Pope says better an atheist than a Catholic living a double life

Michie · Feb 23, 2017

Addressing those present in his daily morning Mass on Thursday, Francis asked them how many times they had heard someone saying "But to be Catholic like him, better to be an atheist!"

Continued below.
Pope says better an atheist than a Catholic living a double life

Ken Rank · Feb 23, 2017

I don't know if I would disagree with this. A person who is an atheist just hasn't had his "coming to Jesus moment." But for somebody who HAS... and sits on the fence with one foot in holiness and the other in sin... really profanes the name (character/reputation) of the one he claims to serve.

RDKirk · Feb 23, 2017

I would have to agree with Ken.

Now, I understand that Catholics have a different interpretation of Hebrews 6 than a lot of Protestants, and that comes to bear here.

But I'm not a hardcore OSAS, nor am I hardcore "electionist."

Somewhere in there appears to be room for people to fool themselves, or to think they're fooling Christ, or to have faith and then reject faith (I'm not sure which of the three, if not all) and such people are whom the Pope is talking about.

Sword of the Lord · Feb 23, 2017

An atheist, although they think that they are intelligent and that's why they don't believe, hasn't been given as much knowledge as the Catholic/Christian. To the one who was given much, much will be expected, and greater their judgement will be. So he's right.

AvilaSurfer · Feb 23, 2017

Maybe I'm missing something but I didn't see the pope actually say that. He asked how many times the congregation had heard it.

JimR-OCDS · Feb 23, 2017

I believe it was Archbishop Futon Sheen who said the same thing.

An atheist hasn't heard the good news of Jesus Christ yet, but may still receive it.

Were a bad Catholic has heard the good news, but drags Jesus name through the mud with him.

Jim

JCFantasy23 · Feb 23, 2017

I agree with this. People of faith would be held more accountable for acting against God than those who didn't believe in the first place.

Michie · Feb 23, 2017

Of course I see people taking what the Pope said in his homily and cheapening it by politicizing it it. Yet again. Which misses the point. I think Jim explained it well.

Sword of the Lord · Feb 23, 2017

Michie said:
Of course I see people taking what the Pope said in his homily abd cheapening it by politicizing it it. Yet again. Which missed the point. I think Jim explained it well.

Where have people done this in this thread? Or is this a prediction? And if it is a prediction, using the past tense of miss, doesn't make it read as such.

seekingfreedom · Feb 23, 2017

He is talking about living a double life as a Catholic and the scandal it causes. He said,
"How many times have we heard – all of us, around the neighbourhood and elsewhere – ‘but to be a Catholic like that, it’s better to be an atheist.’

Pope: Don't put off conversion, give up a double life - Vatican Radio

Godlovesmetwo · Feb 23, 2017

JCFantasy23 said:
People of faith would be held more accountable for acting against God than those who didn't believe in the first place.

There is more pressure on us to walk the talk.

seekingfreedom · Feb 23, 2017

Sword of the Lord said:
Where have people done this in this thread? Or is this a prediction? And if it is a prediction, using the past tense of miss, doesn't make it read as such.

I can't speak for anyone else, but CNN and other MSM sites certainly have politicized it (twisted it is more like it). See here: Pope: It's better to be an atheist than a bad Christian - CNN.com

Godlovesmetwo · Feb 23, 2017

Ken Rank said:
and sits on the fence with one foot in holiness and the other in sin...

But no one becomes totally holy. Priests still sin because they are only human.

Michie · Feb 23, 2017

I've seen it posted elsewhere.

Sword of the Lord said:
Where have people done this in this thread? Or is this a prediction? And if it is a prediction, using the past tense of miss, doesn't make it read as such.

Godlovesmetwo · Feb 23, 2017

It's just outrageous I tell you!

Michie · Feb 23, 2017

Seriously, the media really needs to hire people with at least some rudimentary knowledge of Scripture and the faith they write about.

seekingfreedom said:
I can't speak for anyone else, but CNN and other MSM sites certainly have politicized it (twisted it is more like it). See here: Pope: It's better to be an atheist than a bad Christian - CNN.com

Sword of the Lord · Feb 23, 2017

bettercallpaul said:
But no one becomes totally holy. Priests still sin because they are only human.

What's the Catholic teaching on Canonized Saints? Wouldn't they be totally Holy to be presumed to have gone straight to Heaven? Meaning some people can be totally Holy?

Michie · Feb 23, 2017

Sword of the Lord said:
What's the Catholic teaching on Canonized Saints? Wouldn't they be totally Holy to be presumed to have gone straight to Heaven? Meaning some people can be totally Holy?

I was told being martyred for the faith is a straight shot to heaven.

Sword of the Lord · Feb 23, 2017

Michie said:
I was told being martyred for the faith is a straight shot to heaven.

An example is Saint Pope John Paul II. Either the Catholic Church knew the length of his stay in Purgatory, or he went straight to Heaven. I don't think the Church teaches that it knows the length of stay in Purgatory for anyone. So it's straight to Heaven, and if that's the case, wouldn't he have to be totally Holy to get there, since they claim to know and he wouldn't have needed Purgatory?

Michie · Feb 23, 2017

I know the Church tests Saints and there arrival in Heaven by the miracles given to those that ask for their intercession. Sanctification is different for different souls is my understanding. We could also get into those that wear scapulars and the promises associated with it.

Sword of the Lord said:
An example is Saint Pope John Paul II. Either the Catholic Church knew the length of his stay in Purgatory, or he went straight to Heaven. I don't think the Church teaches that it knows the length of stay in Purgatory for anyone. So it's straight to Heaven, and if that's the case, wouldn't he have to be totally Holy to get there, since they claim to know and he wouldn't have needed Purgatory?

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