Are Ignorant Protestants Going to Hell?
Part I in the series "Are Protestants Going to Hell?": Assumptions and Misunderstandings
In a previous article titled, “‘Are Protestants Going to Hell?’ : Assumptions and Misunderstandings,” I outlined how Protestants risk their salvation by being outside the Catholic Church. In short, the Church teaches that the surest way to Christ is through the Church and her sacraments, but this does not mean that God cannot save someone by exception. A lot of content online takes a very nuanced approach to this topic and emphasizes the possibility that one could be saved outside the Church. But in my opinion, they overemphasize this fact to the exclusion of the other fact, which is that it’s dangerous to live for Christ outside the Church.
The main problem is that we don’t know with certainty whether an Atheist, Protestant, Catholic, Jew, or Muslim is truly damned because God is the one who makes the judgment of persons. Being the finite creatures that we are, we can only judge the trajectory of a soul, not their final destination. If you’re pulling your hair out by that statement, then I would encourage you to read my previous article linked below.
With that, let’s discuss the first scenario by answering the question, “How would an ignorant Protestant risk their salvation?”
But before I attempt to answer this, let me know how you deal with this question. What does your church teach, or what do you personally believe about individuals who die in ignorance of the means of salvation? Let me know in the comments.
The Ignorant Protestant
The Ignorant Protestant is the one who knows nothing about the Catholic Church. They attend their local community church regularly, but they literally have no idea what the words “Catholic Church” would mean. As far as they are concerned, it’s just another denomination they pass on their way to their home church on Sundays.
The Ignorant Protestant: one who knows of the Catholic Church by name, but is completely ignorant of her teachings.
This type of Protestant could be in virtually all the Protestant communities. Their ignorance is not due to their intelligence level. This individual could be a brilliant person about many things, but due to a lack of exposure to the Church, is completely ignorant of the Church’s teachings on salvation. In other words, the Catholic Church is just another building he passes on his way to work.
Meet Jake
The first time Jake heard the Gospel, his heart was pierced. The evangelist who led Jake to the Lord Jesus was Max. He taught Jake that to be saved, all Jake had to do was place his faith in Jesus Christ. So, Jake said a prayer confessing to Jesus that he was a sinner. Then Jake got baptized, committed his life to Jesus, and began a personal relationship with Jesus that lasted for many years, something both Catholics and Protestants would celebrate.
But then things got a little messy. Jake was what many preachers describe as “The seed that fell on rocky soil.” He sprang up fast, went to church every Sunday, joined Max’s men’s group, but when the heat of temptation entered his life, he had no roots to anchor him.
After about a year of going to church, volunteering, and attending Bible studies, Jake got busy with life and began to drift spiritually. Church was no longer a priority to him. Shortly after this, Jake met a girl named Alyssa through a dating app. She said she was a Christian, but she had stopped attending Church regularly, just like Jake.
But this didn’t stop them from having a connection. In fact, it only made their chemistry stronger. They found that they had a lot of things in common, books, movies, restaurants, and their shared excuses for why they couldn’t make it to church. It was under these circumstances that their love began to bloom.
After a few weeks of getting to know each other, they decided to watch a movie at Alyssa’s apartment. After one too many drinks, they found themselves in Alyssa’s bedroom. Jake felt guilty. His conscience was screaming at him to stop. Alyssa’s heart was captured in the moment. She felt that things were moving too fast as well, but the passion was too strong for either of them to overcome. In the heat of the moment, they ignored their consciences, landed on her bed, and committed the grave sin of sex before marriage.
The next morning, Jake left Alyssa’s apartment, but he couldn’t shake the guilt. He got into the car, and before he drove off, he said a prayer, “I’m sorry, God. I shouldn’t have done that. Forgive me. Amen.” After he said these words, he felt a peace come over him. Then he remembered his friend, Max. “How is he doing?” thought Jake, but once he got on the road, he started one of his favorite podcasts for the commute to work.
The repentance was short-lived. After a few more weeks, Alyssa and Jake ended up sleeping together again. This time it was easier to give in than it was the first time. This is how sin works. The enemy tries to get a foothold in your life, and if you give it to him, he will become increasingly difficult to overcome.
After a year of this lifestyle, both Jake’s and Alyssa’s consciences were darkened. The bliss of intimacy had seared their consciences, and what was something that should have been reserved for marriage was now a regular part of their relationship. So, they decided to move in together.
They didn’t do this because they hated God. They still would listen to Christian preachers online, or when a Christian song came up in their Spotify playlists, they would turn up the volume. Oftentimes, it was after a Christian song that one of them would say, “We haven’t been to Church in a while, we should go this weekend.”
Sometimes they would go to Jake’s old church, but Jake was always sure to make sure they showed up late so that he wouldn’t bump into Max. If you had asked him why he was avoiding his old friend, Jake would have just shrugged, looked you in the eye, and said, “I don’t know, it just seems like it would be awkward to talk to them. It’s been a minute.” But then one Sunday morning, everything got messy.
