Catholics, the Elect, and Predestination

Q: Would you please explain what the Catholic Church teaches about the Elect? I had a priest explain to me that the Church teaches predestination while Calvinistic Protestantism teaches double predestination. I’m confused. If God chooses before all time who is to be saved, where does free will come into play? It would seem fruitless to apply any effort into trying to live the Christian life if you are predestined to hell. No matter what, you’re out of luck. There is a biblical passage that basically says that none of the chosen will be snatched from God. This problem has been bothering me for some time now.

A: First let’s lay down some definitions:
Predestination: The doctrine that God specifically chose some to be saved before the creation of the world. Yet, God predestines no one to go to hell.

Double Predestination: The belief that God specifically chose some to spend their eternity in hell before the foundation of the world.

Predestination is a Catholic doctrine that has a solid base in Scripture, including the passage that you point out in your question, “and I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish, and no one shall snatch them out of my hand.” (Jn. 10:28) Other Scripture on this topic includes, Romans 8:29-30, Matthew 25:34, John 10:27, Acts 13:48, and Ephesians 1:4.

Our Sunday Visitor’s Catholic Encyclopedia states, “Predestination affirms that, as part of the eternal plan of divine providence, God has predetermined certain persons to eternal bliss.” The Blessed Mother is an example of someone who is predestined for heaven. Those of us who are not predestined to heaven, must choose heaven through our own free will.

However, there are forms of predestination that the Church completely rejects, including double predestination as taught by John Calvin. To believe in double predestination would in effect mean believing that we have no free will, and that we have no purpose in life. As you pointed out, there would be no point in avoiding sin, or even in living, because it has already been determined where we will spend eternity.

Whether we go to heaven or hell is our choice. We can either live a good Christian lifestyle and have a loving intimate relationship with God, or we can live our lives in sin. All we need to do is repent our sins and beg for forgiveness. Of course, that’s not to say that we can just live in sin, and then be sorry for them when we die. Striving for God’s goodness and rebuking evil will make it literally a million times easier for us, and those around us, to reach heaven.

Christian

Asking Jesus into Your Heart

Q: A friend told me that the only way you were Christian was if you “asked Jesus into your heart.” What is my friend talking about?

A: Your friend is talking about the way he views having a personal relationship with Christ. Some Christians think that the way to become a Christian and gain salvation is by simply asking Jesus to be their personal Lord and Savior. It is true that we need to have a relationship with Christ, but we, in order to become a true Christian, need to be baptized.

Karen

Are Buddhists Going to Hell

Q: I was born and raised Catholic and I enjoy my religious responsibilities for the most part. I was also raised on the principle that all religions deserve respect. In a way, I grew to appreciate other views from a theological point of view. However, I feel pressure from some of the Catholic families I commune with to sever ties with my non-Catholic friends because their religious principle conflict with my own. I understand that worshiping idols and false gods is a sin, but are my Buddhist friends really going to hell? Is it really wrong for me to be friends with them?

A: Well, first off, as Catholics we believe that anyone has the chance to be 'saved' and go to heaven. We honestly can't say someone is for certain going to hell or not. That is solely up to God. BUT, we do know God clearly says in His ten commandments: "You shall have no other gods before me," and we all struggle with that in our own way. Buddhism in particular, I'd say, goes against that rather significant law of God. He wants us to love and appreciate Him as our creator, father, savior, and lord. Not idolize a mere man, just another creation of God.

Secondly, as far as being friends with non-Catholics, I think it's a perfect opportunity not only to teach others about your own faith, but also to learn things about others' faiths. Be fair in trading off/sharing traditions, but don't get involved in something you know would go against your faith and your God. Just be prepared to answer some tough questions. Pray constantly for them and yourself. And above all, stay strong in your own faith.

The people that you feel are pressuring you to sever ties are probably just worried about you. You could probably tell them to pray for you, for you to stay strong in your faith, and let them know that they don't have to worry. If you feel that God is supporting your friendship with these non-Catholics, then He is surely going to watch over you.

One last thing... take heed of warnings, and keep your ears open for God's voice in the people around you. Keep praying for God's will in your life, that's the most important thing.

My prayers are with you, good luck!
Martha

Can Jews Go to Heaven

Q: Can Jews go to heaven since they don’t believe in Jesus?

A: Yes, because God honors the purity and love in one’s heart and a Jewish person can have that. They may feel and believe they are living as they should. If one does not believe in Jesus it is probably because he or she has not ever been educated. One cannot be blamed for what they have not been taught.

