Is Reason Accessible Without Christ?
The easiest way to explain to a sensitive post-modern mind why not all "good people" go to heaven but only those in sanctifying grace probably comes from St. Thomas Aquinas. He simply explains that natural virtue from a person can not get him to the supernatural goal, namely, the Beatific Vision of the Blessed Trinity. Being a "nice person" can't get you to heaven since getting to heaven means truly being holy enough to gaze upon God. Think about that. St. Augustine realized there was no chance of salvation unless Christ be the center of one's life, probably because he saw the darkness he once walked in as a pagan. [...]