Islam Islam Influence

Landon Caeli said:

So in your opinion, the gravity of sin, between commiting murder and thinking murder, are equal?

I think you've got it backwards... The purpose of Jesus mentioning that thoughts are sinful was never meant to decrease or rationalize the gravity of actual murder, but to purify us Christians in thought.

Islam does not understand the Holiness of Jesus.

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Pax vobiscum.

MyGivenNameIsKeith said:

Out of the depths of my heart, with all kindness I ask you, why do you openly refuse my efforts knowing that I speak truth, I have no ill intent, speak out of love, speak from experience, and am addressing the specific condition of your heart which I know so well? Chains that I once had?

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I’m sorry. Your honest concern deserves more that a two word response (see above).

I was a Baptist from childhood to mid-teens; and then - for just over forty years - a Catholic. I was a professed Carmelite (Third Order) for some fourteen years; and - in pursuit of a vocation - spent just over a year with the Carmelites Friars at Hazlewood Castle in West Yorkshire (now a hotel!) and a year with the Cistercians at Mount Saint Bernard Abbey in Leicestershire (UK). I came to realise that my ‘vocation’ was to be as dad and granddad.

Throughout the Carmelite/Trappist years I studied the usual stuff; and had excellent teachers. I also came to know - and to love - many first-rate Christians.

My son became a Muslim in 2005; studied Classical Arabic at Leeds University and, before graduating in 2006, married a Moroccan. After graduating he moved to Morocco to further his studies. Since then he has worked as a translator and copy editor on several scholarly projects, including most recently working extensively on a multi-volume exegesis of the Qur'an, as well as translating and editing for Sunni Publications in the Netherlands. His areas of interest are Islamic History, Qur'anic Exegesis, and Sufism.

Having gained a Muslim family I thought it best to learn all I could about Islam. That was when my ball of Christianity began to unravel. It started with doubts over the doctrine of Redemption (‘origin sin’ and such) and ended, some eight years later, with the realisation that I could no longer accept the doctrine of the ‘Trinity’. This was a long - and painful - process.

I appreciate what you are trying to do; but it is not the best use of your time. In all conscience, I cannot go back to how things were.

Very best regards.

Niblo said:

I’m sorry. Your honest concern deserves more that a two word response (see above).

I was a Baptist from childhood to mid-teens; and then - for just over forty years - a Catholic. I was a professed Carmelite (Third Order) for some fourteen years; and - in pursuit of a vocation - spent just over a year with the Carmelites Friars at Hazlewood Castle in West Yorkshire (now a hotel!) and a year with the Cistercians at Mount Saint Bernard Abbey in Leicestershire (UK). I came to realise that my ‘vocation’ was to be as dad and granddad.

Throughout the Carmelite/Trappist years I studied the usual stuff; and had excellent teachers. I also came to know - and to love - many first-rate Christians.

My son became a Muslim in 2005; studied Classical Arabic at Leeds University and, before graduating in 2006, married a Moroccan. After graduating he moved to Morocco to further his studies. Since then he has worked as a translator and copy editor on several scholarly projects, including most recently working extensively on a multi-volume exegesis of the Qur'an, as well as translating and editing for Sunni Publications in the Netherlands. His areas of interest are Islamic History, Qur'anic Exegesis, and Sufism.

Having gained a Muslim family I thought it best to learn all I could about Islam. That was when my ball of Christianity began to unravel. It started with doubts over the doctrine of Redemption (‘origin sin’ and such) and ended, some eight years later, with the realisation that I could no longer accept the doctrine of the ‘Trinity’. This was a long - and painful - process.

I appreciate what you are trying to do; but it is not the best use of your time. In all conscience, I cannot go back to how things were.

Very best regards.

