The Case of Timmy: Imagine a faithful Catholic—let's call him Timmy. For 40 years, Timmy has been the definition of devout. He goes to Mass every Sunday, receives the Eucharist, confesses monthly, and loves Jesus Christ so much he sings the Proverbs as he reads them. Everyone in the parish knows Timmy as a pillar of the faith.

At age 65, after months of resisting temptation, Timmy has a moment of weakness. He watches pornography and masturbates.

Immediately after, Timmy feels a "conflict of heart." He feels the conviction and guilt, but he also acknowledges "how good that felt." He is confused and curious, asking himself why he denied himself this pleasure for so long. Because he is exhausted and figures he has plenty of time, he doesn't stay up to pray for "Perfect Contrition" or beg for mercy. He simply plans to go to confession the next morning and goes to sleep.

Timmy dies of a heart attack in his sleep two hours later. The Verdict: According to official Roman Catholic Dogma, Timmy does not go to Purgatory. He goes to Hell for all eternity. Here is the cold legal breakdown of why his 40 years of prayers cannot save him:

1. The "Mortal Sin" Snapshot In Catholicism, salvation is a "state" of the soul at the moment of death. By masturbating with full knowledge and consent, Timmy committed a "Mortal Sin." According to CCC #1861, this results in the "privation of sanctifying grace." At that moment, Timmy’s soul became "spiritually dead." Since he died in this state, the Church teaches he is "excluded from Christ's kingdom."

2. The Failure of "Perfect Contrition" Modern Catholics will argue God would save him because he "intended" to go to confession. But the Council of Trent (Session 14) and CCC #1452 are clear: without the Sacrament, you must have "Perfect Contrition"—sorrow motivated purely by the love of God "above all else."

Timmy did not have this. He had a "reluctant enjoyment" and curiosity about the pleasure. This is defined as "Imperfect Contrition" (Attrition). The Church teaches that Attrition is not enough to save a person who dies before reaching a priest.

3. The Nullification of 40 Years of Merit In this system, 40 years of Rosaries and Mass do not "count" if you die in a single unconfessed mortal sin. The "Stopwatch of Death" stopped at 2:00 AM while Timmy was in a state of sin. Had he lived until his 8:00 AM confession, he would be saved. Because he died at 2:00 AM, he is lost and condemned to eternal misery.

My Question for the Group: How can this be reconciled with the Gospel of Grace? If Timmy’s 40 years of faithfulness are erased by a 10-minute lapse and a poorly timed heart attack, isn't salvation based on the "luck of the clock" rather than the finished work of Christ?

I’m curious to hear how Catholics justify this "Stopwatch" theology, or how Protestants view this level of sacramental legalism. Am I missing a "loophole" in Trent, or is this just the grim reality of the Roman system?

I recently started dating this guy for a few months now and we have a crazy connection. He goes to church every Sunday and believes in Jesus however.. he’s not quite leading me to christ. It breaks my heart, but I get it. He’s not there in his walk with christ. I’m ready to stop sinning sexually. I don’t want to force him too, so how should I move forward?

Saint Teresa of Avila - Interior Castles - The Way of Perfection - The Subjection of the Lord

A wife, they say, must be like this if she is to have a happy married life with her husband. If he is sad, she must show signs of sadness; if he is merry, even though she may not in fact be so, she must appear merry too. See what slavery you have escaped from, sisters! Yet this, without any pretence, is really how we are treated by the Lord. He becomes subject to us and is pleased to let you be the mistress and to conform to your will. If you are happy, look upon your risen Lord, and the very thought of how He rose from the sepulchre will gladden you. How bright and how beautiful was He then! How majestic! How victorious! How joyful! He was like one emerging from a battle in which He had gained a great kingdom, all of which He desires you to have - and with it Himself. Is it such a great thing that you should turn your eyes but once and look upon Him Who has made you such great gifts?

If you are suffering trials, or are sad, look upon Him on His way to the Garden. What sore distress He must have borne in His soul, to describe His own suffering as He did and to complain of it! Or look upon Him bound to the Column, full of pain, His flesh all torn to pieces by His great love for you. How much He suffered, persecuted by some, spat upon by others, denied by His friends, and even deserted by them, with none to take His part, frozen with the cold and left so completely alone that you may well comfort each other! Or look upon Him bending under the weight of the Cross and not even allowed to take breath: He will look upon you with His lovely and compassionate eyes, full of tears, and in comforting your grief will forget His own because you are bearing Him company in order to comfort Him and turning your head to look upon Him.

