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ealgeone:

We agree that Christ died on the Cross, rose from the dead and Ascended into Heaven.

What we disagree on is Soteriology. Christ died for the forgiveness of sins. But with protestants it depends on what you mean by forgiveness of sins. I have now realized that protestant soteriology is like a box of chocolates, you don’t know what it is unless the protestant clearly tells you what among the thousands of protestant ecclesial communities [protestants don’t have real Churches from Catholic Ecclessiology, only outside the Catholic Church would the Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox and Assyrian Church of the East have valid Bishops and valid sacraments, but that is an ecclesiology ? not soteriology]

Over the years, I will just take the Baptist [SBC] who were, maybe still are the largest protestant ecclesial community.

In the 1970s and 80’s the so called Free Grace Soteriology was rising in the SBC, stated simply once one believes, which just means has knowledge and asset to who Christ is and his death/resurrection, one is saved. This means even if one falls into Apostasy, or even satanism [yes I heard Free Grace pastors and theologians on Youtube say that] one is going to heaven.

Now from my Catholic perspective, that is heretical nonsense.

In the last 25 years or so in reponse to the Free Grace Soteriology, there was a resurgence in 5 Point Calvinism in the Baptist circles. These folks are called Reformed Baptist and they outright called the Free Gracers heretics. None of the original Protestants [Luther in Germany, Calvin in Northern France, Zwingli in Switzerland, Crammer or Cromwell in England] held to this “Free Grace” stuff. That is a product of 19th century American sola scriptura movements as part of the Great awakening/Dispensationalist movement.

Now with the 5 Point Calvnist, while they at least have a Systematic Theology [I give them that] and they start at least from Common Theology with us Catholics [Saint Augustine and Grace, Original sin, theology of the Cross], there 5 Point Calvinism goes to the other extreme from the Free Grace in that God positively decrees those who are elect, man has no free will [which Free Gracers affirm] and those who are not elect were positively predestined to hell [That is heretical from the Catholic perspective]

So while both the Free Grace protestants and Calvinist both affirm God’s Grace saves, their soteriologies are 100% at odds.

Then you have the Arminian view of Soteriology which is somewhere between the 2, but more towards Calvinist Reformed.

All of the 3 protestant soteriologies I laid out do have this notion of Legal Justification, that is Christ declared one Just but Man himself is still not changed.

Catholic soteriology links Incarnation with Cross and Resurection. Christ took on our humanity to restore us back to our state before the fall. Thus, Christ reveals to us what are true human nature was and truly is, the image God created us before the fall.

So in Catholic soteriology, Grace is poured into inner man and man is actually restored and renewed and is actually in a state of Grace [not covered in Grace but still a pile of cow dung underneath].