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 Pope Francis greets the faithful as he leaves St. Peter's Square at the end of his weekly audience April 10 at the Vatican.
May 23rd, 2013
03:59 PM ET
Heaven for atheists? Pope sparks debateBy Dan Merica, CNN (CNN) -– American atheists welcomed Pope Francis’ comments that God redeems nonbelievers, saying that the new pontiff's historic outreach is helping to topple longstanding barriers. “The Lord has redeemed all of us, all of us, with the Blood of Christ: all of us, not just Catholics. Everyone,” the pope told worshipers at morning Mass on Wednesday. “‘Father, the atheists?’ Even the atheists. Everyone!” Francis continued, “We must meet one another doing good. ‘But I don’t believe, Father, I am an atheist!’ But do good: we will meet one another there.” Roy Speckhardt, executive director of the American Humanist Association, said that although he has been skeptical of Francis' outreach to the nonreligious, he welcomed Wednesday’s comments. “I gather from this statement that his view of the world's religious and philosophical diversity is expanding,” Speckhardt said. “While humanists have been saying for years that one can be good without a god, hearing this from the leader of the Catholic Church is quite heartening." He continued, “If other religious leaders join him, it could do much to reduce the automatic distrust and discrimination that atheists, humanists, and other nontheists so regularly face. “ Francis’ comments received a great deal of attention on social media, with a number of people asking whether the Catholic leader believes that atheists and agnostics go to heaven, too. On Thursday, the Vatican issued an “explanatory note on the meaning to ‘salvation.'" The Rev. Thomas Rosica, a Vatican spokesman, said that people who aware of the Catholic church “cannot be saved” if they “refuse to enter her or remain in her.” At the same time, Rosica writes, “every man or woman, whatever their situation, can be saved. Even non-Christians can respond to this saving action of the Spirit. No person is excluded from salvation simply because of so-called original sin.” Rosica also said that Francis had “no intention of provoking a theological debate on the nature of salvation,” during his homily on Wednesday. Although the pope's comments about salvation surprised some, bishops and experts in Catholicism say Francis was expressing a core tenet of the faith. "Francis was clear that whatever graces are offered to atheists (such that they may be saved) are from Christ," the Rev. John Zuhlsdorf, a conservative Catholic priest, wrote on his blog. "He was clear that salvation is only through Christ’s Sacrifice. In other words, he is not suggesting – and I think some are taking it this way – that you can be saved, get to heaven, without Christ." Chad Pecknold, an assistant professor of theology at the Catholic University of America, agreed with Zuhlsdorf, pointing out that the pope’s comments came on the Feast of Saint Rita, the Catholic patron saint of impossible things. “The remarks about atheists show that there is even a saint for atheists,” Pecknold said. “Including all of humanity, on this day especially, remarks like that are almost called for.” “To stress that the gospel redeems all people, including atheists, is the teaching of the church,” he added. “This is an objective fact that the church believes.” Greg Epstein, the humanist chaplain at Harvard University, said Francis' comments reflect “the interfaith and inter-community work many of us nontheists are dedicated to.” That said, Epstein hopes that lay Catholics are listening. “I hope Catholics, and all people hearing the pope's statement, will recognize that his words about atheists need to symbolize much more than just a curiosity or an exception to the rule,” Epstein said. “If someone thinks there are only a few atheists out there doing good just like Catholics do, that's a major misunderstanding that can lead to prejudice and discrimination.” The pope’s comments come a few months after he told worshipers that Catholics should be close to all men and women, including those who don’t belong to any religious tradition. "In this we feel the closeness also of those men and women who, while not belonging to any religious tradition, feel, however the need to search for the truth, the goodness and the beauty of God, and who are our precious allies in efforts to defend the dignity of man, in the building of a peaceful coexistence between peoples and in the careful protection of creation,” Francis said shortly after his election as pope in March. Even atheists like David Silverman, president of American Atheists, who has had an antagonistic relationship with the Catholic church, welcomed the pope’s remarks. “While the concept of Jesus dying for atheists is wrong on many levels (especially given that Jesus himself promised hell for blasphemers), I can appreciate the pope's `good faith' effort to include atheists in the moral discussion,” Silverman said. “Atheists on the whole want no part in Catholicism, of course, but we are all interested in basic human rights.” soundoff (3,731 Responses)« Previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 Next »
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The CNN Belief Blog covers the faith angles of the day's biggest stories, from breaking news to politics to entertainment, fostering a global conversation about the role of religion and belief in readers' lives. It's edited by CNN's Daniel Burke with contributions from Eric Marrapodi and CNN's worldwide news gathering team.  |
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Pope Francis...
