[ThisHo]

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I define a devout Catholic as someone who has accepted Jesus Christ into their heart. I don't know what you define a devout Catholic as. Someone who does the deeds? Hitler did more than the motions, he did everything that the Bible teaches grants entrance to Heaven.

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Let me start with the "Devout Catholic" question. My point here is that going to mass, receiving communion, following the rituals of the Catholic Church are not enough to get you into heaven. The Bible teaches that you have to do 1 thing and 1 thing only to enter heaven : You have to have a personal relationship with Jesus as your Savior and Lord of your life. So it doesn't matter if you're Catholic/Baptist/Presbyterian/Non-Denominational/Evangelical
-- what matters is that you believe in Jesus. You truely believe that He is the Son of God that He came to Earth and died on the cross for your sins and that you accept him as your Savior and allow him sovereign control over your life. That's it... there isn't a mystical ceremony or any list of tasks that has to be done. Its faith in Jesus.

OK.. on the the Hitler question
{sigh} - why is it that when the forgiveness of Christ is brought up the "can God forgive Hitler" question always comes up? This seems to me the extreme test of the forgiveness of God. Can God accept into Heaven a man that was personally responsible for the torture and horrifying deaths of 6million people?

Here's the problem:
If I say "Yes. Assuming that Hitler realized what he did was wrong, repented (truely repented - not went to confession and confessed his sins to a priest and said eleventy-billion Hail Mary's as penance), but truely asked Jesus/God to forgive him, and truely believed that Jesus came to earth died on the cross for all the sins of mankind and then believed in Jesus as his savior, then YES. Hitler would be able to be in heaven. God's love and forgiveness for each and every one of us as individuals is THAT big. It surpasses all understanding."
Then you will likely respond -- OHHHHHH, so all I have to do is live my life however I want and right at the end of it say "Jesus I believe in you forgive me let me into heaven" (see #3 below for more on this item)... or "I refuse to believe in a God that will allow THAT man into heaven." or some other thing that ignores the real message of Jesus and the gospel which is that JESUS LOVES EACH OF US ENOUGH TO DIE FOR OUR SINS -- NO MATTER WHAT THEY ARE!

BUT... I if I say "No, he couldn't be in Heaven," then you'll likely say "so... what is the cutoff? What if I kill one person? 10? 100? What if I rip off a bunch of old people? What if I steal $5 from my parents wallet? What is the sin that keeps me from heaven?"

So... here's my answer in multiple parts:
1 - I would submit to you that it would not be possible to TRUELY have a relationship with Jesus as your savior, to have Jesus in your heart, to have HIM as Lord of your life and at the same time plan the systematic torture and murder of 6million people. So no, I don't think that Hitler is in heaven
2 - Do I believe that God would have forgiven him if he truely in his heart of hearts asked for the forgiveness (and this really is the crux of the issue here... incerity. Not just "well, Jesus and God might be real, so let me say some prayer and cover my butt just in case") - then YES. I think that God would have forgiven him, would have allowed him into heaven. The Bible doesn't declare that any sin is bigger than any other sin, nor does it exclude anyone from heaven because of a specific sin. The forgiveness and mercy of Christ is the key!
3 - Jesus actually addresses the question of "is it ever too late to repent and be saved?" at 2 different times : First in a parable about workers in the field (I don't have my bible in front of me and don't have the exact passages, though I'll add them tonight) - there are 3 sets of workers, all start at different times and at the end of the day all are paid the same. Second, while on the cross, one of the robbers hung with Jesus asks for forgiveness and Jesus tells him that he will be with him in Heaven that day. Its never too late to repent. The key is not "cover my butt prayer time!" its true belief and true conversion.

I want to add one other point here --- Jesus doesn't just offer entry to Heaven. Living your life as he leads you offers life to the fullest (not easy or perfect or devoid of worries, problems, stress -- to the fullest the most the best that it can be). My life is better since turning it over to Christ.

I hope this answers the question.

ThisHo