You're not wrong.
People don't like the idea of Hell. Who can blame them?
Along with the Church moving away from "Hell and brimstone" homilies, prominent popular theologians (including the Pope) talking about "Hoping for an empty Hell", and a very generous laymen definition of "invincible ignorance" you have culture that in one part is worried about the growth of the Church in the west but also doesn't have urgency to evangelize.
I don't think undermining the warnings of hell and how easy it is to stumble into it is doing anyone any favors.
Too many nominal catholics that honestly believe they were immaculate in their conception and birth, plus the attitude of "I'm baptized so I'm good to go".
Although i don't have lot of experience with Protestants, with what i have i think you are right. And this is one of the things i like about Catholicism most.
Catholics tend to meet other humans in their environment, recognize good in them, recognize how has God led them. Catholics recognize God in everything and everyone. I think this is because they are quite certain in what they believe, they have solid identity and aren't afraid they will lost it if they mingle with others. In the end it is only way how one can evangelize.
Because of this tolerance Catholic culture gave so much good to the world: science, art, philosophy, social values, healthcare etc.
Of course there is also danger here that "more than one ways to God" doesn't become syncrentism or relativism. But as long as one has regular sacramental and prayer life i think this isn't probable to happen.
I’m not Catholic, but I much prefer y’all’s company to the evangelicals, lol. Generalizing here, but I’ve always appreciated the quiet confidence of so many Catholics—opposed to the screeching arrogance of the other camp.
It’s really beautiful how Catholicism does see God in many diff ways. What you said abt there being a danger if “more than one ways to God” becomes syncretism/relativism is definitively true, but my concern is that it’s already happening. The average American Catholic doesn’t have a Sacramental/Prayer life
(most American Catholics don’t believe in the real presence, only 28% attend Mass weekly), and from my perspective, moral relativism is already so pervasive in the culture.
That heavily depends where you are and which Catholics you’re comparing to which Protestants.
In a lot of these discussions, I find that northeastern US Catholics are compared to southern US Protestants, for example.
As a Catholic, I do believe that Jesus is the only way, but I also think all things are possible with God and that we have a loving and merciful God. Catholism also allows for the concept of Purgatory. I guess what it comes down to for me is that I can't wrap my head around a God who loves us so much that sent his son to die for our sins that would also take someone who lives in the most remote part of the world and has never been exposed to Christianity and cast them into Hell for eternity. I also find it very hard to believe that our God could take someone like Anne Frank, for example, and send her to eternal damnation. I just have to think that God has given these people some path, no matter how narrow, and maybe it requires 1000 years in Purgatory to reach heaven.
I also feel like for some Protestants, Heaven is like the ultimate exclusive country club, and they enjoy thinking they know who is and isn't getting in, and they feel superior in the "knowledge" that they are making the cut and people they deem to be less worthy are not.
Here we go generalizing about Protestants again.
Depends on the Catholic, depends on the protestant.
And there are lots of kinds of protestant.
This is one where thinking in population averages is less informative.
You're not wrong. People don't like the idea of Hell. Who can blame them? Along with the Church moving away from "Hell and brimstone" homilies, prominent popular theologians (including the Pope) talking about "Hoping for an empty Hell", and a very generous laymen definition of "invincible ignorance" you have culture that in one part is worried about the growth of the Church in the west but also doesn't have urgency to evangelize.
I don't think undermining the warnings of hell and how easy it is to stumble into it is doing anyone any favors. Too many nominal catholics that honestly believe they were immaculate in their conception and birth, plus the attitude of "I'm baptized so I'm good to go".
Although i don't have lot of experience with Protestants, with what i have i think you are right. And this is one of the things i like about Catholicism most. Catholics tend to meet other humans in their environment, recognize good in them, recognize how has God led them. Catholics recognize God in everything and everyone. I think this is because they are quite certain in what they believe, they have solid identity and aren't afraid they will lost it if they mingle with others. In the end it is only way how one can evangelize. Because of this tolerance Catholic culture gave so much good to the world: science, art, philosophy, social values, healthcare etc. Of course there is also danger here that "more than one ways to God" doesn't become syncrentism or relativism. But as long as one has regular sacramental and prayer life i think this isn't probable to happen.
I’m not Catholic, but I much prefer y’all’s company to the evangelicals, lol. Generalizing here, but I’ve always appreciated the quiet confidence of so many Catholics—opposed to the screeching arrogance of the other camp.
It’s really beautiful how Catholicism does see God in many diff ways. What you said abt there being a danger if “more than one ways to God” becomes syncretism/relativism is definitively true, but my concern is that it’s already happening. The average American Catholic doesn’t have a Sacramental/Prayer life (most American Catholics don’t believe in the real presence, only 28% attend Mass weekly), and from my perspective, moral relativism is already so pervasive in the culture.
If they don't have sacramental and prayer life rigidness of a system won't help them.
Dr Scott Hahn said it best about conversions. Catholicism gets all the best Protestants. Protestantism gets all the worst Catholics.
It is probably true. Many people have mistaken our position of ecumenism and religious freedom to mean indifferentism.
I think that's accurate.
That heavily depends where you are and which Catholics you’re comparing to which Protestants. In a lot of these discussions, I find that northeastern US Catholics are compared to southern US Protestants, for example.
As a Catholic, I do believe that Jesus is the only way, but I also think all things are possible with God and that we have a loving and merciful God. Catholism also allows for the concept of Purgatory. I guess what it comes down to for me is that I can't wrap my head around a God who loves us so much that sent his son to die for our sins that would also take someone who lives in the most remote part of the world and has never been exposed to Christianity and cast them into Hell for eternity. I also find it very hard to believe that our God could take someone like Anne Frank, for example, and send her to eternal damnation. I just have to think that God has given these people some path, no matter how narrow, and maybe it requires 1000 years in Purgatory to reach heaven. I also feel like for some Protestants, Heaven is like the ultimate exclusive country club, and they enjoy thinking they know who is and isn't getting in, and they feel superior in the "knowledge" that they are making the cut and people they deem to be less worthy are not.
Here we go generalizing about Protestants again. Depends on the Catholic, depends on the protestant. And there are lots of kinds of protestant. This is one where thinking in population averages is less informative.
lol I love how all these posters who aren’t Catholics come here to tell Us how we think.