Thousands who believe in one of two positions.
It is not thousands of different opinions on those topics.
It is disingenuous to portray large numbers of people to be large numbers of opinions on a topic.
Even within a church, the Catholic church included, there is differing opinion on doctrinal issues.
For example, the Catholic church teaches that baptism saves, but there’s not one Catholic who I’ve ever met who is convinced that they are saved because they’ve been baptized.
Likewise, the Catholic church teaches that taking communion is necessary for salvation. What’s with that? I though they taught that baptism was the means? It’s not good enough now? And even Catholics who take communion and *receive* Jesus (as they put it) aren’t certain that they are saved.
And so it goes.
So then why do you beat us over the head with it if that's what your point is? Ask us as individuals then
Your “examples” exemplify nothing.
Yes Catholics teach Baptism “saves us now” (as Scripture says by the way, not because Scripture says it but it’s just a fact, Scripture says what I just put in quotes).
This doesn’t mean that Baptism guarantees salvation, which is perfectly in line with your first “example”.
As for your second, it should be obvious how it demonstrates nothing but consistent thinking in Catholic teaching, to whit: Nothing “guarantees salvation” while one is still alive on Earth, but certain things are required ASPECTS of the path TO salvation.
As for your other point, “Thousands who believe in one of two positions.
It is not thousands of different opinions on those topics.
It is disingenuous to portray large numbers of people to be large numbers of opinions on a topic.”
I never portrayed anything but the facts. If what I wrote leads you to conclude what I quoted you as saying, then simply replace the phrase, “thousands believe” with “one denomination, with at least thousands of people in it” and my point should be clear.
If you still maintain it’s “unfair” of me to “lump” people of one denomination into one belief, then I am DUMBFOUNDED you can’t see how much confusion this “reading the Bible for yourself” or “Scripture alone as a final authority” strategy has brougt to Christianity.
IOW, either whole denominations disagree as I described previously, or there is even MORE fragmentation in this so-called “invisible church” than can ever be dreamed of in the Catholic Church. The reason for the latter should be patently obvious.
More ex-Catholic errors on the Church. I'd correct here, but surely after all this time, you have heard it before? It gets so tiresome to correct posters stating errors on what my Church teaches. Perhaps we could switch and I could state errors on what your particular church teaches.
Oh, wait I can't, you have the "it's private" pass. Gee, that comes in handy here!
That is because Calvinists apparently are incapable of comprehending any doctring that doesn't begin with "sola". Catholics believe that Baptism is necessary for Salvation, but by itself does not save.