Sunday
Jake and Alyssa pulled into the church parking lot. As they walked up to the main entrance, Alyssa said, “Babe, I gotta go to the bathroom. Will you grab me a coffee from the coffee bar?” Jake gladly agreed, and the two of them separated — Alyssa to the restroom and Jake to the coffee bar.
As he was standing in line, Jake heard a familiar voice. “Jake Peterson, is that you?” Jake turned around to see a familiar face. It was Max. In that moment, Jake realized that Max was the only reason he ever wandered into a church. Jake’s stomach dropped. Alyssa was going to be out of the bathroom any minute.
But the conversation was short. Max was on the audio and visuals team, so he couldn’t talk long. Before he went back to the sound booth, Max asked Jake to come back to the Bible study. Jake was reluctant, but he agreed so that he could minimize the risk that he might have to introduce Alyssa to Max. He didn’t want to risk her letting it slip that she and Jake were living together. The next time Jake would see Max was going to be at the men’s Bible Study. Jake took the coffee, saw Alyssa walking up with a beautiful smile, and the two locked arms and walked into the auditorium.
The Slip
“Jake, you made it!” said an enthusiastic Max. “It’s been a minute. How you been?”
Jake gave Max the traditional “bro hug,” clasping each other’s hands, pulling each other in, and completing the act with a firm pat on the other’s back.
Before Jake could answer, the waitress walked up and asked for their orders.
While they waited for the food to arrive, Max started peppering Jake with questions. “Who was that cute girl you were with on Sunday, Jake? You have a girlfriend now?”
Jake was about to answer, but instead of a thoughtful response, he let out a huge yawn. Max patted him on the back, “You tired, man? Have some coffee!”
“Thanks…Yeah, I am…” Jake let out another yawn. “Last night, Alyssa and I were up late watching a movie. To get here on time, I had to leave her apartment at 5:00 in the morning! You guys sure know how to pick a niche place for breakfast!”
Some of the guys exchanged subtle glances, while others played it cool and moved on like nothing had been said. But Max noticed and made a mental note to follow up with Jake about it. For now, Max was just happy that Jake was with some godly men.
The Battle for Jake’s Soul
Over the next couple of months, Max kept in touch with Jake and tried to persuade him that sex was something for marriage. Jake pushed back, saying that thinking was outdated and a childish way to expect a man in his thirties to live.
“You’re saying it’s Christian teaching to save yourself for marriage?” said Jake, “I just thought that was for teens because parents didn’t want their daughters to get pregnant. I mean, I’m 32 years old, Max…come on.”
“Jake, this is different. Marriage is a covenant. The Bible is clear about this. Being a Christian isn’t just about saying a prayer and going to Church, it’s also about living life according to God’s commands.”
Jake’s rebuttal was quick and poignant, “Isn’t that outdated, Max? I mean, I know that the Bible has some pretty outdated ideas in it. Think about it! If you were born back when the Bible was being written, you wouldn’t be able to eat bacon! You love bacon!”
Max laughed. Neither of them was easily offended, and both wanted to keep the conversation light, even though the subject was heavy. Jake continued his thought.
“Max, aren’t you the same guy who said you don’t care about what gay guys do in the bedroom as long as they keep it to themselves?”
“Jake, that’s totally different…” said Max.
This was how many of their conversations went about the faith. Max had responses with scripture to each of Jake’s objections. But Jake refused to repent. Jake just didn’t think it was that big of a deal to have sex before marriage, and despite Max’s best efforts, Jake never changed his mind. He and Alyssa would never be married either.
Before Jake tragically died in a car accident, Max asked Jake to at least consider getting married to Alyssa. “You guys have been dating now and sleeping together for nearly 2 years, Jake. Don’t you think you should at least get married? I mean, what if she gets pregnant?”
That struck a nerve. “Shut up, Max! Listen, I go to church, I love God, and I even show up to the Bible studies you lead. But sometimes I just think you need to mind your own business.”
Max was unnerved. Jake had never snapped like that. Has she already gotten pregnant? thought Max. There was a long silence while the two men waited to see who would speak first. Jake was the first to speak.
“Max, I’ve told you. I just don’t think it’s a big deal. Besides, where in the Bible does it say I have to get married anyway? That’s a rhetorical question; I know what you’re going to say.” Jake continued, “I just don’t think it’s a big deal. It might have been back in the days of Moses, but it’s not a big deal today.”
“So I guess that’s a ‘no’” replied Max.
Jake let out a deep breath and said, “Listen, I gotta go. We’ll talk more about it later.”
That was the last conversation Max had with Jake. That weekend, Jake would be declared dead after his car was t-boned by a truck when he ran a red traffic light.
