Do atheists go to hell according to the Roman Catholic Church?

[HerDotness]

The question posed by Quiddity for debate is the following--

Does the Roman Catholic Church teach that an atheist who dies without repenting and asking God's forgiveness will go to hell?

My answer is an unequivocal, "Yes, absolutely. While we cannot know if the person has repented in his/her heart in that person's final moments of life, the person will go to hell if there was no repentance."

Are you ready, Quiddity? I'll present my case if you are.

 

[Desert Snake]

Yes, of course, and I've been told that anyone who is not a practicing Roman Catholic is going to hell as well. :biglaugh:

 

[HerDotness]

Yes, of course, and I've been told that anyone who is not a practicing Roman Catholic is going to hell as well. :biglaugh:

Well, Quiddity tells me that's not so--that the RCC doesn't mandate that someone who doesn't believe in God will go to hell if the person doesn't repent before dying.

You're not entirely correct that anyone who is not a practicing Roman Catholic will go to hell, too, but that's another issue.

 

[Me Myself]

I understand that at least if the person died and atheist having been a Christian once or having recieved the christian message and rejected it, etc, yes, he should go to hell according to RCC.

Naturaly, this stance is probable even an already sweetened version of the original that simply said (and more than once) "There is no salvation outside of the catholic Church".

 

[Revoltingest]

The prior Pope said we could go to Heaven.
(That seemed a nice gesture to us.)
But I don't know where Pope Ratzy stands on it.

 

[HerDotness]

I understand that at least if the person died and atheist having been a Christian once or having recieved the christian message and rejected it, etc, yes, he should go to hell according to RCC.

Naturaly, this stance is probable even an already sweetened version of the original that simply said (and more than once) "There is no salvation outside of the catholic Church".

You're correct that if the person ever had a chance to learn about Christianity and rejected that learning or knows it and rejects it, the RCC says the person is going to hell.

Yeah, you're right on that second one as I was taught as a child. By the time I was a kid in the 1950's, some people said that a good person who lived a good life according to some other religion might be allowed into heaven by God even though they weren't Roman Catholic.

 

[9-10ths_Penguin]

The question posed by Quiddity for debate is the following--

Does the Roman Catholic Church teach that an atheist who dies without repenting and asking God's forgiveness will go to hell?

My answer is an unequivocal, "Yes, absolutely. While we cannot know if the person has repented in his/her heart in that person's final moments of life, the person will go to hell if there was no repentance."

Are you ready, Quiddity? I'll present my case if you are.

BTW - I take it that you're interested in a one-on-one-debate with Quiddity, right?

Assuming that's the case, everyone else please refrain from posting in this thread, please!

 

[HerDotness]

Ah, that's okay, Penguin. I don't mind until Quiddity gets back on and takes me up on it.

Y'all will be talking to yourselves until tomorrow, however, I'm toddling off to nighty-night land now. So, it would be gracious not to fill up the thread until Quiddity has an opportunity to pick up the gauntlet.

 

[HerDotness]

Can't get to sleep, blast it!

Quiddity, my initial statement--to make it exciting and interesting for other readers--is the following:

"Christopher Hitchens is burning in hell."

 

[Quiddity]

I can’t confirm his level of doubt and belief as he took his last breath. I can’t confirm what is in his mind as he took his last breath. And even if I knew these things, what good comes of it? What good would come of saying anyone is in hell?

First thing to clarify is that you know that our standing [as Catholics] with God has to do with whether you are in a state of Grace or not. Forget about sin, disbelief, etc. because although they are most strongly connected to whether you are or not in a state of grace, they require human interpretation of the human condition. The human condition [the state of your soul] is simply something we cannot see. No priest, bishop, or Pope can either.

We have strong inferences and traditions (like that Judas went to hell), but none of it is official.

So, no, a catholic does not have to believe that a single person is in hell.

But he also isn’t bound to stay silent either. In other words, he can say such and such is in hell because……

But it’s not a doctrine and I challenge you to find it my seasoned catholic.

Also…….how can I say this kindly? I can care less what Catholics in your era have to say about it because it will really just amount to their opinion and nothing more.

So, you started this thread to supposedly win a debate (because that’s what debates are for…) and now I will ask you to provide the unequivocal evidence and documentation that states that Catholics must believe a person is in hell.

I'll shine your shoes if you find it.

 

[HerDotness]

But it’s not a doctrine and I challenge you to find it my seasoned catholic.

Also…….how can I say this kindly? I can care less what Catholics in your era have to say about it because it will really just amount to their opinion and nothing more.

I'm asking you upfront to stop making snide comments like these. I intend to discuss this on a mature, civil basis which I cannot continue to do if you will not agree to refrain from digs like "my seasoned catholic" and the following statement, which you and I know was not the least bit kind.

I intend to do as you have observed me do elsewhere--state a position and then prove it with evidence quoted from authoritative sources.

Thus, I ask you to delete your posting #10 as a gesture in good faith. Also, I ask you to agree to adhere to semi-formal debate/discussion ethics: Don't argue points you think I'll make before I've actually made them. I will do the same where you're concerned. In short, nothing gets responded to that hasn't been set forth on this thread previously. New arguments may be raised, but if it's something either of us wishes to bring from where we discussed some of this on the Dawkins thread, they must be set out as if they are entirely new ones with evidence, not expecting each other to refer back to the other thread to see what was said.

Since I consider some of what you said in that posting to be misrepresenting the contentions I'm about to make, that is another reason I'm asking you to delete it to prevent confusion.

Agreed?

 

[Quiddity]

You brought up your age (which wasn't necessary), not me.

You insisted to know what my church teaches, not me. You could have phrased it as "It is my understanding.....", but no, you insisted to tell me what the RC teaches. Considered rude my most.

You insisted you were going to win this debate, not me. Childish if I may say.

So how about you call things as they are and stop playing victim?

I can do formal, but you need to reciprocate it, because I'm not going to cut you some slack simply because you happen to come from my faith.

We can start over. But it's not necessary to delete the whole thing.

Tell you what, how about you actually start a new thread in the debate section. You posted this in the discussion section which is probably why some people may have thought it was ok to voice their thoughts.

 

[HerDotness]

I don't think so.

I proposed that we conduct this on a civil basis. Instead of specifying which of my terms you agreed with, which you rejected and then proposing different ones, you slammed me further and then accused me of "playing victim."

Not interested in continuing. We're done.

 

[Quiddity]

So be it.

I suggest you re-read what I said because no where did I reject any terms. In fact, I said I was ok with it.

Next time you ask me to delete something, don't accuse me of misrepresenting as you step out.

 

[SheikhHorusFromTheSky]

Wow. That was a short debate.