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I do empathize with your situation. You must be really proud of your son's accomplishments. Any father would be. In that regards, it would be a difficult place to be in when it comes to spiritual matters. I'm not going to go picking apart your history within the Catholic church...I'm not Catholic, and throughout my own studies, prayers, talks with God, have had glaring things revealed to me about that particular said "denomination", but that's neither here nor there, just showing that I can relate to the walk. I was raised Baptist. Saved when I was 8, took the long way around through my teens and twenties to really get close to God. Studied every religion, work, myth, pyramid, geometry, you name it. Through all of it, the one thing I can look back at among all my own mistakes, was that God was always there and never left me, nor forsook me as he promised. I can relate to being curious about different viewpoints about Christ. I've probably asked the same questions you have. I do read. I am not naïve about a lot of things. The best use of my time, is to show my brother that the greatest love a man can show is that he lay down his life for his friends.
John 6:67-68 Then said Jesus unto the twelve, Will ye also go away? Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life.

If I may relay my own testimony, then I will leave you be....
I, as I said grew up in a Baptist church. Saved when I was 8, continued with church with my stepmom and dad until we just kind of stopped going...(longer story) So anyways, we were out of church for a long time. I graduated high school with honors, went to college three times, even denounced God a few times, had a ton of jobs, smoked pot, drank alcohol til I was in my 30's. My life was miserable. I had no direction, always searching for what I was meant to do. Like, Why God? Why did you make me,?? I'm intelligent and stuff, but I'm lazy and worthless. But somehow I always held on to the fact that God was always there, even when I had my tiffs with Him. I searched for some intellectual way to connect with Him. Studied everything I could. Nothing. So in my early 30's I was working for a fast food place, met a girl with two kids who was related to a co-worker, who turned my life upside down. I thought it was love. Really. I saw my life fall apart before my eyes. My family, friends, everything. She got pregnant with a little boy who I am not even sure is my son. She was sleeping with someone else. So here I am pouring my heart out for her kids, and it destroyed me. I had a car loan out, I was working at McDonald's giving her all my money, and sleeping in my car. Winter happened to be really bad, a blizzard in fact, and I got really sick. I went to the hospital with sinusitis, and bronchial pneumonia, and was undernourished. I was in bad shape. I thought no one in the entire world, let alone God, loved me. I was crying my eyes out all the time, and in this one specific night, I was praying and crying at the same time. I couldn't even understand what I was saying, let alone know what to do to get out of the hell I was in. I felt this warm like flood wash over me. And in my heart, I could see how I had been such a jerk, and knew how much my dad had loved me, how much he sacrificed for me. He gave up a 30 year marriage for me. I saw the Father's love for his Son through my dad and the way he felt for me. I saw this because of the kids I cared for. I saw the Holy Spirit work in this same way. Like a grandpa, father, and son. A trinity. In my heart, I felt how it was true. Not through words from a book, not from some teacher, not a pastor. God himself put that in my heart. In my life. From then on, it's been a tough uphill climb that keeps getting better. I've gone back to church and found an entire congregation of people who love me, and even people online who I have conversed with who share the same spirit. So I went from feeling no love, to an enormous amount of people. It feels like a fountain overflowing within, a lot.
Scholastically, I've seen in scripture where God made man in his own image... man is a trinity. Mind, body, and soul. I've asked that same thing about the trinity. Regardless what has happened to me, or what I have done, God never left me. He never left you. God is truth. His words are everlasting life. A merciful God would not have you guess as to whether or not he loves you. He would give you assurance.
I would implore you, from a real life standpoint, realize that your ball began to unravel, when you gave the doubt a place in your life. God is approachable through his Son. That means you can talk to Him.
However "unbelievable" it is that Jesus died for our sins, or that the Father could love us that much... there is a very real power that still exists. A power that rose him from the grave. Those are not empty words. Doubt will make you think that you can't ever talk to God.
With Love, your brother in Christ,

What a depressing thread. The only reasons I see for someone to abandon Christianity, would be because they are either extremely liberal and yearn for 'diversity', or because they just dislike Western culture and tradition.