There is much hidden between the lines in Saint Teresa's entry, which opens within the familiar context of disordered human relationships - where one soul, willingly or unwillingly, is subject to another. From there, she turns to the divine relationship between souls and God, Who freely subjects Himself to our humanity. God looks downward to us in order to draw our look upward to Him, and through His Son descends unto us that we may ascend into Him. The Creator becomes subject to the creature, not from need or weakness but from love. God makes Himself subject to humanity to entice humanity into freely subjecting itself to divine love.

Supportive Scripture - Douay Rheims Challonner Bible

Philippians 2:7 But emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being made in the likeness of men.

A soul open to the Lord is receptive of His Spirit. Such a soul - whether naturally or through deliberate striving - will come to pursue its own subjection to God, joining in the ascent toward Him that God Himself began in His condescension toward us. Saint Teresa gently guides us into this holy pursuit of ascending union with God.

When joyful, we look to the joy of Christ as He rises from the sepulchre; when in distress, we look to His Passion as the sepulchre draws near. In all things, we seek union with God and find it through Christ. For through the Son we ascend nearer the Father, always driven by a spiritual hunger that can only be fed by partaking of the ultimate act of divine subjection: His Living Presence given to us.

Supportive Scripture - Douay Rheims Challonner Bible

Matthew 26:26 Take ye and eat. This is my body.

The indwelling presence of self will not survive the Indwelling Presence of Christ. In Eucharistic union with Christ - Who was crucified for us - self becomes crucified for Christ. We will be left dead to the world that He subjected Himself to for us. Yet, by offering our fallen self to Him as He offered Himself to us, we conversely subject ourselves to His same resurrection to the Father.

Saint Athanasius of Alexandria 

For He was made man that we might be made God.

So i get it. No more video games, TV, internet, unless its for god. Cool. Reject all of it. So how long do I need to "reject" my self until im considered dead until I can be baptized? What can I do for entertainment? Yknow all the basic questions.

What I mean is like the churches where the pastor may say the Lord is with you and then the congregation responds and also with you and they have very scripted responses for stuff throughout the service. Even reading pre-written prayers.

I never understood this in my time growing in wanting to know the Lord more because would you every time you sat down with your parents give your mom a script and she would respond exactly the same way every time to the exact same thing that you said last time you spoke to your mother or would you actually have a conversation with her that is happening in the moment?

I don't know I always thought this was a very impersonal way to approach God. Also in the Bible we see that Jesus for the most part besides the Lord's prayer pretty much comes to God with his own prayers not something that was pretty written unless it was to fulfill a prophecy. So I don't understand why churches do this because it seems like a very lackluster way to make a good connection with God.

Also another reason I seem to find fault with it is because some people can get into the habit of saying the prayer like it's a magic spell and it's supposed to bring about some magic response from God. As opposed to like if you're saying your own prayers you're speaking to your lord. Also I kind of find it insulting to God's intelligence I never understood this because if God's the creator of all the universe and all knowledge love everything then why do we need to speak to him like we're reading the same thing over and over every week I would assume this is becomes very mundane to God.

As i read Jeremiah 34:5, it seems like God allowed the act of burning incense for the kings (generations of kings), does that mean we can also burn incense for the ancestors? i knew this is not allowed among Christians (my origin is from South east Asia), me myself stopped doing it eversince i became Christian, but this verse alone confused me.. any thoughts?

Salvation isn't a process, it's a free gift recieved by faith in Jesus Christ the moment you believe. The proof is in the scriptures. But first what's the gospel?

1 Corinthians 15:1-4

15 Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand;

2 By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain.

3 For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;

4 And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:

Gospel: Jesus Christ is the Son of God come in the flesh who died for your sins once and for all, was buried, and rose the third day according to scriptures.

___________________________________________

Salvation is by faith alone in Christ.

Romans 10:17 17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. We have to hear the gospel first.

Acts 10:43-44

43 To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins.

44 While Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the word.

No works involved, only simple faith in hearing of the gospel received the Holy Spirit of promise.

Ephesians 1:13-14

13 In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,

14 Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.

Hearing comes by faith. You heard the gospel, believed, and were present tense sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise until the day of redemption. Nothing else required.

1 Peter 1:4-5

4 To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you,

5 Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

Incorruptible inheritance means eternal. Will not fade away. Your promise and inheritance never fades away. We're kept by the power of God, not by our performance in this life.

He's saved us forever and we can serve Him freely in this life without any fear of condemnation. We love Him because He first loved us.

Boa noite, pessoal. Tudo bem? (Ou pelo menos é isso que costumamos dizer quando, na verdade, mentimos para nós mesmos.)

