[April Lexington]

What’s to discuss? Just read the scriptures.

[April Lexington]

Theologians tend to over think this stuff. Jesus surrounded himself with common people like fishermen and laborers. The smartest guy in the bunch was an IRS agent. The theologians were the bad guys because they twisted G-d's word to fit their own agendas.

Just believe that Christ is your savior and let G-d handle the rest.

[flying_bullet]

Citing Luther’s “dung hill” example for reference. I’ll expound if asked.

[Salvation]

for later

[BaBaStooey]

I used to think that Lutherans were a lost bunch who would be difficult to bring back, then I started reading “Catholic Matters” by the late Father Richard John Neuhaus (himself a former Lutheran pastor), and it has changed my perspective there. Although I think that we are closer to the Eastern Orthodox in terms of what we believe, we are closer to Lutherans and other mainliners because they share a common culture, western culture.

Neuhaus didn’t see Catholicism as being against his Lutheran background, rather, he saw it as a fuller expression of it. I recommend his book to the other Catholics on FR, especially if they want to understand the mindset of our separated friends in Christ.

[Iscool]

Pope Benedict also highlighted the progress the dialogue has made in taking "ever fuller account of the nature of the Church as the sign and instrument of the salvation brought about in Jesus Christ,

What you guys don't get is that if the scriptures agreed with your pope, there would be no religion besides yours...

Your church/religion is NOT the instrument of salvation...Never was...Never will be...

People don't get salvation from your church or anyone's church...No one joins a church to receive salvation...

People receive salvation and THEN are added to the church...Do yourself a favor and read some scripture...

and not simply a mere assembly of believers

That mere assembly of believers is what constitutes the 'Body' of Christ...

[NYer]

Catholic ping!

[redgolum]

I figured this would happen. The JDF, in which the current Pope played a major part, was very close to a good document. But when someone in the Vatican added the Appendix, it basically made it all into a PR stunt. Now, some synods still signed it, but the more conservative ones did not.

What will be interesting is who is invited to the table. Will it be the liberal or conservative Lutherans. I suspect the former.