But typically men teach their children, not follow them. Also, 2005 was a year where Islamic terrorism was very well known, so what we have are people who were originally attracted to the devotion of the suicide bomber, thinking that he must have really strong faith.. After converting, they 'claim' it's unislamic. But then ultimately try to convince people into thinking that the thought of murder is just-the-same as running a blade through someones neck.

What a delirious state of thinking.

MyGivenNameIsKeith said:

I'm not going to go picking apart your history within the Catholic church...I'm not Catholic, and throughout my own studies, prayers, talks with God, have had glaring things revealed to me about that particular said "denomination", but that's neither here nor there, just showing that I can relate to the walk. I was raised Baptist.

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Well, I can see we're not going to be friends.

Niblo said:

Niblo said:

Pax vobiscum.

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I’m sorry. Your honest concern deserves more that a two word response (see above).

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And just when I thought a gesture of kindness was being offered, I get whacked in the back of the knee with your cane.

Deceitfulness...

Niblo said:

I was a Baptist from childhood to mid-teens

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Surely that's where your spiritual / religious problems began.

...No wonder.

In Islam, Allah is too busy (lazy) to watch over us, so he uses angels to watch and record all that we do. These angels are able to read your mind too, so when you pray, they'll tell if youre thinking about anything but Allah.

...All I have to say about that is that if Islam is right, then I want to be wrong. I want nothing to do with an arrogant, lazy God who relies on taddle tale angels.

Landon Caeli said:

Well, I can see we're not going to be friends.

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Your call.

Landon Caeli said:

In Islam, Allah is too busy (lazy) to watch over us, so he uses angels to watch and record all that we do. These angels are able to read your mind too, so when you pray, they'll tell if youre thinking about anything but Allah.

...All I have to say about that is that if Islam is right, then I want to be wrong. I want nothing to do with an arrogant, lazy God who relies on taddle tale angels.

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As a Catholic you ought to know that there is only one God. Please do not show Him such disrespect.

You should know that there are recording angels in Christianity, also.

Landon Caeli said:

Surely that's where your spiritual / religious problems began.

...No wonder.

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You speak in ignorance. Please try not to do this.

Landon Caeli said:

And just when I thought a gesture of kindness was being offered, I get whacked in the back of the knee with your cane.

Deceitfulness...

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I was not addressing you.

Niblo said:

As a Catholic you ought to know that there is only one God. Please do not show Him such disrespect.

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I'm aware of CCC 841, yes. I am an informed Catholic. But remember, that was meant to be complimentary in forming solidarity with the Muslim people, and by no means justifies the Islamic faith with it's teachings.

Niblo said:

You should know that there are recording angels in Christianity, also.

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Source?

Landon Caeli said:

I'm aware of CCC 841, yes. I am an informed Catholic. But remember, that was meant to be complimentary in forming solidarity with the Muslim people, and by no means justifies the Islamic faith with it's teachings.

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When I said that there is only one God I wasn’t thinking of CCC 841. I had in mind Summa Theologica: Part 1; Question 2; Article 3.

Landon Caeli said:

Source?

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Every Easter, folk in the Valleys (of South Wales) used to visit their local cemetery, and place flowers on the graves of family members. I recall (as a kid) seeing the statue of an angel. He was holding a book in one hand, and what I took to be a chicken feather in the other. On asking why he was doing this I was told that he was ‘writing down the names of those who are good, so that they can get into heaven’. That was my first introduction to recording angels. I discovered, over the years, that such angels are to be found in other Rhondda cemeteries; and that they are not confined to South Wales…or even to the UK. I have seen photos of recording angels taken (purportedly) in Forest Lawn Cemetery, Buffalo, New York; in Cave Hill Cemetery, Louiseville, Kentucky; in Fairmount Cemetery, Huntingburg, Indiana; and in Oakland Cemetery, Atlanta, Georgia. I have no reason to doubt their authenticity.

You may be familiar with the Eastern Orthodox practice of portraying a recording angel (sometimes two) inside their churches; near the entrance. The role of this ‘Angel of the Church’ is to stand guard over building until the Second Coming. He records on his scroll the names of those who enter the church so that he may report on their behaviour at the Last Judgement.