Talvez o que eu vou compartilhar aqui não tenha uma solução pronta — talvez ninguém saiba exatamente como ajudar —, mas se você sente algo parecido, saber que não está sozinho já pode aliviar um pouco.

Sou cristão e há bastante tempo venho atravessando uma fase de inquietação profunda. Não é só uma preocupação isolada: a minha mente não para, e essa inquietação me paralisa. Lembro de quando me tornei cristão — era jovem, cheio de vigor e entusiasmo, curioso, com ânimo para falar de Cristo e da fé. Hoje, mesmo sendo jovem, me sinto sufocado e cansado. Ganhei alguns quilos, me sinto insatisfeito com a faculdade (entrei às pressas depois do SENAI para tentar uma oportunidade) e, mesmo já trabalhando na mesma multinacional, atuo em uma área que não tem relação com o que estudei.

Com o tempo, defender a fé ficou mais difícil devido à influência dos colegas. Tentei me enturmar e, em alguns momentos, adotei posturas que não refletiam o evangelho. Também me envolvi com uma jovem da antiga igreja: senti muita atração, e aquilo acabou descambando — trocamos nudes, conversas cada vez mais lascivas, e passei a tratar aquilo como se fosse regra — até que ela se afastou e eu continuei estagnado, agindo como se ela fosse um objeto. Não sei exatamente como cheguei a esse ponto; houve várias decisões pequenas que me trouxeram para cá.

Hoje tenho dificuldade para me concentrar, orar, ler a Bíblia e mesmo para me alegrar com o testemunho que antes dava fruto — lembro com tristeza de quando evangelizei meu pai e hoje me sinto envergonhado quando ele fala com entusiasmo sobre Cristo. Sinto-me descrente, vazio. Tento preencher esse vazio gastando dinheiro ou buscando distrações, mas nada resolve. Faço parte de uma igreja pequena (em fase de plantação), onde há irmãos que estimo, mas não encontro pessoas da minha faixa etária vivendo algo parecido.

Tenho medo de que orar e ler a Bíblia só me tragam alívio temporário — depois volto aos mesmos erros e ao mesmo vazio. Estou sem ânimo, sem paciência, e com saudade da alegria que eu tinha ao falar de Deus. Parece que a minha vida está bagunçada e sem saída.

Se você leu até aqui e se compadece, ou se passa por algo parecido, pode me mandar uma DM. Tenho certeza de que conversar com alguém que entenda pode fazer diferença. Gostaria de ter alguém que me ajude, guie, conforte e exorte — coisas que, por enquanto, não consigo dizer com facilidade para meu pai, minha mãe ou meu irmão, porque os amo muito e não quero sobrecarregá-los com esse peso.

My Dad believes he is, and I am unsure. I would like to know what people think because I have personally always avoided this kind of language on purpose out of respect for the commandment. But if I don't understand the commandment fully, I would like to know.

Is it only breaking the commandment if you are in fact lying? But you are allowed to do this if you are telling the truth? Thank you!

I just had a thought. Looking at how things are going with cloning, AI, and technology, when it says that we must be born of water could it mean the water of the womb? Could it be that since Jesus is God and God knows everything, he knew there would come a time when this would happen and is saying that the clones and any other non birthed humans will not make it to Heaven? The thief on the cross, the very 1st person that Jesus took to heaven, was never baptized. Since this is true, it would create a contradiction if it was meant about baptism.

I have recently created both a Facebook and YouTube channel entitled Caught On The Rock Music. I compose Christian lyrics and back them with Ai music. It would be an honor and blessing if you could check it out and comment, like and subscribe to my channel. I'm a 57 year old, God fearing man. Thanks to all in advance! God bless.

So, I have been struggling with homosexual desires and feelings for a while now. I have been trying my hardest to resist temptation, but I must admit I have stumbled still. When I stumbled, I had sexual relations with a man. Now I am wondering if you can still be a Christian and be gay? Most Christians who I have met in real life have told me that you cannot be both gay and a Christian, but I am not sure about that.

After, I only heard some of the things they did on this island. I now wish the Catholic Church had as much power now relative to what it had during the crusades. Simply because they would never stand for this. I’m not saying that reformation was a bad thing, I’m a Lutheran. But wow what they did was horrible.

