There is much debate between whether Catholics are going to heaven, as some denominations see them as being part of the occult and not a valid Christian denomination.
2007-08-13 19:24:07 · 18 answers · asked by Joe 1 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Joe, at the heart of this debate is not theology but terminology, and the confusion and misunderstanding the differences generate.
To evangelical Christians especially, "being saved" involves a specific moment in their lives that they can point to as the time they accepted Jesus as their personal savior, and asked Him to come into their hearts. It is the profoundly central core of their belief; when baptism occurs, it is after this conversion moment and a symbolic act of obedience.
The problem in translation comes when an evangelical asks a Catholic, "are you saved?". When the Catholic gives him a puzzled look, or hems and haws and cannot come up with anything resembling a conversion moment, the assumption is that the Catholic isn't saved.
But what is required, really? Take that same Catholic into his own church, to the crucifix in it, and ask him who that represents. Jesus, of course. What is he doing? Suffering on the cross. Why? For our sins. Are we sinners? Yes. Do you believe he your savior? Yes, with all my heart. Can anyone else save us, then? Any of the saints represented by these other statues, perhaps? No. Only Jesus.
Did you ask him to come into your heart, will be the next question. And the answer is emphatically yes; I receive him in the Holy Eucharist. He lives in me, and I in him.
What about your baptism? Well, that remitted original sin that we all inherit from the fall of Adam, and set me apart for God.
So you see ... all of the elements of salvation, as evangelicals understand it, are there. But for one thing: The answer to the question, are you going to heaven? Catholics don't answer this with an unequivocal "yes" because we know that, though we have the hope of heaven, we must persevere to the end. We aren't issued tickets to heaven, but reservations. Our RSVP, so to speak, determines whether we will hear "well done, thou good and faithful servant".
2007-08-14 02:37:22 · answer #1 · answered by Clare † 5 · 7⤊ 1⤋
Are Catholics Saved
2017-01-15 13:19:27 · answer #2 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I am a Protestant Christian and I don't believe that anyone has the right to say whether someone is going to Heaven or not. It is dependent upon a person's relationship with Jesus Christ. Only God can determine a person's heart, and only God can judge. For those Christians who would make a blanket statement about Catholics not going to Heaven, then I would like to counter that statement with the fact that not all those, of ANY denomination, who call themselves a Christian are going to Heaven, simply because saying one is a Christian and having a personal relationship with Jesus Christ are not always the same thing. God sees our hearts and He alone will decide who goes to Heaven. I know there will be many people in Heaven from all walks of life and from many different Christian perspectives - there will be many Catholics among them.
2007-08-13 19:29:23 · answer #3 · answered by Chimichanga to go please!! 6 · 4⤊ 2⤋
You must be born-again John 3:3. Romans 10:9 is great. Anyone who trusts Jesus as His Savior will go to heaven. There is no purgatory. Jesus went quickly into hell to set the old testament saints free, and it wasn't the hell hell. The torment, more like the holding area until they could get to heaven. No one is in hell yet.
2016-12-08 21:50:13 · answer #4 · answered by Dianne 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Fortunately for Catholics, all the others lack any semblance of power or authority, so their opinions have no bearing on the subject, whatsoever.
Jesus however, has already authorized, empowered, and eternally guaranteed the Catholic church that he personally founded ... so the matter of salvation officially rests with him.
I can live with that!
2007-08-13 22:29:19 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 3⤋
As long as you accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, you shall go to Heaven. I am Roman Catholic and believe that I am... any true Catholic should this and thus will go to Heaven.
2007-08-13 19:29:53 · answer #6 · answered by bsbllplayr216 3 · 2⤊ 1⤋
Yes Catholics are going to heaven (spirit world). Infact we all do. Our soul leaves our body at death and goes there, no matter what your beliefs are.
2007-08-13 20:46:13 · answer #7 · answered by xanadu88 5 · 1⤊ 7⤋
If Catholicism gives them the most satisfaction and fulfillment in life, then what would be the point in punishing them just for following the "wrong" religion, providing that they were otherwise good and honest people? I mean, seriously, do people who believe in such narrow theologies really think that any deity who created this whole universe would be so petty as to punish some tiny little talking primate simply because he or she did not spend his or her whole life following that deity's favorite religion?
2007-08-13 19:35:53 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 5⤋
if they know Jesus and have given their life to him then yes the same as any other denomination there are many who Go to church who do not know Jesus and he is the gate to heaven.
2007-08-13 19:28:56 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Christian , Catholic, Methodist , etc. is all Christianity. People need to learn their history before they speak.
2007-08-13 19:30:54 · answer #10 · answered by cma1lmk13 1 · 0⤊ 2⤋