There is no doubt that the belief in angels who follow each person through life, recording their deeds, is well established, and widespread in Christianity.

According to the Catholic Church there are several grades of ‘theological certainty’.

Ludwig Ott writes: ‘Theological opinions of lesser grades of certainty are called probable, more probable, well-founded (sententia probabilis, probabilior, bene fundata). Those which are regarded as being in agreement with the consciousness of Faith of the Church are called pious opinions (sententia pia). The least degree of certainty is possessed by the tolerated opinion (opinio tolerata), which is only weakly founded, but which is tolerated by the Church.’ (‘Fundamentals of Catholic Dogma’; page 10). I imagine that the belief in recording angels falls under one of these lesser grades.

One might argue that a belief in recording angels is false. I would reply that in order to be false it has to exist.

My argument is simply that it exists.

Niblo said:

Every Easter, folk in the Valleys (of South Wales) used to visit their local cemetery, and place flowers on the graves of family members. I recall (as a kid) seeing the statue of an angel. He was holding a book in one hand, and what I took to be a chicken feather in the other. On asking why he was doing this I was told that he was ‘writing down the names of those who are good, so that they can get into heaven’. That was my first introduction to recording angels. I discovered, over the years, that such angels are to be found in other Rhondda cemeteries; and that they are not confined to South Wales…or even to the UK. I have seen photos of recording angels taken (purportedly) in Forest Lawn Cemetery, Buffalo, New York; in Cave Hill Cemetery, Louiseville, Kentucky; in Fairmount Cemetery, Huntingburg, Indiana; and in Oakland Cemetery, Atlanta, Georgia. I have no reason to doubt their authenticity.

You may be familiar with the Eastern Orthodox practice of portraying a recording angel (sometimes two) inside their churches; near the entrance. The role of this ‘Angel of the Church’ is to stand guard over building until the Second Coming. He records on his scroll the names of those who enter the church so that he may report on their behaviour at the Last Judgement.

There is no doubt that the belief in angels who follow each person through life, recording their deeds, is well established, and widespread in Christianity.

According to the Catholic Church there are several grades of ‘theological certainty’.

Ludwig Ott writes: ‘Theological opinions of lesser grades of certainty are called probable, more probable, well-founded (sententia probabilis, probabilior, bene fundata). Those which are regarded as being in agreement with the consciousness of Faith of the Church are called pious opinions (sententia pia). The least degree of certainty is possessed by the tolerated opinion (opinio tolerata), which is only weakly founded, but which is tolerated by the Church.’ (‘Fundamentals of Catholic Dogma’; page 10). I imagine that the belief in recording angels falls under one of these lesser grades.

One might argue that a belief in recording angels is false. I would reply that in order to be false it has to exist.

My argument is simply that it exists.

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Wow, what a shame someone told you that as a child... That: "he was writing down the names of those who are good, so that they can get into heaven"...

...That must have been confusing on several counts.

1.) In christianity, JESUS CHRIST will come to judge the living and the dead.

2.) In Baptist christianity, The forgiveness of sin through Jesus' death on the cross means we all go to heaven through our faith -our sins are paid for. I know... They've been at my door, and conversations were had.

3.) In Catholic Christianity, our sins are all automatically forgiven upon confession -so there is no need for a Recording Angel.

Generally speaking, Recording Angels make no sense in Christianity. I've been a Catholic all my life, went to Catholic grade school and Catholic high school and I've never heard of it.

Niblo said:

According to the Catholic Church there are several grades of ‘theological certainty’.

Ludwig Ott writes: ‘Theological opinions of lesser grades of certainty are called probable, more probable, well-founded (sententia probabilis, probabilior, bene fundata). Those which are regarded as being in agreement with the consciousness of Faith of the Church are called pious opinions (sententia pia). The least degree of certainty is possessed by the tolerated opinion (opinio tolerata), which is only weakly founded, but which is tolerated by the Church.’ (‘Fundamentals of Catholic Dogma’; page 10). I imagine that the belief in recording angels falls under one of these lesser grades.