If you go to the Catechism of the Catholic Church on the Internet and search for “people of God” or “Jews” you will find a lot of information on this topic. For example, “Those who have not yet received the Gospel are related to the People of God in various ways.” Also, “The Jewish faith, unlike other non-Christian religions, is already a response to God’s revelation in the Old Covenant. To the Jews ‘belong the sonship, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the worship, and the promises; to them belong the patriarchs, and of their race, according to the flesh, is the Christ’, ‘for the gifts and the call of God are irrevocable.”’ (CCC, 839)

Karen

How Can We Fault Judas

Q: If Judas’ betrayal of Jesus was planned out by God and was a key part of our salvation, how can we fault Judas? After all, Jesus told him to do it at the Last Supper. Peter denied Jesus three times, even after he was warned that it would happen, and Peter was made the head of the Church. Why is Peter forgiven, and not Judas?

A: First of all, in Matthew 26:21 it says: “and as they did eat, he said, ‘Verily I say unto you, that one of you shall betray me.’” Jesus is not telling Judas to betray Him, but was showing that He knew what Judas was planning to do, and that He wasn’t going to stop Judas.

Secondly, Peter was forgiven because he was sincerely sorry and sought forgiveness. Sure Judas was sorry too, but he didn’t understand just what a loving and forgiving God our Lord is, so he committed suicide. The thing is, if Judas had asked for mercy like Peter he would have been forgiven, and maybe even have become a great saint. You see, it was his choice.

Really, for all we know there may not even be one single person in hell. Whhhaatt? I’m serious! Hey, it isn’t very likely but we gotta be optimistic right? After all, we were all created solely for the pure purpose to be with God in heaven one day. It’s a possibility (seriously doubt it though).

Christian

Can a Satanist Go to Heaven

Q: I used to talk to this Satanist every day. But then I found out he secretly hates me because I’m Catholic and he hates Christians. Don’t get me wrong, he’s actually a really, really nice guy. He’s against abortion, and he really cares about other people. For a Satanist, he’s actually not much different to a Catholic, regarding morals.

So, what I’m trying to ask is, will he go to Hell? I mean, he’s really nice, but he hates Christians, and he’s a Satanist. What are his chances of going to heaven? Because I understand that God is rather harsh when it comes to judgment.

A: In the Catechism of the Catholic Church, the official teaching of the Church states in #1033: “We cannot be united with God unless we freely choose to love him. But we cannot love God if we sin gravely against him, against our neighbor or against ourselves: ‘He who does not love remains in death. Anyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.”

We cannot be united with God unless we freely choose to love him. That is key for anyone who wants to know how he or she can be united with God in heaven: to love Him. If you don’t love God and don’t freely choose to do His will, you are freely choosing to be separated from God after death—which is called Hell. As it also says in CCC #1033: “To die in mortal sin without repenting and accepting God’s merciful love means remaining separated from him for ever by our own free choice. This state of definitive self-exclusion from communion with God and the blessed is called ‘hell’.”

For your friend to go to Heaven, the question is not whether he had been good or moral enough to go to Heaven, since many people who don’t love God or don’t believe in God have good morals. The question is: did he love God with his all his heart, with all his mind, with all his soul, and with all his strength?

People who don't love God and have no desire to do His will, through their own freewill God gave them, freely choose to reject God. By rejecting God and not having faith in Him, they refuse to allow God’s grace to flow through them. And, before they die, if they refuse to believe in Him and convert, they will choose Hell—the eternal separation from God.

Therefore, if the Satanist were to choose Heaven, he would have to come to freely love God, convert and repent for all of his sins against God.

Matthew 7:13-14 says: “Enter by the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is easy, that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard, that lead to life, and those who find it are few.” For everyone, the path to Heaven is narrow and hard, but with God’s help and grace, everyone can get to Heaven if they freely choose to love God and put their trust in Him, for God is a merciful God, who does not want “anyone to perish, but all to come to repentance.” (2 Peter 3:9)

Pray for the Satanist, that he’ll come to realize that God is the only One who deserves worship, and the One whose love for him is incomparable to any other love he’s known.

Catherine

Why Purgatory

Q: If Jesus died on the cross for our sins then why would we have to go to purgatory?

A: When we die we will go straight to one of three places, those who die without repentance will go to hell, those who die in God’s grace and friendship but have sinned will go to purgatory, and then others like the elect, saints, and those who have never sinned like Mary or babies will go straight to heaven. Purgatory is important because, “nothing unclean shall enter it [heaven].” (Rev. 21:27)

Jesus died for our sins so that we may be with Him in heaven but we still must be made clean of any venial sin and/or the stain of mortal sin. After purgatory, we will be completely free from sin and have absolutely no familiarity with it whatsoever. It’s only logical that we would go through some sort of purification before entering heaven. Purgatory is that purification and before Jesus’ death I don’t think purgatory even existed since no one could enter heaven.

Christian