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| Doing Good or Avoiding Evil? | |
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| Topic Started: Tuesday, 1. November 2011, 20:18 (305 Views) | |
| PJD | Wednesday, 2. November 2011, 18:46 Post #16 |
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"Take someone who leads a middling sort of life, not a religious bone in their body and they don’t go out of their way to do good though they will always help out when asked to and they certainly don’t intentionally harm anyone – just like most people, in other words. Do people like that receive the joys of heaven or are they condemned to Hell just for being average?" Mairtin - just come upon your original question. My opinion - strictly addressing your question - is that surely those in the category you are referring to, or asking about, are in no way destined or condemned to hell. Least of all for being average. To my mind they are certainly doing good just by being alive and undergoing the ups and downs of everyday living; and most certainly if they don't intentionally harm anyone. I will grant you perhaps that such may not exactly enjoy the highest degree of glory in Heaven, but they would most definitely IMHO not be condemned to hell. Does this sort of answer conform to the generality you asked for? PJD |
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| Mairtin | Wednesday, 2. November 2011, 20:44 Post #17 |
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Okay, I’ve been thinking about this quite a lot since yesterday and reading the various comments, here are my own thoughts for what they are worth.
kind of what I was getting at but not quite … I was trying to establish a general principle, then figure out how it impacts on us as individuals.
I think you are right, PJD. God loves us, He desperately wants us to succeed, so desperately that He sent His only son to die an ignominious death on a cross; I think our “default” position is that we will get to Heaven unless we seriously screw it all up. That’s the “good news” but …
I think Rose is hitting on something important there – ignorance. I have been thinking of Luke 12:48 :
I’m also minded of the parable of the 11th hour labourers. I think that God will judge people according to their circumstances, a child born into an environment where violence is an everyday occurrence and crime is the accepted norm will hardly be judged in the same way as those of us born into a loving family environment where Catholic beliefs are the standard. That’s the “bad news” … every one of us on this forum will be judged against a far higher standard than the average Joe Soap. It’s funny how little things stick in your mind, I remember during the funeral of JPII a commentator explaining that the reason why so many Masses and prayers are said for a deceased pope is that he has been given so many gifts, he is subject to a n extremely harsh judgement and needs every prayer he can get! Edited by Mairtin, Wednesday, 2. November 2011, 21:15.
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| Emee | Wednesday, 2. November 2011, 22:30 Post #18 |
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Penfold Thanks for the reminder of this poem! |
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| Emee | Wednesday, 2. November 2011, 22:36 Post #19 |
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Gosh no Mairtin! God wants no one to go to Hell. But what He does say is that to those whom much is given, much will be expected... I am sure God is more angered by apathetic Christians than sincere unbelievers who just get on quietly living a good life. I am reminded of the Parable of the Good Samaritan (for today read "agnostic socialist"). |
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| Emee | Wednesday, 2. November 2011, 22:51 Post #20 |
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For my part Mairtin, I know I cannot live up to the high standard God sets for me. I fail every day. However, I address this by trying to get to Confession every few months. Where I myself have failed, I ask God to forgive and wash away. I trust in His Mercy. He desires to give Mercy before Judgement every time. For me trusting in His Infinite Mercy and Love and receiving Jesus in Holy Communion is the only real hope I have. For I know I cannot get to Heaven solely on merit, and to think I can would be the epitome of conceit... I believe when we are called to give an account of our lives, the worth will be in, did we repent from our sins and did we forgive others, rather than did we do good. For: "God alone is good." |
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| Deleted User | Thursday, 3. November 2011, 00:10 Post #21 |
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Deleted User
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Surely the Heaven and Hell stories are only a brilliant way of focusing our attention on the need to do good? I for one do not believe them literally although I applaud the brilliance of the concept in teaching us the need to do good rather than evil and to believe rather than not. The mediocre people liek myself need to pull their socks up , that's all. John |
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| PJD | Thursday, 3. November 2011, 20:46 Post #22 |
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I doubt very much John whether you are mediocre! PJD |
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| Mairtin | Thursday, 3. November 2011, 21:03 Post #23 |
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From Monday (All Saints) 2nd Reading - 1 John 3:1-3 "Surely everyone who entertains this hope must purify himself, must try to be as pure as Christ." In that context, I think the very best of us are but mediocre. But, as Gerry pointed out, we can all take comfort from God's unlimited love. |
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| Clare | Friday, 4. November 2011, 11:57 Post #24 |
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Putting the "Fun Dame" into Fundamentalist
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If they're not true, why do they make you feel the need to pull your socks up?? |
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S.A.G. Motes 'n' Beams blog Join in the Fun Trivia Quiz! | |
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| Deleted User | Friday, 4. November 2011, 15:05 Post #25 |
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Deleted User
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Because , Clare, I would like to be as good a person as God wants me to be and as the Church tells me to be. The Heaven/Hell story is a good reminder of what is needed. I think it was Anne-Marie who many months ago and on a completely different topic gently satirised the idea of a vast Heavenly bureaucracy struggling to process souls according to man-made rules. Consider the Department of Eternal Destiny trying to make sense of the many wonderful problems thrown up by Mairtin's original question. Serial killer but insane and not responsible for your actions? No problem, right through those Pearly Gates. Catholic, led a good decent life and obeyed all the rule except once you deliberately missed Mass and did not confess it? Sorry mate, red card. John |
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| catholic | Friday, 4. November 2011, 16:19 Post #26 |
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Christians (in general) should not only 'avoid evil' but do what is good. More so Christians not only choose between good and evil but the better between two goods. Our Lord when instructed us to love our enemies stated "if you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that?" |
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3:43 PM Jul 11