One might argue that a belief in recording angels is false. I would reply that in order to be false it has to exist.

My argument is simply that it exists.

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I haven't heard of this. I get my information from sources such as official doctrines and Doctors of the Church.

Public and Private revelation.

Public Revelation (Divine Revelation), such as the scriptures are binding on all Catholics. Public Revelation ended with the death of the last apostle.

Private Revelation, on the other hand, is only binding on the person who receives it. Also, Private Revelation may or may not be believed by any Catholic, as it is only a revelation that is not harmful to a Catholics faith. An example of this would be an apparition of some kind.

Dogmas are biblical explanations that have gone through extensive examination due to controvercial arguments over time, and are highlighted as religiously important to ones faith.

Teachings such as limbo, are only traditions. They hold no biblical or revelational significance.

...So there are two kinds of revelations, dogmas, and mere traditions of men. If Recording Angels have ever held any position at all in Christian literature, which I would be highly suprised to discover, it would surely be nothing other than mere tradition, since the existence of it seems contrary to the scriptures -such as Jesus returning to judge the living and the dead.

Oh, and one more explanation for anyone curious on Catholicism, and the Keys, that were given to bind and loosen -this involves ecclesiastical rules, and Traditions, such as requirements for baptism, the sacraments, the Mass and Clerical rules, all found within Canon Law.

The keys were given to the Church to bind and loosen Canon Law.

There has been much binding and loosening of Canon Law over the centuries and millenia. For instance, it is now not permitted for priests to hold public office. Thousands of things have changed there, because the Keys allow it.

You write, concerning theological grades of certainty: ‘I haven't heard of this. I get my information from sources such as official doctrines and Doctors of the Church.’

The highest grade of theology certainty taught by the Catholic Church is ‘de fide definita’ - ‘de fide’ for short. This grade: ‘Appertains to the immediately revealed truths (and is) based on the authority of God Revealing; and if the Church, through its teaching, vouches for the fact that (such a) truth is contained in Revelation, one’s certainty is then based on the authority of the Infallible Teaching Authority of the Church.’ (Ludwig Ott - ‘Fundamentals of Catholic Dogma’).

Anyone denying a doctrine ranked ‘de fide’ may be deemed a heretic, and as such may be excommunicated from the Church. The gravity of sin incurred by their denial is said to be ‘mortal’.

You write: ‘Teachings such as limbo, are only traditions. They hold no biblical or revelational significance.’

The notion of ‘Limbo’ arises directly out of two doctrines; both of which are ranked ‘de fide’. The first is that after his death, Christ’s soul, which was separated from his body, descended into the underworld. Ludwig Ott writes: ‘The underworld is the place of detention for the souls of the just of the pre-Christian era, the so-called vestibule of hell (‘limbus Patrum’)…..The doctrine of Christ's descent into hell does not, as rationalism maintains, draw its inspiration from heathen myths, but from the Old Testament Revelation of the intermediate condition between death and resurrection, in which the departed souls sojourn in the underworld (Scheol).’ (‘Fundamentals of Catholic Dogma’).

Aquinas tells us that it was necessary for Christ to enter the ‘limbus Patrum’ (also known as the ‘bosom of Abraham’): ‘That He might bring perfect succour to all His friends. For He had His friends not only in the world but also in Hell, since one is Christ's friend by having charity and in Hell there were many who had died in charity and faith in Christ to come, such as Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, David, and other righteous and perfect men. And since Christ had visited His friends in the world and had succoured them by His death, He wished to visit His friends who were in Hell and succour them by coming to them.

