You do know that if you were raised a Catholic, and have since deserted the church, and it turns out the Catholics are correct over salvation/damnation, then you are less likely to get into heaven then the Baptist, because the Baptist didn't reject the truth of Catholicism because Baptists were never exposed to the truth. Someone who had the truth but then rejects it has no ground to stand for, there is no cover of ignorance, for they knew exactly what they were doing. This is why excommunication is so serious, because excommuniciation amounts to a sentence to hell. Not saying your going to hell, I'm just saying that Catholics should consider long and hard a decision they make to abandon the church, especially considering the church can prove that it's authority eminates from Jesus Christ himself.
Well, AzaleaCity5691, I kinda had my doubts when it was found that Jesuits were supporting the Communists in El Salvador (Strike 1) Then, priests were found to be molesting kids ( Strike 2...You can't be a perv, and be true to faith)The last strawis the Coucil of Bishops declaring that they will nopt follow the law, they will aid and abet criminals, and "WE should help the foreigners" (Strike 3)
These Bishops, Cardinals and Priests are no better than Fidel Castro. To me, they are like the modern day Pharisees and Sanhedrin.
Oh, yes, I have faith. But it is like this: Did the Pioneers have a church coming across the continent? Did the average soldier in the Civil War havce a church?
No, they didn't but they kept their faith and trusted in God.
Christ never intended the Church to be the way it is today. As a perfect example, show me where in the Bible it says that priests must be celibate. You can't and you know it.
"and it turns out the Catholics are correct over salvation/damnation, then you are less likely to get into heaven then the Baptist, because the Baptist didn't reject the truth of Catholicism because Baptists were never exposed to the truth."
This is what drives me nutz. I'm glad you put in "if Catholics are correct over salvation/damnation". Because the idea that the rest of the Christian world other than Catholics, are probably going to heaven because of their ignorance of the "one true faith", is such a crock. Made up by the Vatican II Council to try to come up with something to modify the Church's true stance which is only Catholics will go to heaven, and no other Christians will, unless they switch to Catholic. So Vatican II comes up with this equivocation so that what was their true religious stance wouldn't be so harshly interpreted by other Christians. Giving the rest of the Christians an out, in the eyes of the Catholic Church. They are just religiously ignorant, so they'll get to heaven because of their religious stupidity. Geez, how totally condescending. I'd rather the Church stick with only Catholics go to heaven. At least you know out front where they really stand.
Which brings me then to heaven. What, is there a Lutheran heaven, a Baptist heaven, a Jewish heaven (for those that believe in the concept of heaven), a Presbyterian heaven? Must be pretty crowded up in the sky, with so many heavens around. A variety of Protestant religions also had an exclusivity clause, you wouldn't get to heaven if you weren't a Lutheran, Calvinist, Baptist, etc. And then there is Islam, where heaven is only for Muslims, no infidels allowed (that's you and I). We won't even talk about the Hindu's, Buddhists, etc. as it would occupy too much space.
What I want to know is do Catholics walk around, befriending, sometimes marrying, working with the variety of people they meet in their lives thinking, I'm your friend, but you are going to hell because you aren't Catholic. Or, you are my boyfriend, but you are doomed to hell, or you're my boss, but do you realize I'm working for someone who is going to hell? Why be friends with a bunch of people in the world that you think are all going to hell? Do you walk around with the concept of I'll meet you, be friends with you, knowing you are going to hell, and when we die, I'll be in heaven, and you'll be down in hell frying and burning. Young teenagers, old seniors, the infirm, the charity workers, the do-gooders, the church workers, all are going to hell and fry because they are not a given religion?
What a way to look at the world and the people in it. I'm your friend, but you are going to hell when you die and I'm not. You are a good person in life, but because you are the wrong religion, you are going to die and suffer forever in the afterlife because you aren't Catholic, etc. How can you look at people in such a light? At leave Vatican II tried to come up with an out on this point, because the other way of looking at religion, is so against the alleged concepts of religiosity. You lead a good life but because you aren't a specific religion you rot in hell anyway when you die. This one concept of religious belief always ends up stopping me short regarding Catholicism, which I otherwise admire on many levels, and half of my family is Catholic. The other half is Missouri Synod Lutheran, which is interesting, as both once claimed exclusivity of heaven, a view of heaven as a special social club, members only allowed. There must be so many heavens. Let' see, do I go to the Lutheran heaven where my mother is, or to the Catholic heaven where my father is. Do I have to make a choice, knowing I will only see one of my parents, only some of my relatives, only some of my friends, in one or the other, or some other religion's heaven? Such a theological dilemna.