Posted on 11/11/2005 5:51:08 AM PST by NYer
I was raised in the Southern Bible Belt in the most extreme Pentecostal, Assembly of God, and Southern Baptist environment.
Elmer Gantry has nothing on the things I've seen. Faith healing, talking in tongues (with translations), dancing in the spirit, people falling down in faints, tent revivals, altar calls, fasting for visions...everything but snake handling, I think. One time I was schlepped through an Oklahoma tornado outbreak to hear Marjoe Gortner, the boy preacher ("Glory Jee to Beezus") preach.
Then I spent about three decades wandering in the fever swamps of rebellion against God, whose infinite patience and mercy finally led me to the faith my mother had fallen away from: the Catholic Church.
I think I speak with some knowledge on the subjects of being "born again" and faith healing.
IMO, sometimes it's just as real as it can get.
That sort of preaching is designed to send one into raptures of strong emotion. Sometimes sinners do turn back to God on a permanent basis; sometimes it turns out to be just an emotional high, and they "backslide."
Sometimes people really are healed. I have no idea what the proportion is.
A lot of Protestants seem to think that being "born again" necessarily involves being swept up in one of those Elmer Gantry revival scenes, answering an altar call, and saying specific words.
I don't think those things are required, and I think you can be healed through private prayer just as well as by a television faith healer.
You were once a liberal??? Well, at least you have corrected that - Thank God.
Let's try to correct the rest. What are your issues (IN BRIEF!!) with Catholic and Orthodox baptisms?
You can't honestly believe that no one was baptised correctly for 1400 years or more.
For those who need to re-educate themselves to the truth here is a simple timeline in PDF format Link to PDF formate Catholic Church timeline
**Are Catholics Born Again?**
Absolutely through the Sacrament of Baptism!
(Whether received as an infant or as an adult!)
"I thank God that I baptized none of you, but Crispus and Gaius" 1Cr 1:14
and we won't even get into the thief on the cross.
That's called a "baptism of desire."
"Now I am a born again Christian, an adherent of the Reformed faith, and a disciple of Messiah Jesus"
_________________________________
Shout it from the mountain top brother! Amen
Again I say Amen!
And you STILL don't know if you are going to heaven. So what have you gained by dumping the Catholic Church?
Mass? No, you've lost that.
Communion, His body, blood, soul and divinity....every day (except Good Friday) of our short lives? No, you've lost that too.
What have you gained? I dunno. I only know what you've lost.
If this (holy communion) isn't about what Jesus did for us/me, then you missed the entire point of Easter: passion, death and resurrection of the Son of God.
How could any Catholic NOT know that?
How could any sane Catholic NOT take the daily (when possible) opportunity to actually partake of our Lord's gift to us -- "Do this in memory of Me"?
You gave all that up for the ONE DAY A WEEK Sunday sermon and singing. Talk about your "blah blah blah."
Reformed? That's interesting. Who told Luther, Calvin, et al, that "reform" -- that is, getting away from holy communion and Mass -- were the right thing to do?
That the papacy was held by corrupt men for a few popes didn't make the papacy -- Peter, the rock Jesus chose to built His church -- corrupt for all time.
That some INSTITUTIONAL practices were horrible did negate the entire institution.
It would be like condemning the institution of marriage because some marriages are failures.
These "reforms" were decisions of angry men and women, not decisions from Jesus. HIS decisions were made for all time, not just until some angry people decided to "reform" what they didn't like.
You've lost the Mass, that is, holy communion, the body, blood, soul and divinity of your GOD, Lord and Savior.
That is a huge and sad loss for you. Perhaps it was because of a wife and her born-again faith. Just a guess. If that would tear you away from the divine supper, then perhaps there just isn't enough faith in you to believe in the holy supper. Faith IS a gift.
"Blessings"? Small potatoes. I would wish you back at the communion table, partaking of Jesus' body, blood, soul and divinity. That isn't a small word or token -- it's the essence of our God-given life, the blessing of all time for all souls.
Dominus vobiscum.
Good work ripping that out of context, and then attributing a ridiculous meaning to it. Try reading what the Apostle says about baptism in Romans and Galatians. "For you are all the children of God, by faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as have been baptized in Christ have put on Christ." (Gal. 3:26-7).
I thank God that I baptized none of you but Crispus and Gaius. "Why are you elate at having baptized, when I for my part even give thanks that I have not done so!" Thus saying, by a kind of divine art he does away with their swelling pride upon this point; not with the efficacy of the baptism, (God forbid,) but with the folly of those who were puffed up at having been baptizers: first, by showing that the Gift is not theirs; and, secondly, by thanking God therefore. For Baptism truly is a great thing: but its greatness is not the work of the person baptizing, but of Him who is invoked in the Baptism: since to baptize is nothing as regards man's labor, but is much less than preaching the Gospel. Yea, again I say, great indeed is Baptism, and without baptism it is impossible to obtain the kingdom. Still a man of no singular excellence is able to baptize, but to preach the Gospel there is need of great labor.He states also the reason, why he giveth thanks that he had baptized no one. What then is this reason? Lest anyone should say that ye were baptized into my own name. Why, did he mean that they said this in those other cases? Not at all; but, "I fear," saith he, "lest the disease should proceed even to that. For if, when insignificant persons and of little worth baptize, a heresy ariseth, had I, the first announcer of Baptism, baptized many, it was likely that they forming a party, would not were unsound in this respect" and subjoining, I baptized also the house of Stephanas, he again drags down their pride, saying besides, I know not whether I baptized any other. For by this he signifies that neither did he seek much to enjoy the honor accruing hereby from the multitude, nor did he set about this work for glory's sake.
St. John Chrysostom
Actually there's dispute on whether that was a baptism of desire or whether the theif goes to paradise because Christ has not yet instituted the new covenant, none in the old testament were baptised are we to beleive they were denied salvation? Hardly, they lived under the old law, the theif should fall into that category.
Do they take that passage from John literally?
I do...I can't speak for others.
Excellent point! Isn't it for that reason that Jesus descended to the dead.
Johnny hits the mark again.
SD
Hence, the "harrowing of hell."
Then you believe in transubstantion?
Yes
Perfect description of the Reformation. Not even their admiters deny that Luther and Calvin were angry men. although they would say thast the anger was totally justified. But maybe Judas was angry with Jesus, that HE was not the messiah whom Judas (and perhaps the other members of the Twelve) expected.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.