‘For just as Christ wished to suffer death that He might deliver the living from death, so did He wish to descend into Hell in order to deliver those that were there…..For although Christ destroyed death altogether, He did not altogether destroy Hell, but took a piece out of it, as it were, in that He did not deliver all who were there, but only those who were free from mortal sin as well as Original Sin. As regards the latter, they were freed personally there from by circumcision or before circumcision - either (in the case of those who died before fore having the use of reason) by the faith of their parents who were believers or (in the case of adults) by sacrifices and their faith in Christ to come. Yet all these were in Hell as having contracted Original Sin from Adam, from which, as members of the human race, they could not be freed except by Christ. Therefore, He left there those who had gone down there with the stain of mortal sin as well as the uncircumcised children; and in this sense He said, "0 Hell, I will be thy bite." Thus we know that Christ descended into Hell, and why.’ (‘The Aquinas Catechism: A Simple Explanation of the Catholic Faith by the Church's Greatest Theologian’).

The second doctrine is that those who die in a state of ‘original sin’ are excluded from the Beatific Vision. This doctrine was declared by the Second Council of Lyons (‘Profession of Faith: Denzinger 464 (858); and by the Council of Florence (‘Decree for the Greeks’: Denzinger 693 (1306).

The Catholic Encyclopaedia defines the Beatific Vision as: ‘The immediate knowledge of God which the angelic spirits and the souls of the just enjoy in Heaven. It is called "vision" to distinguish it from the mediate knowledge of God which the human mind may attain in the present life. And since in beholding God face to face the created intelligence finds perfect happiness, the vision is termed "beatific".’

According to Aquinas: ‘Final and perfect happiness can consist in nothing else than the vision of the Divine Essence……Consequently, for perfect happiness the intellect needs to reach the very Essence of the First Cause. And thus it will have its perfection through union with God, in which alone man’s happiness consists.’ (Summa Theologica Part I-II ("Prima Secundae"); Question 3; Article 8’).

Union with God is the most perfect human happiness and the goal of the whole of the human life. And yet those who – through no fault of their own – die unbaptised are denied this goal. They do not – cannot – enter Heaven.

People have a terrible problem (understandably so) when this doctrine is applied to infants.

If unbaptised babies don’t go to heaven, where else do they go? According to the Church they go to the ‘limbus puerorum’ (or ‘infantium’)’; the permanent abode of the unbaptised who die in infancy, too young to have committed personal sins, but not having been freed of ‘original sin’.

The Catholic Encyclopaedia has this to say about it:

‘The New Testament contains no definite statement of a positive kind regarding the lot of those who die in original sin without being burdened with grievous personal guilt. But, by insisting on the absolute necessity of being "born again of water and the Holy Ghost" (John 3:5) for entry into the kingdom of heaven, Christ clearly enough implies that men are born into this world in a state of sin, and St. Paul’s teaching to the same effect is quite explicit (Romans 5:12 sqq).

‘On the other hand, it is clear from Scripture and Catholic tradition that the means of regeneration provided for this life do not remain available after death, so that those dying unregenerate are eternally excluded from the supernatural happiness of the beatific vision (John 9:4, Luke 12:40, 16:19 sqq; 2 Corinthians 5:10.). The question therefore arises as to what, in the absence of a clear positive revelation on the subject, we ought in conformity with Catholic principles to believe regarding the eternal lot of such person. Now it may confidently be said that, as the result of centuries of speculation on the subject, we ought to believe that these souls enjoy, and will eternally enjoy, a state of perfect natural happiness; and this is what Catholics usually mean when they speak of the limbus infantium, the "children's limbo."

‘The death of an unbaptised infant presents Catholic theologians with a poignant problem. The dawn star of Christian culture had hardly risen when men first raised the question, and it has continued to echo through the centuries. There are reasons enough for the persistent reappearance of the difficulty. The fate of an unbaptised child is closely tied to several highly volatile questions: original sin, the necessity of baptism, the salvific will of God. Each of these issues is a vital nerve in the body of Catholic doctrine, and each can be studied with clinical precision in the person of an unbaptised child.’

