Oh, there you go again! I'm a cradle Catholic (strike one), grade and middle school Catholic (probably strike two), and believe in purgatory, heaven and hell (strike three?) and I was NEVER taught that those who are unbaptized in the Catholic church are going to hell. And, trust me, if that were the case, Sister Mary Ethelgene would have drummed it into us.
I can be sad that there are religions (mine included) who DARE TO PRESUME they know better than God who's getting into heaven. I can be sad that there are people who think all you have to do to get to heaven is to be immersed in water. Oh, and How does that work with unbaptized babies? If the CoC thinks unbaptized souls go to hell, then where do the babies go?
And I am sad that people choose to beat up on others because the way they practice religion is different.Not very Christlike, is it?
Babies are still innocent. I cannot speak for God but I believe that those who are innocent will have their reward in heaven.
Well, whether or not you were taught it, it is what the RCC believes. And to state what someone believes isn't beating up on anyone.
Please settle down - we are discussing here and merely explaining that we are not a cult. The Church of Christ has been grossly attacked on this thread and we are attempting to state that there is misrepresentation of the beliefs of the Church of Christ here.
First - I don't believe it is my position as a Church of Christ member to go around judging people as to where they will spend eternity. That is God's business and God is and has always been God and will do as He chooses.
Second - we are merely people that go to the Bible and study to learn of Jesus and God and what we are to believe.
Going to the Bible, (the inspired word of God - not subject to change or alteration by man) we read what we are told to do. We then follow it. We do not take from or add to what is written there.
Therefore, when we read that God sent His Son to die for our sins as a one time sacrifice; when we read repent of your sins and be baptised and you will be saved; when we learn that we are to confess our belief that Jesus is the Son of God and be buried with him in baptism and arise to walk in newness of life-we do these things.
We could decide to ignore "be baptised for the remission of your sins" and decide that it was not needed - but then, we are adding to or taking from the Bible. We are also told in the Bible NOT to add to or take from the inspired word.
We then are a member of Christ's church because we followed the instructions we found in the inspired word the Bible. Christ is the head of the church and we are following him - not man's view of what is needed.
Any person anywhere that reads the Bible and sees the instructions and follows them, will also be a member of Christ's church.
Man does not need other men to tell him what to believe - go to the words of God and find out.
This is where all the claims of we are the only ones going to heaven spring from. When we try and tell others to also follow the instructions we found in the Bible for their salvation - it is interpreted as "if we don't belong to the Church of Christ (a denomination in other denomination members eyes) all are going to hell. Yet, if we are doing as the Bible tells us, are we a member of Christ's church? And are we to tell people that the Bible accepts everything even different than expressed in the Bible?
All of this is just men seeking to claim that their way is the perfect way - a contest, who is right.
How much better to just seek the truth from the Bible yourself and let it determine your beliefs.
And - remember, man is not God and man tends to stress the parts he likes and ignore the parts he does not like. Therefore, it is dangerous to believe a creed determined by man without checking the Bible to verify.
If you find that your current beliefs do not match what the Bible says - then you handle it with God. Remembering just "WHO" is God and "WHO" is the one creating Heaven and giving salvation.
May God give you and us wisdom to follow His will.