Posted on 09/28/2005 4:44:24 PM PDT by NYer
Good read. But be careful. The Catholics on this site hate being challenged and will turn nasty quick if you challenge them.
A generous man, I'm sure! My husband and I converted together, which I consider a tremendous grace. We've had difficulties in our marriage over the years, but conflicting religious belief hasn't been one of them.
That's all right. I used to be one of them until I woke up to the truth.
I don't think it's anti-Catholic...it just points out what isn't so obvious to everyone.
This question has been answered here many times. Here is a good response.
Not me. My girlfriend was a convert to Catholicism and I told she could go to church all she wants, but without me. Thankfully she's never been back in the two years I've been dating her.
You could also try understanding Judaism by reading The Protocols of the Learned Elders of Zion. It would be less harmful.
You could try understanding economics by reading Das Kapital. It would be more enlightening.
You could try understanding patriotism by listening to Cindy Sheehan. It would be more honest.
You could try understanding race relations by reading The Turner Diaries. It would be more honest.
I've seen that in more than one family.
I was RCIA sponsor about 5 years ago for a man in his 50's who was joining the Church after more than 25 years of marriage to a Catholic. He'd been active in their parishes all that time! His wife hadn't received Communion since their marriage, because he had previously been married and divorced. It was very touching to see them walk up to receive Communion together!
You can count me as a former Catholic who intends to remain a former Catholic forever.
This is something I commented on recently:
There is no contradiction in what Paul and James are saying. Paul makes it clear that faith is a gift to us from God. James makes it clear that a person who is not doing good works does not have faith. Good works are a natural outgrowth of living in Jesus Christ because with Him directing our lives we cannot avoid exhibiting good works which He does through us. Our faith makes Him LORD of our life, then He begins doing good works through us precisely because He is genuinely living in us.
So, without faith there will be no selfless good works (think Christian women held prisoner by the Taliban, as opposed to giving to Charity because it benefits us in the form of a tax write off), but a person with faith will always exhibit selfless good works -- as in James' orphans and widows, two groups that will not benefit someone to care for [Jam 1:27] ie. Muslim women and children in Afghanistan under oppressive Talibanic rule.
How nice.
That's your problem.
IMHO, we should be encouraginbg Catholic faith.
But, then again, I am a committed, believing and practicing Catholc.
So good it's worth a cut-n-paste:
To: P-Marlowe
As a Catholic, I believe that I was saved in baptism, I am being saved, and I hope I will be saved.
It's simple: Scripture teaches that one’s final salvation depends on the state of the soul at death. As Jesus himself tells us, "He who endures to the end will be saved" (Matt. 24:13; cf. 25:31–46). One who dies in the state of friendship with God (the state of grace) will go to heaven. The one who dies in a state of enmity and rebellion against God (the state of mortal sin) will go to hell.
Salvation can not be earned. Salvation is a gift from God, pure Grace, that we did not merit and do not deserve. Jesus Christ died for our sake and for our salvation. Like any gift, his dead and resurrection can be denied.
"See then the kindness and the severity of God: severity toward those who have fallen, but God’s kindness to you, provided you continue in his kindness; otherwise you too will be cut off" (Rom. 11:22; see also Heb. 10:26–29, 2 Pet. 2:20–21).
Jesus declared: ‘Not everyone who says to me, "Lord, Lord" shall enter the kingdom of heaven’ (Matt. 7:21)."
One Catholic web-site has a good response for the question "Are you saved?"
"As the Bible says, I am already saved (Rom. 8:24, Eph. 2:5–8), but I’m also being saved (1 Cor. 1:8, 2 Cor. 2:15, Phil. 2:12), and I have the hope that I will be saved (Rom. 5:9–10, 1 Cor. 3:12–15). Like the apostle Paul I am working out my salvation in fear and trembling (Phil. 2:12), with hopeful confidence in the promises of Christ (Rom. 5:2, 2 Tim. 2:11–13).
God bless you all.
22 posted on 07/26/2002 1:50:42 AM EDT by Gophack
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