Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Path: utzoo!linus!wivax!decvax!harpo!floyd!vax135!ariel!houti!hogpc!houxm!hocda!spanky!burl!duke!unc!tim From: tim@unc.UUCP Newsgroups: net.religion Subject: Re: Views on Religions - (nf) Message-ID: <5347@unc.UUCP> Date: Thu, 9-Jun-83 21:33:06 EDT Article-I.D.: unc.5347 Posted: Thu Jun 9 21:33:06 1983 Date-Received: Tue, 14-Jun-83 06:53:49 EDT References: uw-june.473 Lines: 34 The church does not hold that it is necessary to be a Catholic to be saved. In fact, there was a priest un- frocked 26 years ago for making precisely that claim, and refusing to recant. Protestants are most assuredly saved as well. The Church does take the attitude that Cathol- ics have a fuller faith than Protestants, but then I tend to get worried about any denomination that doesn't be- lieve that about themselves. You are probably right in that this is not currently a doctrine of the Church, although I am not completely taking your word for it. This isn't because I don't trust you, it's because I've found that asking different Catholics what Catholics believe fre- quently gets different answers. I once had a Ctaholic tell me that the Church no longer believed in Hell. Hey, guess he's read the Gospels, huh? One might also profitably contrast your atti- tude with that of Catholics in Ireland (and Protestants too, for that matter). The fact reamins that up until very recent times, the Church did hold this view. The topic being discussed is how religions got popular. The present toleration that marks the Catholic Church is a welcome break from many centuries of rabid intolerance and absolutism, during which times the Church was more popular than today. In any case, your letter shows that you DO probably think that no non-Christian (or non-Jew) will go to Heaven. Your acceptance of Protestantism is nice, but to someone on the outside of Chris- tianity it is still more evidence of your system's claim of ex- clusive salvation. Tim Maroney