And an implicit desire cannot have its effect unless one has supernatural faith....

The CCC teaches that all people are bound to enter the Church for salvation.

Lumen Gentium 16 teaches that "Whatever good or truth is found amongst them is looked upon by the Church as a preparation for the Gospel. She knows that it is given by Him who enlightens all men so that they may finally have life. But often men, deceived by the Evil One, have become vain in their reasonings and have exchanged the truth of God for a lie, serving the creature rather than the Creator. Or some there are who, living and dying in this world without God, are exposed to final despair. "

Ratzinger in his book, Intro to the CCC, page 26 taught that all dogmatic pronouncements take precedence over what is in the CCC at all times.

The general encapsulation of these is that there is no salvation at all outside of the Church, no other organization is a means to salvation (though they may contain truths), but God will not punish an individual for not knowing the necessity of the Church, but only if they were incapable or didn't have a reasonable expectation of the knowledge coming to them.

Answer 6

The age old question of which religion is correct. We are all saved, Black White bond or free, muslim, cathlolic atheist, Jew,buddist the man who has never heard of God. If they live a decent life they all will be saved. God is a very loving person and he does not discriminate. Relgion was made by man, spirituality comes from a higher power. Mans free will dictates what path he will follow. No church edict can tell you wether or not you are saved. You are saved through Grace.

Answer 7

To your question yes, it appears to say that. I also wanted to comment on the part in the sentence that says "whose power derives from the fullness of grace and truth that Christ entrusted to the Catholic Church" that Christ could never have entrusted ANYTHING to a religion that has gone so far out of their way to do EVERYTHING completely opposite of what Christ really said.

Answer 8

This is not only according to him. It is according to pure human spirit and logic. If a God is truly kind and all-knowing, he will not let belief get in the way of anything as long as a person was good. Jesus was a good man. I have learned a lot from him, even if we don't agree on all points.

Have a good day. Peace be unto you all.

Answer 9

Well, we are saved by grace through faith, not of our works. Ephesians 2:8-9 states this. Going to church and baptism does not save you, so all Christians who believe in Jesus and have accepted Him, will go to Heaven. BTW: Catholics are Christians too.

Answer 10

Catholics (obviously) believe that we already are following the best and fullest way of following and worshiping Jesus Christ. We would not turn away from this path.

In addition, I would claim that Catholics are already Evangelicals.

An Evangelical is someone who lives their life in accordance with the Christian gospel. Feel free to look it up.

Some groups like to redefine words like Christian and Evangelical into much narrower terms and claim that Catholics are not Christian or Evangelical.

With love in Christ.