The Judgment
This story is fictional. It is merely meant to show you how a Protestant could refuse the teaching of the Church even though they never knew about the Church. Protestants may disagree on morality among themselves, but many of them would at least agree and teach what the Catholic Church teaches, which is that it is a mortal sin to have sex before marriage.
Unless Jake was redeemed through his repentance and God's forgiveness, his soul is in jeopardy. This is because Jake is freely committing a grave sin, sex before marriage. If you read my first article, you know that the Catechism of the Church says that we judge the actions, but that God is the one who passes judgment on persons.
Although we can judge that an act is in itself a grave offense, we must entrust judgement of persons to the justice and mercy of God. — CCC, 1861; emphasis mine.
Now, some Catholics will try to say things like “Jake’s eternal destiny is a nuanced discussion” or “it’s hard to say where Jake ended up,” But we do know that his chances of entering heaven by exception are slim. We must remember that Scripture and the Church do not permit us to be ambiguous about the dangers of engaging in grave sin.
The author of Hebrews is explicit that those who reject the truth,
If we sin deliberately after receiving knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains sacrifice for sins 27 but a fearful prospect of judgment and a flaming fire that is going to consume the adversaries. (Heb. 10:26-27)
In our example, Jake received knowledge of the truth that sleeping with Alyssa was a serious sin and that he should stop doing it and repent. Jake rejected Max’s truth claims and decided that Max and his Protestant religion were “old-fashioned.”
Notice also that Max is not even Catholic, but he was still unwittingly being used by God to warn Jake about the dangers of sin, a warning that the Church proclaims to all human beings in the world. Her teaching is for everyone, not just Christians. This can happen the other direction, too.
When my wife and I were getting married, we were considering contraceptives for when we got married. One person that God used was a Catholic who let us know about Natural Family Planning (NFP), but another person God used was an atheist who knew that some contraceptives were abortive.
Returning to the topic at hand. Some Catholics will seek to emphasize other factors as if it were nearly impossible for someone to commit mortal sin. This is a problem because it paints the picture that one is more at risk for hell if they become Catholic, which is blatantly false. The truth is how one is saved, and it is the truth that ultimately conquers sin. Furthermore, many Catholics will try to cite the way someone was raised or the social pressures that we face as a justification that someone did not commit a grave sin. But this thinking is condemned by the Church:
It is therefore an error to judge the morality of human acts by considering only the intention that inspires them or the circumstances ( environment, social pressure, duress or emergency, etc.) which supply their context. There are acts which, in and of themselves, independently of circumstances and intentions, are always gravely illicit by reason of their object; such as blasphemy and perjury, murder and adultery. One may not do evil so that good may result from it. — Ibid; emphasis mine.
Not only do we know what sins are gravely sinful, but we Christians must be willing to warn people, in love, wisdom, and respect, when they are committing actions that will likely lead their souls to hell. Again, we may not know the final destination of one’s soul, but we most certainly can know, with certainty, the trajectory certain actions will place on a soul.
Catholics must remember that we are held to a higher standard. If we pretend that those outside the Church are saved by their ignorance, then we will always have an excuse not to warn people about the dangerous sins they are committing. In doing so, we risk our own salvation!
All the Church’s children should remember that their exalted status is to be attributed not to their own merits but to the special grace of Christ. If they fail moreover to respond to that grace in thought, word and deed, not only shall they not be saved but they will be the more severely judged.
Lumen Gentium, 14.
To evangelize the world, we must cooperate with God’s grace. Part of that evangelization is necessarily the call to repentance. Today, people prefer to say, “Come have a relationship with God,” and avoid discussing the need for repentance altogether. But you can’t have a relationship with God if there is no repentance. And anyone preaching a Gospel without repentance is just giving you a TED Talk.
The final verdict ultimately lies with God, as the book of Sirach says,
If you choose you can keep the commandments, they will save you;
if you trust in God, you too shall live…
Before man are life and death, good and evil,
whichever he chooses shall be given him…
The eyes of God are on those who fear him;
he understands man’s every deed.
No one does he command to act unjustly,
to none does he give license to sin.— Sir. 15:15-20
Conclusion
Jake was ignorant of the Church, but God, through his providence, tried to use a Protestant to warn Jake about the truth God had revealed in His Church, that is, the Catholic Church.
Jake, though he was ignorant of the Church, still had access to the truth that God was giving him through Max. In the end, Jake died in a state of grave sin, and by all appearances, he died with mortal sin on his soul.
The sin he was committing was a grave sin: Fornication.
Jake had full knowledge that he was committing a serious sin due to Max’s witness.
Jake consented and habitually sinned, despite Max’s warnings.
But even still, Christians do presume the salvation of an individual soul. God’s judgment of individual souls is a mystery, but the laws by which he will judge are not. If you are a Protestant who is in mortal sin, repent. Tell God you're sorry, and stop the sin immediately. Then go and talk to a Catholic priest about how you can learn more about what the Church teaches.
God bless.
— DR