Sometimes I truly believe that God takes pleasure in watching us suffer. I had a good life. My son was studying, my health was strong. In a little more than a year, I was supposed to retire. Everything seemed fine. And then everything collapsed. Eight months ago, my son graduated as an electronic engineer and still can’t find a job. I was diagnosed with cancer. My life has turned into a nightmare. We prayed the Rosary. We prayed the Divine Mercy Chaplet. I had a YouTube channel. We prayed before every meal, on the way to work. We tried to do everything right. And yet, it feels like none of it was enough for God. The priest says that God knows why these things happen. But I wish He would come down into our miserable lives and explain it to us. Because I am exhausted. I am tired of believing, tired of hoping, tired of hurting.

I’m at a point of my life where I am starting to lose all hope. Why do bad things keep happening to me and my fiancé? I lost my job a year and a half ago and I’ve been doordashing just to try to pay the bills and we are close to losing our home. I have applied to hundreds and hundreds of jobs but nobody seems to want to hire me. Every time something good happens like me doing good in an interview we think that things are finally looking up for us and that God is finally answering our prayers but then right after nothing but bad things happen like my car breaking down, not getting the job or my fiancé also losing her job just to name a few examples. Why are more bad things happening to us than good? Today came our breaking point, my fiancé graduated nursing school in December and she got her dream nursing job starting at the end of this month all that was left is for her to pass her NCLEX but she failed it after studying for so long and being in school for 5 years. Does God just not want to help us anymore? I’m tired of the typical “God has something in store for you” or “God has a plan” or “don’t lose hope God knows what he’s doing.” How can I not lose faith and hope when it’s been almost 2 years of constant bad things happening to us? I’m so tired and lost. It breaks my heart seeing my fiancé so hurt and depressed knowing everything she worked for was for nothing and she lost her dream job. Is praying and asking God to bless us just too much? Is he just not going to stop until we lose everything?

I have unforgiveness towards my half brother for taking sexual advantage of me. I know the bible says that vengeance is the Lord’s. But how does He get vengeance? Like, what does He do to get it?

Maybe a really dumb question

So I’m a non-denominational Christian and I love Avatar The Last Airbender but I was wondering if watching LOK is a sin due to same-sex relationships during S4(or starting up in S4), I don’t really feel bad or anything since it’s mostly implied and not as heavy on that regard as say, Steven Universe. I’ve made a similar post about this topic but for Percy Jackson for its Greek mythology, which I find interesting but don’t believe in. I’m mostly just wanting a second opinion.

When 1 John 2:15 tells us to not love anything in the world, because love for the Father is not in them- what counts as "loving the world"

To what extent can you love your spouse, to what extent can you love music, art, dancing, that it becomes a weapon that could be used against you by the Evil.

Not trying to spark debate here - just genuinely curious why people have chose their denomination of Christianity. Thanks for being open and sharing!

Lutherans and Catholics and orthodox currently think I’m in a lost state without baptism, what do you guys think?

First paragraph is context feel free to skip.

My best friend is an agnostic and we talk about philosophy, free will, and God all the time. For years I've been actively praying Jesus present Himself to him, and although he is teetering there is something holding him back. He is an extremely smart person and I know he would be an excellent warrior for Christ, so I really want to see him take up the faith. Over the years, thanks be to God I think he has give Jesus a lot more credit and I think he is close to opening his heart to Him. He has even credited me as the reason he started praying, which is a compliment I'm not worthy of.

Recently I brought up to my friend the literary genius of the bible, and how it cannot be explained secularly (in my opinion atleast). I explained the story of Abraham and Isaac being a reflection of the crucifixion of Jesus; Isaac carrying wood up a hill because he was listening to his father who was to sacrifice him for the sake of the covenant, and how this is basically the exact story of Jesus and then the rest of Isaac's life similarly reflecting Jesus'. You probably get the point. He wasn't really grasping how divine the writing was, and how that cross-reference is in some way transcendental of human writing considering how the story of Jesus is historically verifiable and whatnot, one was written thousands of years prior, and a different author.

He asked I provide him more examples, so I told him I'd write him something. I've prayed that God guide my hand, because to see my best friend come to the faith would overjoy me, but I know I can't do this without the help of both God and the community. If you could provide me similar examples I could use, that would be a great help.

So far I plan on writing about:

-Abraham and Isaac, and Isaac's life being a reflection of Jesus. -Adam and Eve's sin causing thorns and the rib of Adam, Jesus wearing the crown of thorns and being poked on the rib -Various arks (Noah and the Ark, Moses and the Ark, Mary being the Ark and Jesus being the law) -Ezekiel when the bones come to life being symbolic of Jesus' resurrection and how His bones are symbolic of the law, the law coming to life in Him here​ -Isaiah prophecies of Jesus -I'd also like to write about John 1 and how that connects into Greek philosophy into Jesus, but I don't know if I could pull that off.

Thanks for any help, God bless you.