Hi everyone, I have posted before about my leanings to return to Catholicism. I've been doing some reading and think this is what I want to do, but first, I need advice and answers to some questions!
MORTAL SIN: So I'm kind of freaked out about this. If I've committed mortal sins, and I die before confessing them to a priest, am I damned to Hell? What if I just confess them to God until I can get to confession? The only mortal sins I can think of is that I drove someone close to me to a bigger city so they could have an abortion (it was wrong and I wish instead I had counseled them to keep their baby but I was the only one they could rely on at the time), masturbation and viewing inappropriate contentography, and I think that's it. Yes I am not a "practicing" Catholic but I don't go about bashing the Church either -- in fact I am feeling called back to it.
If indeed it is true, and that one would be sent to hell if one did not confess MORTAL sins to a priest, can you show me Biblical or writings of the church fathers that support this? Thanks! And what about the Protestant denominations that say all sin is the same in God's eyes, and lying is just as bad as, say, murder? Is that in the Bible? And what about for people who are not Catholic?
SUICIDE: I have obsessive compulsive disorder, and at times when it goes unhandled it can result in anxiety and depression. Thankfully I have never actually felt suicidal, but I went through a period in my life after having my daughter where my OCD hit me hard and my scary, obsessive thought was that I might kill myself. Thank the LORD I have my OCD under control now through a lot of hard work with cognitive behavioural therapy and also medication (temporary). But I always am so saddened when I hear about suicide. If it's done for selfish reasons, such as to escape punishment or accountability, I can see them being sent to hell. But what if someone is truly mentally ill, so that they are not even accountable for their actions, and they kill themselves? How could they be sent to hell? Can you share me what the Church feels about this and where their belief comes from?
OTHER PEOPLE: What do Catholics believe about what happens to people of faiths other than Catholicism when they die? What about someone who lived an amazing life as, let's say, a Presbyterian? Are they going to go to Hell because they did not follow the Catholic Church? How about someone who was born and raised in India and who is Hindu, and although they are aware of Christianity never really understood it -- will they go to hell? Does that mean the Jews from the concentration camps died and after all that earthly suffering were condemned to hell to?
Please be honest with me as to what the official church stance is. I really am feeling called back to the church but I'm feeling quite confused about it. I need to find out the answers to these questions! I tried calling the RC church where I live to find out what time confession is to talk directly to a priest but no one answered. I will try again tomorrow. THANKS!
MORTAL SIN: So I'm kind of freaked out about this. If I've committed mortal sins, and I die before confessing them to a priest, am I damned to Hell? What if I just confess them to God until I can get to confession? The only mortal sins I can think of is that I drove someone close to me to a bigger city so they could have an abortion (it was wrong and I wish instead I had counseled them to keep their baby but I was the only one they could rely on at the time), masturbation and viewing inappropriate contentography, and I think that's it. Yes I am not a "practicing" Catholic but I don't go about bashing the Church either -- in fact I am feeling called back to it.
If indeed it is true, and that one would be sent to hell if one did not confess MORTAL sins to a priest, can you show me Biblical or writings of the church fathers that support this? Thanks! And what about the Protestant denominations that say all sin is the same in God's eyes, and lying is just as bad as, say, murder? Is that in the Bible? And what about for people who are not Catholic?
SUICIDE: I have obsessive compulsive disorder, and at times when it goes unhandled it can result in anxiety and depression. Thankfully I have never actually felt suicidal, but I went through a period in my life after having my daughter where my OCD hit me hard and my scary, obsessive thought was that I might kill myself. Thank the LORD I have my OCD under control now through a lot of hard work with cognitive behavioural therapy and also medication (temporary). But I always am so saddened when I hear about suicide. If it's done for selfish reasons, such as to escape punishment or accountability, I can see them being sent to hell. But what if someone is truly mentally ill, so that they are not even accountable for their actions, and they kill themselves? How could they be sent to hell? Can you share me what the Church feels about this and where their belief comes from?
OTHER PEOPLE: What do Catholics believe about what happens to people of faiths other than Catholicism when they die? What about someone who lived an amazing life as, let's say, a Presbyterian? Are they going to go to Hell because they did not follow the Catholic Church? How about someone who was born and raised in India and who is Hindu, and although they are aware of Christianity never really understood it -- will they go to hell? Does that mean the Jews from the concentration camps died and after all that earthly suffering were condemned to hell to?
Please be honest with me as to what the official church stance is. I really am feeling called back to the church but I'm feeling quite confused about it. I need to find out the answers to these questions! I tried calling the RC church where I live to find out what time confession is to talk directly to a priest but no one answered. I will try again tomorrow. THANKS!
