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airrow@hilariouschaos.com

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"The Little Number of Those Who Are Saved" by St. Leonard of Port Maurice (hilariouschaos.com)

submitted 2 days ago by airrow@hilariouschaos.com to c/christianity@hilariouschaos.com

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I think this kind of writing is intended to inspire a "holy fear" of God, against those who might sin with complacency

Also to inspire a kind of love of virtue, and a striving towards doing good:

"If you want to be certain of being in the number of the Elect, strive to be one of the few, not one of the many. And if you would be quite sure of your salvation, strive to be among the fewest of the few" -St. Anselm

https://www.olrl.org/snt_docs/fewness.shtml

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[–] Hoimo@ani.social 1 points 2 days ago (1 children)

I don't like this way of thinking. It's similar with Pascal's Wager, where one is trying to skip the complicated moral questions and instead "win the game". You can't game-theory yourself into being a good person.

Like if we take this very literally, Hitler was among the fewest of the few. Kenneth Copeland is a one in a million dude. But he's not getting saved, because he missed the basics of Christianity: Love your neighbor as yourself and God above all. It doesn't matter how you compare to others as long as you're doing your best.

[–] airrow@hilariouschaos.com 1 points 1 day ago

I think I see what you're saying and I kind of agree that it's not a competition, in that there aren't limited slots in heaven; it's just about being the good person God wants you to be. You don't need to be "better" than anyone else, but to simply be "good" as God wants of you. It's not as if someone else doing more or less good, affects if you are saved in the end or not.

I think the author is trying to get people to question if they are that person God wants them to be though, and if they are not, then to pray and think about how to become that person.

Yes, no?