(November 9, 2016 at 12:29 pm)Edward Johns Wrote:(November 8, 2016 at 6:09 pm)ParagonLost Wrote:
I believe God is Just and Holy and he will give unbelievers everlasting life. If there is a literal Afterlife...
I don't know where you get that idea from, The Bible and the Catholic church teaches that unbelievers go to hell, by default no matter how good they've been because they did not honour God during their lives unless they were innocently ignorant which St Jerome says are rare. Am not being mean, but just being brutally honest of what true Christianity teachs. Forget what Pope Francis said about Atheist going to heaven, either he means the innocently ignorant atheists can go to heaven or his simply wrong. Remember a Pope is only infallible when he declares something in EX CATHEDRA mode-this wasn't ex cathedra and even if it was it would just be him being dishonest and ignoring catholic teaching, yes Popes can sin too! Despite all of this, however, papal infallibility - and Christ's promise - have never failed the Church. Even certain events in the history of the Church that are considered "close calls" for infallibility have still stopped short of breaching this doctrine.
When the Bible may what seems like; imply unbelievers will be in hell, is not my reading of the text. Mark 16:15 and 16:16- The context is in preaching the gospel to the whole world but if they do not hear it or do not understand it they are not condemned. But if they do understand it clearly and reject it they are condemned. Now what Hell is to me is to live in sins without Jesus in the present body but its an extension. It unfolds into the next life. Atheists are not living in their sins no more than Christians, they are ordinary good folks who are extremely moral.
Jesus excused his executioners in Luke and told the Father to forgive because they do not understand what they are doing. Hell is for Satan, not ordinary good and loving atheists who want to live normal lives. There is also the natural law and our God given nature on what is right and wrong. Everyone has this and since Atheists love their neighbor and full fill the law they are not condemned.
We have the path given to us by the Lord Jesus Christ and it is the straight path. We are promised to be in heaven with him forever and we have instant access to him in this life.
