u/Falsetto266

A while ago I made a post asking how a loving God could make hell. I’ve started to come around on the idea though and have soured on universalism.

Universalism is just too naive. It assumes a nice world where love and human kindness matter to everyone. It forgets that psychopaths exist. There are people who don’t care a bit about love and compassion. What’s to stop them from committing a sin in a world without hell? They could go on a murderous rampage. Why should they care? They’re just going to get to heaven anyways. The only thing that ultimately holds them back spiritually is that threat of eternal damnation.

Universalism also seems to render the entirety of existence pointless. If everyone was just going to heaven anyways then why go through all of this testing with sin and evil? What would the point even be?

It also just seems to lead to relativism and indifference to sin. Who cares if you missed mass? Everyone is going to heaven. Who cares if you commit debauchery? Everyone is going to heaven…It makes justice a joke.

I’m trying to find studies on how ancient Jews interpreted the Great Isaiah Scroll in regards to messianism. Does anyone know where I should look?

I’ve posted before that I want to become a priest and I just want to know how bad the whole fight over the liturgy is on the ground. Is it really that big of a deal between priests or has SSPX blown things out of proportion? How does one even become the priest of a church that does the Latin mass?

Recently I’ve been reading a lot about the intense persecution of Christians in 16th-19th century Japan and its filled me with a desire to make a pilgrimage to Nagasaki. The fact that the faith survived hidden in such an environment for so long is deeply moving. It speaks of a profound love of Christ and in many ways, I think it speaks of Christ’s infinite love for us.
Some people watch the movie Silence and wonder if there was any point to those martyrdoms since Japan isn’t some massively Christian nation today. I think such thoughts miss the point.

My mind drifts to the conversation between Abraham and God, when Abraham begged God to spare the city if he can find only fifty righteous people in the city. God agrees so Abraham lowers the number further and further and God continues to agree. It’s implied that God would agree to spare the city if only one righteous person was within it.

Perhaps some of you don’t see where I’m going with this so I’ll try to explain.

A soul is eternal and of infinite value. God made each and everyone one of us unique. There is no replacing a soul lost to perdition. A loving parent can’t simply replace a lost child with another. The loss is devastating. At the same time, the salvation of even one soul is a victory of infinite value.

Christ knew when he was going to his crucifixion that he would not save us all. Not for lack of love or trying on his part but because of our own wickedness. Still, he went because he loved us. I believe he would’ve went even if he only saved only fifty souls out of all of humanity. He would’ve gone to save thirty, twenty, ten…He would’ve gone to save one. That’s how much each and every one of us matter to him.

Even if only the tiniest fraction of Japan was saved, that fraction is of infinite value and makes all the pain and suffering worth it. Even if the seed planted by the blood of martyrs is small and takes a long time to grow, it is still worth it. Salvation is not measured in countries but in people. Every person saved is an eternal victory for heaven and an eternal rebuke against hell. God needs only save one person and he has won the war.

Sorry if I’m not making sense. I’ve just been having all these thoughts in my head and I needed to get them out somehow. I’d love to hear what you all think.

Hi there, I’m a thirty year old Catholic man from Upstate NY. I’m gay (celibate) and have considered joining the priesthood. I’ve been told I can’t join because my sacrifice of marriage would be “incomplete” since I’m not straight. Is this true? If so, how is that fair at all?
I sacrificed marriage and parenthood when I chose to become Catholic. I gave up any chance of romance or having a child of my own. It’s beyond insulting to hear that my sacrifice is worth less than a straight man’s. So what if I don’t feel attraction to women? Is it not the emotional sacrifice and suffering that counts?

Just here to say hello and keep the doors of conversation open! I’m a gay 30M Catholic with a more traditional view of the Bible. I understand Rule 1 of this server so I won’t proselytize. All I ask in return is that you don’t treat me like a project. Happy to be here!