Is he the Girls Gone Wild guy?
no, hes king candy from wreck it ralph.
.
Ironically, even the Christians can't agree amongst themselves on the interpretation of 99% of the Bible.
Chad and I are always in 100% agreement 🙂
I DO have some questions....
can I use electricity?
Can I go to the doctor when I'm sick?
Can I marry my 13 year old cousin and her 12 year old sister?
Are they allowed to cut their hair?
Should I worship on Saturday or Sunday?
What should I do if my statue starts bleeding?
Christians: God is omnipotent and knows everything about you, including your future.
Christians: God allows you free choice to choose your beliefs, allowing you to change your future.
Can't have it both ways, so which is it, does he know if you're going to heaven or not? LMAO
Rachel, it would be strange if that were not so.
This is true as false doctrines have crept into the Church. The Bible says that judgement "begins with the house" as there will be a major "correction" of doctrine prior to the return of Christ. In other words, the true Church will rise up and many will "fall away" simply because they cannot handle the truth.
Those 'outside' will also face a major scientific correction as evolution is all forms, will be exposed as fraudulent.
Really?
Evolution will be proved to be fraudulant?
Will the earth still be round?
@ Charles,
See Malachi 4 as the "day of the LORD" will "burn as an oven". Christ raises the elect first, and then Earth will be burned up and dissolved as the Scriptures plainly teach (this is why false evolution is so prevalent, i.e. the 'throw off' the elect). Christ compared His return to the Noahic Flood as well as Sodom when in both cases destruction was imminent, total and quick. Our home is New Jerusalem, not old Jerusalem which is a "synagogue of Satan" and has been designated as "Sodom and Egypt" by the LORD.
Hence, the 1,000 years does not take place here because Jerusalem is in the desert, and Christ said not to look for him there but to "look up".
So would you say it's more like an electric oven, a gas oven, a pizza oven, or more like a kiln?
Contradictions exist only in the mind: the picture(s) one has of God and what one thinks God should or must be. Example: a merciful God who (according to some) allows suffering and death. Just be humble: You know little or nothing about God.
I know there is no such thing.
The level of denial and obfuscation on this forum is staggering. The 'faithful' are just unwilling to accept any reason whatsoever, and keep spouting drivel. So many want to be 'holy' ar a least sound like Charlton Heston.
So depressing. I fear for the human race if this nonsense continues.
It is high time that children were taught the truth: there are no gods, no Allah, no Christian god, none of the old gods of history or new gods yet to be invented. None. Nada. Imagine the freedom of spirit that children could enjoy, and the superior humans they could develop into if they did not have to spend a lifetime shedding the yoke of false beliefs.
The MOST ironic thing, perhaps, about contemporary religion is that the one thing upon which infallibly omniscient Christians AND Muslims agree is that the faith upon which both of theirs is based - is entirely bogus and fallacious.
Well, you really have to blame the Jews for this one. They started the whole thing 😉
My totem pole says the Pope can get into heaven, even if he doesn't believe in my totem pole.
Only God can judge you and determine if your going through the gates, not the Pope or anyone else on this planet.
Maybe God builds a special room in heaven for Catholics – one where they can't see all the other people that God loves.
That way they can think they are the only ones there.
Does it come with little children?
🙁
CNN, please. The word is "tenet," not "tenant." Are you having fourth-graders write these articles?
Thanks Blahblah. I was just going to write that too. Come on CNN!
As I understand it, Jesus was already here, but the ATF killed him Waco?
...and he had a badass Camaro?
