At least it seems like it these days. A quick read of the obituaries (a habit of paramedics; we like to know how our patients fared) shows a multitude of alternate funeral services where the deceased, especially if they were a young adult, are laid to rest in a service held from a community hall rather than a church. And invariably, there will be a poem at the bottom of the obituary that guarantees the deceased is in heaven, waiting joyfully to be reunited with their loved ones. The simple fact that the funeral is held in a community hall signifies that the person probably didn't have religion in their life, and may have never even been baptized.
So why is it that someone who knows no religion is presumed by his relatives to be in heaven? Well, I guess it's a lot easier on them than wondering if their dearly beloved is suffering eternal hellfire. Or maybe they just don't believe in hell or the consequences of sin. But they clearly believe in the mercy of God, as evidenced by the presumption of heaven for their loved ones.
Sometimes it's just so hard to be Catholic.
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7 comments:
Hmm, the title of this post is a bit misleading, since we know that not everyone makes it to Heaven!
I guess all we can do PG is offer up those prayers for those that have passed!
Karin, I meant for the title to be a wee bit sarcastic. It just seems that Catholics are the only ones who have to work to get into heaven. Everyone else thinks they have a free ride.
I know PG (regarding the title that is) :)
This has always annoyed me, too. My mom says to always act as if someone went to Purgatory...and pray like crazy for them.
That's right aquinasavio,I've always prayed for the dead,they like the living need our prayers. I think in the last generation or so as secularism spreads many a Catholic has forgotten that the dead suffer in Purgatory- I think people tend to treat Purgatory as a fantasy of a superstitious age and compound that with the idea of a, not Just,but solely Merciful God and hence every soul ascends immedeately to the Heaven of Heavens!
Yeah...the beliefs go from one extreme to the other. Sometimes God is viewed as too severe and a terrifying being. Other times, He is viewed as the overly-nice God who will overlook sins because the person "had a great smile and warm heart."
;)
It just seems that Catholics are the only ones who have to work to get into heaven. Everyone else thinks they have a free ride.
You are so right PG. Everyone else is "saved".
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