[IbJensen]

Ask the Pope before it’s too late.

[HungarianGypsy]

What I find interesting in reading this is that MY personal spiritual journey is leading me BACK to the Catholic Church.

[stuartcr]

I’m sure you will get plenty of very sincere responses, but do you really expect any human to actually know if someone is saved or not?

[Jewels1091]

I’m a Christian and I find it offensive that one Church believes they are the ONLY way! The Bible simply says he who believes in ME will never die, you will not find ANY church by name,nor will you find the ceremonies found in any church, those are man made beliefs, which if you really think about hard and without influence of a church, says that you are following a man made thought and NOT the Bible.

[Never on my watch]

You may, and probably will, get thousands of opinions on this question.

But if you are interested in the Catholic Church’s doctrinal teaching on this, I would direct you to study the “Catechism of the Catholic Church.” It is very easy to read and traces all of it’s teachings to Holy Scripture.

Prayers for your journey.

[Woebama]

A quibble.

Matthew 22:36-40 (New International Version)

36”Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” 37Jesus replied: “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’[a] 38This is the first and greatest commandment. 39And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’[b] 40All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

So Christ didn’t say to obey only one or two commandments, he stated that all the others hang on these two.

[theknuckler_33]

to ask if some Catholics, like some Protestants, can be included in the real Church Of Jesus Christ.

Whenever I hear anyone speak about the "real" church, I think of Matthew 7:15-23:

15“Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. 16By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? 17Likewise every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. 18A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. 19Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.

21“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’ 23Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’

[Petronski]

...the Sacrifice of the Mass where Jesus, accordingly, is sacrificed again, and again, and again...

False.

It is a re-presentation of the same one-time Sacrifice on Calvary.

[Anitius Severinus Boethius]

Only God can look upon the heart and see true repentance and acceptance of his gift.

As for humans, the early Church established creeds that were to affirm certains beliefs.

I believe that if a person affirms every line of the Nicene Creed, and does not hold any beliefs contrary to any line, they are a Christian as far as any human knowledge can know.

[anniegetyourgun]

Sigh....there is but one univeral Church...and it knows no denomination or walls. AKA, the Bride of Christ.

John 3:3

[trad_anglican]

It is unfortunate that the Church did you such a disservice in your upbringing and that your understanding of the faith in which you were raised is so in error. My own journey has brought me into the Catholic Church and into a closer relationship with Jesus than I have ever known.

As Jesus in indivisible, so is his Church. Despite our sad divisions in this world, we can all look forward to the day when the enlightenment of the Holy Spirit will make the questions that you ask seem childish, and we will be one with Him and with each other in his Kingdom.

[Samurai_Jack]

Yea, i’m okay with the catholic church except for all that hail mary stuff. There is a cult of saint worship in there that really seems to be an third rail in most congregations. I’d also like to point out all the catholics that I know personally are flaming obama freaks.

[ohhhh]

A fine article indeed and I thank you for posting it as it represents my views and the heresies the church allows in these latter days, you know them by their doctrines that are totally opposite the doctrines of Scripture. Both the Roman Church and most Protestest churches have abandoned Scripture as the source of all true doctrine and therefore have suffered heresies and heritics to destroy the faith of God by Jesus Christ our ONLY LORD and our ONLY Saviour.
Heresy is the hallmark of todays church AND the Lord God of Israel will not allow this evil to continue.
No lie is of the truth. Let God be true and every man a liar. Mankind lies from the womb. All have sinned and come short of the Glory of God. Sola sciptura.

The Chrurch needs to clense itself from tradition and mysticism and strange doctrines and return to the Scripture for doctrine lest the SON of God Jesus the Christ be angry and leave the religious behind at His rapture. The church is become as filthy as the world because of so much unbelief of the following warning of God the Holy Spirit;

2 Timothy 3:16 (King James Version)

16All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:

There can be no revival unless the body of Christ returns to the Scripture for all God’s doctine and reproof and correction and instruction in rightiousness.

