[Iscool]

I stumbled across this page on the net...I haven't looked at the main site...

Seems to be a lot of things here I agree with...Any Protestant agreements, disagreements based on the bible???

[GlasstotheArson]

Wow, I really don't know when I have become so irate over an article with absolutely no backbone and no Scriptural backing. Where are all the verse proving his blatant lies? He apparently doesn't study the Bible well enough to miss over all the important stuff...like the Mass and establishing Peter as the Vicar of Christ, but then again, you can nitpick pretty much anything you don't want to see in the Bible. It's kind of like closing your eyes and denying that there is a computer monitor sitting right in front of you...even though you have to look at it to read this post.

And, hey, it is Lent. We ARE due for more persecution anyway (Along with the Discovery Special: Lost Tomb of Jesus)?

In a way, though, I am slightly grateful for reading it (having the patience and all), it completely reinforced everything I believe. Good day.

-Glass

[dagoofyfoot]

I was raised in the Catholic Church, I went to Catholic School from 1rst through 8th grade. I started public school in high school, only on the premise that I would attend CCD classes at night.


I know there are a lot of good people who are Catholics, my family and a lot of my friends are "hardcore" Catholics, and I love them dearly....however so, this article is the truth. I left the Catholic Church some time ago and never looked back. I'm the only one in my family to do so.


You can't tell me any thing new about the Catholic Church or that this article is false because I was there most of my life.


This is precisely why I worship in a non-denominational Church. At one time I tried to explain these things to my family but they would not accept it as truth, and don't expect to many other to. You'll see the truth only when you're ready to see it.


And don't bother to send me any rebuttal on what I'm saying because I've already been down that road and it goes nowhere. My faith allows others to worship any way, and any god they please, but that doesn't mean that I will.

[BlueNgold]

While I personally do not choose to worship in a Catholic church I cannot say that it is impossible for a 'true Christian' to be Catholic. I, and most other protestants, have varying levels of issues with the dogma of the HRCC, hence our Protestantism. I also have issues with some Baptist churches, some evangelical churches, etc. etc. etc. on down the line.

I have, however, known some very fine people who's election I would never question in the slightest who were in fact Catholic.

The impression I get from the author is that he is not actually all that familiar with the teachings of the HRCC, and I also get the impression that he has had little to no interaction with local parish priests. I think most protestants would be pleasantly surprised were they to sit in on a small group Bible study or engage a private conversation with their local Catholic minister.

Most of the arguments of the author are based on popular lore, not based on the actual teachings of the church.
- Sinning your way into purgatory to be saved by the prayers of others is simply not dogmatic.
- I have never heard a Catholic in a position to teach proclaim that Jesus founded the Catholic church per se, but rather they do believe that their priesthood traces back to Peter, who of course, was commissioned by Jesus Himself.
- I don't know of anyone, Catholic of Protestant, who believes that salvation comes through the Holy Communion.
- I agree that the Mass is odd to a non-Catholic, but one must remember that the ritual dates from a time when most could not read or write. So long as the priest is talking to Jesus when he prays I have no particular quarrel with it. For the record I don't find that standard service of most protestant churches in the Bible either - nowhere can I find that at 1030 the music will start, 1035 singing begins, 1045 greet your friends, 1055 offering and more music, 1115 sermon begins...
- Confession comes directly from James chapter 5 verse 16 and is also backed up indirectly by a number of teachings of Paul. Not being Catholic I don't have the exact references handy, but I'm sure one of our good Catholic Brethren will be happy to provide them if needed.
- The 6th point is silly - the HRCC wasn't 'founded' by Peter - if one wants to dispute their claim of a traceable succession of pastors and priests from the 1st century church - fine - but what does that have to do with their teachings on salvation? That is after all the core question.
- Point 7 - they were Jewish. The author wasted 4 paragraphs explaining the obvious in such detail as to confuse the question. The left turn into racism was interesting at the very least. Poorly written, without a binding thread of logic, but interesting all the same.
- Point 8 is silly to the point of laughable. Mary was never a Baptist or an Evangelical either - she was a Christian - a Jewish woman who saw the prophets justified in her son.
- A better point would have been to address specifically the pervasive 'Mother Worship' in the HRCC. To state that she was not Catholic is to state the obvious and the rambling disjointed logic train makes it hard to read. I too have concerns that there exists within Catholicism what many call the 'Cult of Mary' where she is given power and honor reserved to God alone. The words of Gabriel that Mary was highly favored by God are the source of the position Catholics give to Mary - however praying to her is a huge red flag to me.

