Thanks for ur help.I will see if servant and fatum can help me.
Well, I'm just back from a friend's hindu wedding ceremony at
his temple, and the togo session afterwards, so bear with me, cos
I've got lots of fermeneted butter milk and curry and beer swirling
inside me right now.
Firstly, what kind of answer are you expecting ? If you expect
one of those chim chim theological replies you'd be much better off
asking a catholic priest, cos I'm not one.
But my answer to that would be, it doesn't really matter !
It's simple really, during the great schism of the catholic
church, the one that lead to the protestant reformation, one of the
points the protestants held was that faith alone, is neccessary and
sufficient for salvation. I've gone through above why I, and the
catholic church, rejects this very exclusive position.
Take my hindu friend who just got married for example. He's a
good man, pious in the practise of his religion, fillial to his
parents, generous to his friends and the less fortunate, and he has
a good heart. What sort of a friend I would be, if in my secret
heart I think he's going to hell simply because he's of a different
faith ?
Perhaps faith in christ alone can lead you to salvation, but the
lack of this faith doesn't automatically damm you either.
You see, we catholics believe that there's a moral law written
in the heart of each person, a moral code from God (somewhere in
jeremiah). It's intuitive, when we do something wrong, we know it
by instinct. For example, the commandments say, thou shall not
kill, but you need not be a christian, or know all the 10
commandments, to know that killing is wrong. All other religions
teach that, and even for many agnostics and atheists, they'll
instinctively know that it's wrong to kill. So, you are really
following God's law even if you don't know God, or honestly reject
God. We also believe that Christ died on the cross to redeem the
whole world.
The catholic church hold that salvation is indeed possible, for
those who live an upright life and follow the callings of their
conscience (which is really the laws and moral code from God), but
are outside of the catholic church, or are not even christian.
Because, really, you are already unknowingly following God. A
person who sincerely follows the dictates of his conscience,
already has the spirit of christ inside him, even if he doesn't
explicitly recognize it. So, if you, through ignorance of no fault
of your own, that is to say, if you were born into another
religion, honestly chose another religion, or even have no
religion, chose honestly not to believe in God, or call him by
another name, or worship him in a different way, you may, through
what you have done, through God's mercy, still attain
salvation.
To me, this is something so easy, and good, to believe in.
Imagine a good buddhist for example, buddhists do not believe in
the concept of God, but I think they are often the ones who follows
most closely God's moral code. They do not kill, not even any other
living creatures if they could, they do lots of good works and show
tremendous compassion to the others around them. Don't you suppose
God would find it easier to admit such people by their works, and
their hearts, into heaven than some really bad and "sinful"
christians by their faiths alone ? Or a good muslim, someone who
fasts and prays 5 times a day, who give alms and helps the poor and
live a moral and upright life ? Do you think it matters to God by
what name you call him, or how you worship him ? Do you think God
is bothered by all these different doctrine and squabblings among
men ? God is greater than all that of course.
So to those who thinks they are assured of salvation just
because they've received christ, do you think you're worthy of that
? To those who thinks anyone who doesn't subscribe to their own
dogma is damned, by what right do you claim God's mercy and
salvation for you and your group alone ? Don't you think you've
seriously underestimated God's grace and mercy ? Don't you think
you're making a mockery of Christ's sacrifice on the cross, who
died for the whole world ?
Now that's why, I chose to become a catholic, and that's why I
hold the catholic church dear.
So dude, don't be too bothered by all these theological nuances,
all these "my church is better than yours" stuff. It really doesn't
matter. What's more important is what's inside your heart, and what
your heart tells you to do, because if you do so, you're already
unconsiously seeking God, and following Christ. Open your heart,
and open your mind. Seek, and ye shall find.