The pope is dead wrong on this. Atheists will not have any part of God's kingdom. Psalm 14 reads "The fool has said in his heart that there is no God" The Catholic church and the pope are not the authority of who goes to Heaven or not. Only those who have been redeemed through Christ Jesus death on the cross will be saved. Atheism offers nothing. There is no draw to it. Jesus offers me eternal life, a home in Heaven when I die, heavenly rewards, peace in my heart.
Hey, the Bible only says what you have to do, not when you have to do it!
"The great trouble with religion – any religion – is that a religionist, having accepted certain propositions by faith, cannot thereafter judge those propositions by evidence. One may bask at the warm fire of faith or choose to live in the bleak certainty of reason- but one cannot have both."
– Robert Heinlein
Luker: atheists have their own heavenly place to go to. You don't have to worry about them crowding you out .
so being 'foolish' is enough to condemn you to an eternity of hell?
Don't panic. Apparently everyone stilll has to say some magic words and learn the secret club handshake (whichever of the 30,000 or so different ones that claim to be The Right One) to get access to your exclusive special snowflake afterlife lounge.
You're still a super special snowflake. The scary mean atheists can't get you.
The Catholic church and the pope are not the authority of who goes to Heaven or not.
Neither is the bible. Even if you believe it was 100% accurate to start with, you do realize it has be translated and censored many times over right?
The Kindgdom of God is near – Jesus is helping people today.
And not just those who profess to know and love Him the best.
He loves us all – not just the ones that have the correct theology.
I think Jesus wants us to love the atheist – not post poetry from the Bible accusing them of being a fool.
How rude.
So, luker6401....
I guess the Pope hasn't read the Bible? ...or is he isn't as smart as YOU are? ...or his Bible had some pages missing?....or maybe you accidentally drooled some tobacco juice on that page?
Hey, if you disagree with his interpretation, you can do what Christians like to do. Start your own denomination! It's the thing to do!
Do good by humanity, you get in. Sin, but genuinely redeem through the Grace of God and you get in. Redemption and goodness is the Grace of God, whether believers or not. Just love and get along. Simple.
A Xtian here said: Salvation is only, IN and TROUGH JESUS CHRIST.
That is really gross, the way to heaven is thru a guy's mouth and out his rear end, down the sewer line ?
No, I don't want to go thru that route
i think it was a misquote. i think jesus actually said....so you think you can get into heaven? well you have to get through me first!
He is probably in pads and helmet or something.
The first rule of bible fight club is...
Now that kind of made me laugh. But what's really funny is that your mind first goes to the gutter and then secondly to violence, but never to your own cross.
The cross / Jesus thing was a joke.
In your face Christians!
So...the atheist is doing all of their good deeds without any assumption of being rewarded, and the christian is doing all of his/her good deeds with the assumption that these good deeds are required for entrance to heaven? And now both can go to heaven? Sweet! See you in heaven if I make the list...
We'll have supper
Hahaha oh wow thank you Pope Francis
Bible sez: If the Pope says it'so, it's so.
Salvation is only, IN and TROUGH JESUS CHRIST
Same old rhetoric from one more christian.
Trough?? I thought he was born in a manger!
So that I have this straight....
The super powerful sky wizard made me.
He made me a sinner.
He knew I'd be a sinner before I was born.
He then expects me to NOT be a sinner.
But it's ok if I actually am a sinner because he killed his kid to make my sins somehow not sins.
If accept his dead son as my sin remover, I'm good.
And you actually believe this?
That's not what he said!
@derp lol
Sam
A trough is a manger.
The Great Spaghetti Monster let me into heaven years ago. I think folks should shop around for the best deal before choosing their religion.
RAmen. And I am actually about to eat spaghetti too. Thanks to our magnificent deity. Way better than that torturing Christian nut with his hell and all.
The Great Ramen Monster objects to your ludicrous claim!
For the low price of $30, the Church of the Subgenius offers eternal salvation or triple your money back!
Praise "Bob"!!
R'amen!
Sounds like he is more of a Universalist than a Catholic. That is what Universalists believe.
Universalists believe that if you know about the Catholic church you should join? Who knew?