Do Cafeteria Catholics go to hell?

[cairaiii]

It seems to my like a Cafeteria Catholic is just someone who can't get over a certain mortal sin, and they are more in love with sin than God.

I know quite a few Cafeteria Catholics who recive communion, are they all going to hell?

 

[faerieevaH]

The correct answer to that, from Catholic perspective is: "we do not know. It is up to the Father who knows all and is both endless justice and endless mercy."

 

[Carrye]

It seems to my like a Cafeteria Catholic is just someone who can't get over a certain mortal sin, and they are more in love with sin than God.

I'm not sure that's what would be called a Cafeteria Catholic. People who are termed that pick-and-choose what they want to believe based on what they feel best suits them. "The Church is wrong on x,y,and z because I don't like it, or the consequences of it."

A person who is struggling with sin is often a very different situation.

 

[Y_Cathol]

Someone above me said "we don't know" and I tend to agree...

we can't judge why someone "can't give up a certain sin" it may be habit, circumstance, anything like that, and only God knows the heart.

That said you also have people who pick and choose and make their own God -- a religion and a faith built on self love, rather than perfect love, rather than true faith.

Some people would say "I can't accept this or that... but I like that.... hmm..." and then go on and only take what they want. this is not true Faith... again though, this is not all people, some truly cannot understand certain things or ways of doing things. I think the more correct thing here is to set a Good example, one filled by Faith, and Christs love.

In Christ,
Pierre.

 

[gitlance]

We can't say for sure who will be in heaven or in hell. We do know, however, that willingly and knowingly rejecting the teachings (some or all) of the Church constitutes heresy, which is grave matter, and can most certainly be a mortal sin. If an individual persists in this, and then receives Holy Communion in a state of mortal sin (which then constitutes another mortal sin), that individual will go to hell.

It is not up to us, however, to judge the heart, but rather to pray that all who claim the name "Catholic" will live in accord with all that Holy Mother Church teaches.

I, personally, think that all cradle Catholics need to make the same profession of faith at some point that converts do:

"I believe and profess all that the Holy Catholic Church believes, teaches, and proclaims to be revealed by God."

Notice how it said "all". Not "some," or "those things which I like," but ALL.

Being a Catholic is a serious matter, and one mustn't take the protestant attitude of "picking and choosing" which beliefs are convenient to one's disposition in life.

This means that in order to be a faithful Catholic, one must (for example) reject all forms of abortion and artificial contraception as gravely evil; one must view homosexual acts as intrinsically disordered; one must accept that the Holy Catholic Church is the final and ultimate repository of God's revelation, and all salvific truth and grace is contained only in her; that the Pope is the vicar of Christ on earth; etc.

 

[Markh]

people who die in the state of mortal sin go to hell.

Cafeteria Catholics, lukewarm Catholics certainly will go to hell if they die in a state of mortal sin.

picking and choosing is certainly a grave matter, as is failing to keep to any of Christ's moral teachings.

We pray that these lukewarm Catholics will convert before they die. We have a responsibility to let the lukewarm know their status before God and remind them it from time to time.

the lukewarm (if they are doing so in full knowledge and consent of their wills) will go to hell. What we can't do is point the finger with absolute certainty, but we also musn't deceive ourselves, it is probably best if we presume all are in full knowledge that way we will do the most we can about the situation!

 

[geocajun]

people who die in the state of mortal sin go to hell.

Cafeteria Catholics, lukewarm Catholics certainly will go to hell if they die in a state of mortal sin.

as will orthodox catholics....

picking and choosing is certainly a grave matter, as is failing to keep to any of Christ's moral teachings.

We pray that these lukewarm Catholics will convert before they die. We have a responsibility to let the lukewarm know their status before God and remind them it from time to time.

We have a responsibility to teach the faith and let others know what God wants of us. You can never be certain of someones "status before God." That is up to God.

 

[holyorders]

A cafeteria Catholic will first be directed by God in some form to repent during their lifetime. This could come through other people, a jolt in conscienceness, some temporal suffering, and/or something else.

If they persist when they die, they may perish. Its possible they could go to purgatory depending on the gravity. But either way, their sins will not be ignored by God.

 

[ProCommunioneFacior]

I don't know the heart of anybody, what I do know is that mortal sin sends people to hell. Mortal sin requiring that the sin be grave matter, that the person has knowledge that it is a sin and that they fully consent to that sin, what that means, I have no idea.

What I do know is that we should all try to be faithful to all of the teachings of the Body of Christ, aka the Church, and if we are struggling with a certain issue we should not spread that error to others, but rather take it to Christ in prayer and fasting.

 

[CuriousityKilledThe]

The double vibe I am getting here is,

"We don't know who will go to Hell as that is god's prerogative, but FYI if you do x and y and have z, you'll probably go to Hell."

 

[gitlance]

The double vibe I am getting here is,

"We don't know who will go to Hell as that is god's prerogative, but FYI if you do x and y and have z, you'll probably go to Hell."

Right. We know what will send somebody to hell, but we can't pass any kind of judgment on a particular person because we don't know the heart of the person involved. God has the final say.

St. Paul frequently reminded us of lifestyles and actions which, if persisted in, would send us to hell.

 

[Ave Maria]

I think that some cafeteria Catholics will go to Heaven and some will go to Hell. Nobody knows for sure who will go where. As for a cafeteria Catholic, I think that most of them would agree with the Church if they better understood the Church's position on a particular issue. Then again, some of them are just stubborn.

 

[Miss Shelby]

I'm not sure that's what would be called a Cafeteria Catholic. People who are termed that pick-and-choose what they want to believe based on what they feel best suits them. "The Church is wrong on x,y,and z because I don't like it, or the consequences of it."

A person who is struggling with sin is often a very different situation.

Thank you for making that distinction, Carrie.

 

[Knowledge3]

If I struggle with sin, then I may need to examine my priorities and where my motives would lead me - otherwise a certain amount of discipline would be lacking in exercising control of the body.

 

[Cosmic Charlie]

Do Cafeteria Catholics go to hell?

The correct answer is yes.

But....

Only because the cubed Jello is better in the Lake O' Fire cafeteria then it is anywhere else.