Note the words: ‘Now it may confidently be said that, as the result of centuries of speculation on the subject, we ought to believe that these souls enjoy, and will eternally enjoy, a state of perfect natural happiness.’

How can one be happy when one is deprived of that which is the Cause of all happiness?

In 2007 – alarmed by the number of infants dying unbaptised (including those dying by abortion) – the Church set up an International Theological Commission. This Commission published a study paper entitled: ‘The Hope of Salvation for Infants Who Die Without Being Baptised.’

The conclusion of this study was that: ‘There are theological and liturgical reasons to hope that infants who die without baptism may be saved and brought into eternal happiness, even if there is not an explicit teaching on this question found in Revelation. However, none of the considerations proposed in this text to motivate a new approach to the question may be used to negate the necessity of baptism, nor to delay the conferral of the sacrament. Rather, there are reasons to hope that God will save these infants precisely because it was not possible to do for them that what would have been most desirable - to baptize them in the faith of the Church and incorporate them visibly into the Body of Christ.’

The authors of the report state that: ‘When reflecting theologically on the salvation of infants who die without Baptism, the Church respects the hierarchy of truths.’

Let me remind you of one particular ‘truth’: ‘Those who die in a state of original sin are excluded from the Beatific Vision.’

There is a disconnect between the Magisterium of the Church and the views of many - perhaps most - Catholics, especially the laity. The Second Vatican Council was asked to rule on this matter - to overturn the official doctrines and canons of past Councils - but this was declined (not surprisingly, since doing so would have blown a great hole in the doctrine of Papal and Sacred Magisterial infallibility).

The best that Council could do was issue the following: ‘There are people who are in ignorance of Christ’s Gospel and of his Church through no fault of their own, and who search for God in sincerity of heart; they attempt to put into practice the recognition of his will that they have reached through the dictate of conscience. They do so under the influence of divine grace; they can attain everlasting salvation.’ (‘Dogmatic Constitution on the Church, II, 16. 9’).

Fr John Hardon S.J. is quick to assure us that: ‘Saying this does not deny what the Church also teaches through two ecumenical councils, that even those who die with only original sin on their souls cannot reach the beatific vision.’ (‘The Catholic Catechism: A Contemporary Catechism of the Teachings of the Catholic Church’).

It is likely that the notion of ‘Limbo’ would be ranked ‘sententia certa’; a teaching not finally promulgated, but one whose truth is guaranteed by its intrinsic connection with infallible doctrine.

You write: ‘In Catholic Christianity, our sins are all automatically forgiven upon confession.’

I would caution against use of the word ‘automatically’ when applied to the Sacrament of Reconciliation (formerly known as ‘Penance’). Careless use of language may give the impression that Catholics can behave as badly as they like Monday to Friday; confess their sins on Saturday; get ‘automatic’ absolution; and start all over again on Monday! (I’d like a fiver for every time I’ve heard this accusation directed against Catholics).

Aquinas writes: ‘The matter of Penance consists, as it were, of the acts of the penitent, which are called the three parts of Penance. a. Heartfelt contrition is the first part, by which the sinner is sorry for the sins he has committed and determines not to sin again. b. Confession is the second part. In it the sinner confesses to the priest all the sins of which he is mindful and all of them at one time to one priest, not dividing them among a number of priests. c. Satisfaction is the third part, which is enjoined according to the judgement of the priest and which consists especially in fasting, prayer, and almsgiving.’ (The Aquinas Catechism: A Simple Explanation of the Catholic Faith by the Church's Greatest Theologian’).

In short, absolution is not at all ‘automatic’. Without sincere contrition; the resolve not to sin again; and appropriate restitution, both confession and absolution are invalid.

You write: ‘Generally speaking, Recording Angels make no sense in Christianity. I've been a Catholic all my life, went to Catholic grade school and Catholic high school and I've never heard of it.

No sweat. You’ve heard about it now.

In cases like this - where a pious opinion is undecided - a Muslim will draw discussion to a close by saying: Allāh (Subḥānahu ūta'āla) knows best!