While I cannot speak for your second question, I will clarify that not all Catholics are as open-minded as Father Josh. Many Catholics (most of my family included) refuse to believe that there is any other way to heaven than following the straight-and-narrow of Catholicism. However, since Vatican II, Catholics are encouraged to explore their faith and question things, and there are also plenty of Catholics whose beliefs stray from the Church's set-in-stone beliefs as set forth by the Pope and the Bible.
I will include myself as an example of this. Was raised Catholic, attended Catholic grade school and Jesuit (sect of Catholicism) high school. I do not claim to have left the church, but I have my fair share of disagreements with things that have been/are still preached by the Church and its ordained, as well as certain interpretations of the Bible. My faith/religious education has taught me that kindness, gentleness, and love trump all the little details. I love my atheist, agnostic, Protestant, Catholic, Jewish, Muslim, and Buddhist friends equally, just as I love my gay friends as much as my straight friends, or my black or Asian friends as much as my white friends.
I also believe that God is benevolent and knows humans are imperfect, and that a specific faith is by no means a guaranteed ticket into heaven. Anyone with a kind and gentle soul is recognized by God as such. God does not see religion - he sees the way you live your life and how you treat your brothers and sisters on this earth. I am fully aware that, beyond benevolence, the details about God that I believe could be completely false. If I die and reach heaven and the Jewish view of God is more accurate than mine, or a Taoist's view of God is more accurate than mine, I accept that. I am human and prone to error. So long as God can see I love him and I loved the people in my life on earth, I believe he will welcome me to heaven, and the same is true for anyone of any religion.
TL:DR not all Catholics are the same, and there do exist Catholics who not only tolerate but embrace those who think for themselves, given they are kind, loving, and gentle during their stay on earth. I am living proof of this (or at least I try to be).
EDIT: Removed something, it made no sense to me, and completely invalidated what I was saying by rejecting the idea that atheists/agnostics can be good people. My bad.
coastercrazy10234 karma
While I cannot speak for your second question, I will clarify that not all Catholics are as open-minded as Father Josh. Many Catholics (most of my family included) refuse to believe that there is any other way to heaven than following the straight-and-narrow of Catholicism. However, since Vatican II, Catholics are encouraged to explore their faith and question things, and there are also plenty of Catholics whose beliefs stray from the Church's set-in-stone beliefs as set forth by the Pope and the Bible.
I will include myself as an example of this. Was raised Catholic, attended Catholic grade school and Jesuit (sect of Catholicism) high school. I do not claim to have left the church, but I have my fair share of disagreements with things that have been/are still preached by the Church and its ordained, as well as certain interpretations of the Bible. My faith/religious education has taught me that kindness, gentleness, and love trump all the little details. I love my atheist, agnostic, Protestant, Catholic, Jewish, Muslim, and Buddhist friends equally, just as I love my gay friends as much as my straight friends, or my black or Asian friends as much as my white friends.
I also believe that God is benevolent and knows humans are imperfect, and that a specific faith is by no means a guaranteed ticket into heaven. Anyone with a kind and gentle soul is recognized by God as such. God does not see religion - he sees the way you live your life and how you treat your brothers and sisters on this earth. I am fully aware that, beyond benevolence, the details about God that I believe could be completely false. If I die and reach heaven and the Jewish view of God is more accurate than mine, or a Taoist's view of God is more accurate than mine, I accept that. I am human and prone to error. So long as God can see I love him and I loved the people in my life on earth, I believe he will welcome me to heaven, and the same is true for anyone of any religion.
TL:DR not all Catholics are the same, and there do exist Catholics who not only tolerate but embrace those who think for themselves, given they are kind, loving, and gentle during their stay on earth. I am living proof of this (or at least I try to be).
EDIT: Removed something, it made no sense to me, and completely invalidated what I was saying by rejecting the idea that atheists/agnostics can be good people. My bad.
PS Thank you for doing this AMA Father!
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