Ask Father John Part 1: Do Suicide Bombers Go To Hell? - Depends on Conscience

This article appeared in the Catholic News, dated Sunday 20 July 2008.

Question:

How does God deal with suicide bombers who believe they will go to 'paradise' and be with Allah? How can they go to hell if they don't even believe in it? ...

Answer by Father John Dietzen:

Contrary to the assumptions of many, including even to this day a fair number of Catholics, the Catholic Church holds that all persons who sincerely attempt to follow the dictates of their conscience, what they believe to be right and good, are saved.

This concept is by now well entrenched in church teaching. The Catechism of the Catholic Church says it clearly:

Those who, through no fault of their own, do not know the Gospel of Christ or his church, but who nevertheless seek God with a sincere heart and, moved by grace, try in their actions to do his will as they know it through the dictates of their conscience - these too may achieve eternal salvation" (No. 847, quoting the Vatican Council II Constitution on the Church).

All this assumes, of course, for all human beings whatever their culture or background, a diligent and honest attempt to inform one's conscience with all the grace and wisdom possible, and then to live one's life in accord with what is seen a "religious duty," however the individual sees that duty.

Some will claim, of course, that no human being could honestly envision as morally good inhuman and appalling acts of cruelty - acts which are perpetrated in countless nations of our world to this hour by people other than Muslims.

Many people among them religious leaders, have publicly proclaimed that all the dead terrorists are burning in hell, and those still alive will do so. Arrogance like this is unworthy of any thoughtful human being, let alone any Christian.

Judgments like this about the condition and fate of other people's souls are wholly beyond our reach. The pretense of having sufficient knowledge and wisdom to make such judgements invades territory that belongs to God alone....(other text not included due to space constraint).