2 Timothy 3 (King James Version)

2 Timothy 3
1This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.

2For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,

3Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good,

4Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;

5Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.

6For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts,

7Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.

8Now as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning the faith.

9But they shall proceed no further: for their folly shall be manifest unto all men, as their’s also was.

10But thou hast fully known my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, longsuffering, charity, patience,

11Persecutions, afflictions, which came unto me at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra; what persecutions I endured: but out of them all the Lord delivered me.

12Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.

13But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived.

14But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them;

15And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.

16All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:

17That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.

[ArrogantBustard]

Can I condemn individual Catholics or Protestants who do not completely escape as I did because I think some or most of their doctrine is an abomination to God?

1) Condemnation is above your paygrade.

2) "Escape"??? That phraseology presumes that the Churches and communities you reject are, in fact, wrong or evil.

3) Who elevate your thoughts to infallibility? You think (some of) their doctrine is wrong. Meantime, they think (some of) your doctrine is wrong. Unless you're going to claim personal infallibility you have no grounds for judging others' doctrine to be "an abomination to God". Your doctrinal dispute devolves to "your own personal interpretation of Scripture" versus "their own personal interpretation of Scripture".

[AppyPappy]

It’s like asking if Pentacostals can be Christians.

[melsec]

Hi Joe,

Your Journey is similar to mine and has some way to go as does mine. From what I can see though the Catholic Church has kept it’s stance on moral issues while other denominations seem to be capitulating to the the morals of the day. This really does say a lot as the satanic forces of our day beat upon the walls and gates of the Catholic Church like waves crashing against a clifface, with little or no effect while other Churches succumb to the ebb and flow of the tide of opinion.

I still have problems with some Catholic ideas but what I realise is that although I may never overcome these problems or concerns the problems are essentially mine!

Blessings

Mel

[taxcontrol]

The answer to your question is simple but a bit of a different direction than you might expect.

On Judgement Day, will you have to answer for another?
Will your priest or pastor answer for you?

Answer - no, you will stand alone before the most perfect God and give an account for all that you said and did and all that you did not say and do.

And in that terrible moment, when you are measured against perfection, will anyone be able to intercede on your behalf to cover your transgressions? There is only one who can - Jesus.

So focus on doing what is right by Jesus and let God worry about separating the sheep from the goats.

[Straight Vermonter]

I received an excellent education in parochial grade and high schools...In the simplicity of Christ I have learned to appreciate some of the elements of the RC, even in the Sacrifice of the Mass where Jesus, accordingly, is sacrificed again, and again, and again, which I totally believe is not Biblical [Hebrews 10].

Apparently his Catholic education wasn't very good at all.

[bagadonutz]

Thanks for sharing. Your journey sounds very close to mine. However, my journey went full circle back to the Church. If you want help make sure you keep your current belief system – avoid the following:

1. Do not read “Orthodoxy” by GK Chesterton.
2. Do not attend Mass regularly.
3. Do not study the book of Revelation too hard, get confused by the thousands of Protestant views and then read “The Lamb’s Supper” by Scott Hahn.
4. Do not read John 6.
5. Do not immerse yourself into a parish community.

Had I not done these things I would of stayed clear of the “heresy” and stayed in the “real” church you describe.

Sarcasm aside, I agree with you that the Church fails many times in teaching and evangelism. But then again, we are all human – burdened with a fallen world – only through Christ can we be saved. When the pope spoke about the Church as the ‘only’ way to salvation – he was speaking biblically. Christ only spoke about ONE church. The Roman Catholic Church historically goes back to Peter, Paul, Mary and of course Jesus himself. On the other hand, the catholic Church does not condemn other beliefs. Although it seems increasingly, these other groups of believers seem quick to condemn the Catholic Church.

[ThreeYearLurker]

You should have paid more attention in Mass.