Pope Francis says atheists can be good

Atheists should be seen as good people if they do good, Pope Francis has said in his latest urging that people of all religions, and none, work together.

The leader of the world's 1.2 billion Roman Catholics made his comments in the homily of his morning mass at his residence, a daily event at which he speaks without prepared comments.

He told the story of a Catholic who asked a priest if even atheists had been redeemed by Jesus.

"Even them, everyone," the pope answered, according to Vatican Radio. "We all have the duty to do good," he said.

"Just do good, and we'll find a meeting point," the pope said in a hypothetical reply to the hypothetical comment: "But I don't believe

To be honest, this whole issue rests on your understanding of 3 things:

Firstly, the phrase “Extra Ecclesiam nulla salus”
Secondly, your interpretation of the Bible
Thirdly, the concepts of salvation through grace (Augustinianism, Calvinism) and salvation through good works.

For the first point, the most recent Catholic Catechism regarding the phrase states that it simply indicates that all salvation comes from Christ the Head, which has the Church as it’s body. This means that those suffering from invincible ignorance are not to blame and can still be saved.

For the second, if one is to take a literal, fundamentalist approach to biblical scripture then we come to no certain conclusion due to the various differing opinions and arguments which can be presented by simply quoting scripture.

For the third, it is important to understand that the Catholic Church’s view regarding salvation is that it is achieved through good work. The Catholic Church does not accept the Calvinist viewpoint that God has fundamentally chosen who is damned and saved when they are born. This in itself creates a predestination-based issue concerning morality, because if this is true, not one person is responsible for their actions.

However, it is important to lastly consider whether a God which is believed to be benevolent (let alone omnibenevolent) would damn good people for reaching a conclusion using the logic and reason he gave them. If he did, surely he would not be benevolent? If he did, I would argue he would not be worth worshiping.

I have always taken it as clear that deeds should spring from our faith. We should simply do good deeds because we are joyous in our Father’s Grace, and because our faith inspires us to do so.

It is not the same as doing good deeds because that is how you go to Heaven.

I have always taken it as clear that deeds should spring from our faith. We should simply do good deeds because we are joyous in our Father’s Grace, and because our faith inspires us to do so.

It is not the same as doing good deeds because that is how you go to Heaven.

There is a third possibility of doing good deeds because it's the right thing to do. I guess you could say that this involves following the Golden Rule, but without believing in the supernatural.

“The real issue is, that BILLIONS of “good” people have and are going to hell.

Being good doesn’t get one into heaven.”

RIGHT ON!
“For whoever finds me finds life and obtains favor from the LORD, but he who fails to find me injures himself; all who hate me love death.”

Proverbs 8:35-36

“There is a third possibility of doing good deeds because it’s the right thing to do. I guess you could say that this involves following the Golden Rule, but without believing in the supernatural.”

Here’s the issue with that...
If you don’t believe in God, how can you know what “good” is?
Where there is no standard-bearer there are no standards!

If you don’t believe in God, how can you know what “good” is?

1. "What is hateful to thee, do not unto thy fellow man: this is the whole Law; the rest is mere commentary." - Hillel the Elder

2. It is not necessary to believe in (or to be afraid of) a supernatural being in order to always follow #1 as a part of one's nature. It's does help to be raised by loving parents who very early teach about right and wrong. But I noticed that my 4 year old son already had a very powerful sense of morality, so I wonder if some of it is innate.

“It’s does help to be raised by loving parents who very early teach about right and wrong.”

Where are mom and dad learning right from wrong?
I think you’re right about innate morality. Personally I think God gives moral restraint to man. Revelations is essentially all about that moral restraint fading away and the necessity of judgement on the earth. Heavy stuff :)

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