I did some research on this Reckart guy - I can find very little in his writings that is Biblically sound. I find Scripture quoted out of context, statements made with references to Scripture which have nothing to do with the topic under discussion, he requires baptism for salvation as opposed to it being an obligation of the saved, and he goes so far as to claim that if one has been baptized otherwise 'correctly', but the pastor used the words 'In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit' instead of 'In the name of Jesus Christ' you haven't actually been baptized and are not saved and thus doomed to hell. His articles seem to be more about arguments within the church than they are about finding and preaching to the lost - of course he considers most of us to be lost unless we follow his 'correct' version of Christianity.

Thus bringing me to my final point - (thank you to those of you still awake and who actually read this far) -
There is a difference between legitimate theological discussions and inciting division within the Church. I use the term Church in a very liberal and wide sweeping sense without respect to denomination. Seeking the Truth should be the goal of each of us. Defending the Truth should be on our task list as well. But if we seek the Truth and respect the Scripture then we will also read where Paul and John and Peter spoke about divisions and the cancer they create within the body. If you take personal offense that someone - another mortal man - disagrees with you about interpretation of Scripture then you are giving yourself too much power. Where in the Scripture do we find our right to be offended over such things? Peter tells us the fate of false teachers - that judgment is reserved unto God. The obligation of man is to confess Christ, seek the Truth, obey the Law, and preach the Gospel. I will now attempt to get off my soap box and remind myself first, and perhaps some others, of Matt 11:29 where even Jesus sought humility before God. A great lesson for me, and I hope someday to learn it well - but alas I am human - a work in progress - forgive me.

[nanetteclaret]

I challenge you to read the "Catechism of the Catholic Church." The Catechism is based on Holy Scripture for starters, so you would then see that this article is so full of lies and distortions that it is unworthy of debate. By posting this article, you have shown your ignorance and that you choose to believe lies instead of finding out the facts.

It is quite interesting that several times when I have challenged Protestants to actually read the Catechism, no one has taken me up on it. I wonder why? What are Protestants afraid of?

By the way, I was brought up Presbyterian, so I know quite well every Protestant objection to the Catholic faith, and all are based on lies and untruths. I choose to believe Truth and not Falsehood.

[Palladin]

These stupid bigots motivate me more and more to back an ITALIAN CATHOLIC for President.

Go, Rudy!!!

[Siobhan]

The Keywords on this post are far more interesting than the article itself.

To be plain, the article is not worth the cyberspace it is occupying.

[editor-surveyor]

If you are burdened for the soul of a catholic, why not talk to them personally? Posting this kind of stuff here never seems to advance civil debate. Is that what you were trying to do?

[napscoordinator]

Who is this worthless freak and why is he even relevant??? What a waste of words.

[Jim Noble]

Check out Romans 14:4 before you run your mouth too much over this one.

[x_plus_one]

It is understood they must go to Purgatory and suffer in hell fire until a priest can get them released to go to heaven...

That is so 2006. Purgatory is "out" now - FYI.

[Gumdrop]

If no one should be Catholic, the entire Christian civilization would disappear. For Jesus told the disciples to go forth and teach all nations, baptizing them in the Name of the Father, The Son, and the Holy Spirit. And I will be with you until the end of the world"

Just who was Jesus to remain with, if not the church He established?

The Catholic church is the Mother church of Christianity. Without the anchor of this church, the entire Christian faith falls. FYI, this will never happen, for Jesus assured us so.

[Muzzle_em]

As a protestant, I try not to look at what "label" someone claims, i.e. Catholic, Epis, Methodist, etc., but instead I see if the individual seems to have a personal relationship with Christ. My husband's grandmother is Catholic and I can think of nobody who loves the lord MORE than she does.

[DesScorp]

Since this thread won't die, I'll switch to Catholicism just to rile some of you guys out there :)

[colorado tanker]

Please, didn't we go through all this back in the days of Luther and Calvin??? I'm a firm believer in the Reformed faith, but see no reason to re-fight the Thirty Years War or bash my Catholic friends.

[Alex Murphy]

Anybody noticed the keywords this thread has attracted?

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