If some cult decided to take the L and massacre as many people as possible each all souls day, then immediately pray for them, do all those victims get into heaven scott free? Can the cult members pray for one another when they are killed on all souls day and also get in?
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take the L? what does that mean?– equesCommented Nov 29, 2023 at 19:34
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@eques it appears to be a slang abbreviation of "take the loss": howtogeek.com/745089/…– SomeoneCommented Nov 29, 2023 at 19:38
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1@someone Thanks– equesCommented Nov 29, 2023 at 19:45
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1Prayers for the dead in Catholicism are to ease transit through Purgatory, not to escape hell. Souls in Purgatory are heaven-bound anyway.– MaverickCommented Nov 29, 2023 at 20:22
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This is a slightly modified version of the same question you asked once before. The answer is and always will be that you can't cheat the system.– JBHCommented Dec 1, 2023 at 7:15
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2 Answers
Immediately suggests no. Unrepentant sinners prayers are of no merit. Being murdered is no guarantee of salvation since the murdered soul may have sins on their soul, from which they have not sought pardon nor absolution at the time of their death.
No
Most denominations do not believe that praying for the dead has any effect (see e.g. How do Lutherans pray for the dead?). Even Catholics, IIUC, would not say that postmortem prayers can change the 'fate' of someone that died outside the church or in a state of mortal sin.
In addition, even if we assume that postmortem prayer can be beneficial, the source of those prayers is likely to be a problem (as eques also notes).
Thus, on multiple fronts, the answer is "no". First, because many Christians believe the premise is fundamentally flawed. Second, because the individuals doing it likely "don't have pull with God". Third, because even if the first two points are wrong, there are other factors of to the victims which could make the proposed prayers ineffectual. The cultists praying for themselves are hitting multiple of these factors.
Additionally, such attempts to 'game the system' are almost certainly counter-effectual; see Is this a (end of) life hack?.
These (hopefully hypothetical!) cultists are performing a heinous act (mass murder) that almost certainly has no benefit to anyone, and does considerable harm. Even if their victims get some sort of 'go directly to paradise' pass, they've been deprived of their remaining life on Earth, and other people have been harmed by the death of the victims.
More likely, the cultists have no average effect on the victims (maybe some are saved that would subsequently leave the faith, but others that weren't in the faith might have come to it had they lived) and a horrible effect on themselves and others. I would even go so far as to argue that even considering this is a sign of depravity.
