Jesus Came to Save, Not Condemn
What kind of God wants to turn us into slaves to the fear of Hell?
What kind of God wants to turn us into slaves to the fear of Hell? So called devout Catholic ministries make it seem that the we must work every moment of every day not to end up eternally damned. They make our practical experience of faith as tough as the pioneer who spends every waking moment cutting wood for winter, but we are working to avoid Hell.
Someone recently told me about a Christian youth meeting in her growing years where the minister encouraged teens to convert by putting a lighter to his own skin explaining this is what Hell feels like. This was the motivation to lead people to seek Christ
Other Catholic ministries talk about the massa damnata which is an errant teaching that the vast majority of people are going to Hell by God’s design. St Augustine, for a time, actually believed in double pre-destination, which is what Calvin taught. The belief is that God created certain people to go to Hell and others — a much smaller group — to go to Heaven, and there is nothing anyone can do to change their status. That teaching, by the way, is not at all Catholic
The saints, even those who often preached about Hell, would be appalled by some of this teaching. They understood that Hell is reserved for those who reject God.
Making the fear of Hell the motivation for being Christian is so poor it does not even please God.
The saints focused on teaching others to know Christ and they sought to do his will out of their loving desire to know Him and serve Him. They lived their lives loving whomever came their way and sought to lead them to Christ and His salvation. They would also warn about the true sins that do lead people into Hell. Those who condemn everyone else may be surprised by what those sins may be.
Two of St. Francis’ friars suffered His wrath by chasing away a robber and protecting their money. He saw the horror of risking the robber losing his soul by their love of money over his salvation. The thief was so intrigued by his concern that he himself converted.
St. Teresa de Martin prayed for the conversion of a vicious murderer. She believed so much in the mercy of God for this man condemned to die whom everyone else, for good reason, long abandoned. A priest came to give him last rites and he in his hardness of heart even told off the priest. Finally in the very last minute of his life, he kissed a crucifix which she took as a sign of his conversion and the success of her prayers. I think she would also be appalled at those who only speak of Hell.
St. John Vianney was the pastor of a Catholic parish in Ars, France and was so saintly that he is the patron saint of parish priests. He explained that one of the worst sins one can commit is detraction. That is to say anything detrimental of any other person even if it is true.
“It is enough for me to tell you that this vice is one of those that are responsible for most of the souls that go to Hell.”
Oh, maybe you did not hear that from others. Maybe they were too busy committing detraction on you or others by publicly citing faults without explaining what the saints really teach.
St John Vianney adds:
“If you ask: What is detraction, I have to answer: It consists of making known a defect or fault of our neighbor unnecessarily, and in such a way to cause him injury to his good name or otherwise.”
We hear stories of people suffering bullying behavior and we hear of youth even committing suicide from it. We might even hear of someone who might be inclined to what we consider a vice, a temptation toward sin or becomes lost in sin. Yet, when that person was subjected to the worst of all name calling, harassment and evil, and even may have succumbed to suicide, do we even understand that those bullies actually committed a gravely evil sin worthy of Hell? According to St. John Vianney, they did. So many overlook that teaching as they are too busy damning others because of what they perceive to be the others’ sinfulness without even knowing them.
St. John Vianney’s preaching focused on not being like those in the world who never think of God but to be the Catholics we were baptized to be. He exhorted his congregation to live in such a way that we are showing others the love and mercy of God. This was the scold as well from St. Francis to his friars.
The saints talked about sinners going to Hell, but they also talked about the mercy of God. The obstinate sinners go to Hell. It is those who seek to encounter Christ who find Him and go to Heaven as well.
The saints often talked about the importance of everyone coming to know Christ to meet this merciful God who in his grace transforms us in ways beyond our imagination. The worst of all sinners finds Christ and becomes joyful in Him.
They also taught that our Catholic life is not about turning from sin as much as turning to Christ. The more we turn to Christ, the more we become new creations in Him. In fact, as we turn to Christ, we ask His grace to turn from sin and in time we see that He answers our prayers.
I have yet to read a saint who could make the most intense fire and brimstone preachers blush who did not always bring up the intense, loving mercy of God and His desire to bestow on all the grace of salvation.
Those who speak only of a God casting people into Hell do not teach this. They only teach that we all should fear Hell.
Jesus begs us to turn toward him no matter who we are and to seek His grace and love. The fact is the most important aspect of the teachings of Jesus is that our seeking Him is what leads us to Heaven and that goes for the worst of all sinners. He is the one who leads us to the path of salvation. He transforms us in His grace, usually in ways we never anticipated and we are happy to walk them.
Therefore, if someone does nothing but teach you that you are going to Hell, ignore them. Turn sincerely to Christ, instead, and ask Him to teach you how to experience the fullness of his promise. He will lead you in His grace through repentance and love, even if,currently, you are the worst of all sinners.