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作者
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內容
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Augustine
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Posted -
2003/11/14 下午 03:25:56
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"It is my understanding that The Church has always taught that Salvation is
obtainable outside of the Church *but not because of another religion*, but
by a mystery of God's Grace, by His Will. I think we should always remember
Dismas on the cross next to Jesus, whom by the way-contrary to popular
belief- was also murderer and not just a thief. The Baltimore Catechism
also speaks of Baptism by Blood, desire, and those who *through no fault of
their own* do not know that the Church is the one True Church."
Did not St. Paul say: "For what have I to do to judge them that are
without? Do not you judge them that are within? For them that are
without, God will judge. Put away the evil one from among yourselves."?
(I Cor V:12-13)
It seems that one who *truly* does not know the True Church could be saved
*if* he does the will of the Father and obeys all the Commandments.
Admittedly, this would be a very hard thing to do since St. Paul also
condemns the pagans who should know better through reason since the law of
God is written in all men's hearts (Rom II:15). It is the Church who ALONE can
help a man understand his conscience and follow that conscience. The vast
majority of people today (at least in the U.S.A.) are clearly pagans and
they simply do not seem to understand why they are so bitter and hateful in
spite of the many physical comforts they enjoy and the hedonistic pleasures
in which they indulge. But St. Paul's admonition that "the name of God
through you is blasphemed among the Gentiles" (Rom II:24) is the one
completely lost upon most Christians.
The one who repents of his sins, seeks the Truth, and obeys his properly
formed conscience must be saved. But when people see "men of God" making
excuses for sin (e.g., as in the bishops tolerating--nay, actively
encouraging--homosexual priests), denying eternal doctrines for today's
fads (e.g., equating the just use of capital punishment with murder), and
clearly having malformed consciences (e.g., by excusing sins on the grounds
of "uncontrollable habits"), how are they to know God? It would seem that
a great many pagans will be damned because they give in to their lusts all
they while knowing something is amiss since their hatred of life and
bitterness of others continues to gnaw at their hearts. Without the
Church, so many (Augustine's note: NOT ALL) are unable to find the Truth and repent. Instead they
think the way to find happiness is through more physical comforts, more
indulgence, and more lust. The Church is largely silent.
While nearly impossible, there could truly be a man in the heart of New
York City who follows the law of God that is etched into his heart and
truly repents of his daily sins and tries to reform, all without knowing
God because the Church has never taught him. He truly desires to know,
love, and serve a God about whom he is completely ignorant. God will judge
him fairly even though no priest or bishop ever thought to tell him the
Good News. But how will God judge the priest, bishop, and lay-Catholic who
had the chance to teach but chose instead to remain silent?
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edward
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Posted -
2004/9/20 下午 03:53:06
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為了搞清楚梵二前及梵二後的神學其實有何分別，在互聯網上買了一本信理神學的舊書，Tanquerey所編的《Brevior Synopsis Theologiae Dogmaticae》（1931），揭到了一頁講「教會外無救恩」，它是這麼說的：
242. §2. Qui inculpabiliter extra corpus Ecclesiae manet, salvus esse potest, dummodo per fidem et caritatem, vel contritionem perfectam, ad animam Ecclesiae pertineat. (1)
Scriptura docet Gentiles non paucos, v.g. Job, Ninivitas, fuisse salvatos. Praeterea omnis adultus actum caritatis perfectae elicere potest, et sic gratiam habitualem acquirere, quae ad salutem requiritur et sufficit.
(1) Ad rem Pius IX: "Tenendum quippe ex fide est extra Apostolicam Romanam Ecclesiam salvum fieri neminem posse, hanc esse uniam salutis arcam, hanc qui non fuerit ingressus diluvio periturum; sed tamen pro certo pariter habendum est qui verae religionis ignorantia laborent, si ea sit invincibilis, nulla ipsos obstringi hujusce rei culpa ante oculos Domini." Ex allocutione Singulari quadam, 9 dec. 1854. D.B., 1647 - Idem Pontifex, in Encycl. Quanto conficiamur moerore, 10 Aug. 1863, scribit: "Cum Deus ..., pro summa sua bonitate et clementia, minime patiatur quempiam aeternis puniri suppliciis qui voluntariae culpae reatum non habeat."D.B. 177.6 - Cf. Syllabus, prop. 16, 17 et 18; D.B. 1716, 1717, 1718.
換言之，其實當中所說的，和我們今天所認為的，其實也沒有怎麼兩樣。
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