Firstly, you are claiming that your membership in what you refer to as “Orthodox Christianity” is the only way to Heaven. Your Original post implies that quite strongly, and you have not deviated from that in your follow-up posts - though now, for whatever reason, you are trying to claim you never said this. If you mistakenly claimed this, fine. But please do not go back now and claim you did not say it.
Your original post basically states that there is no way to Heaven but through the Catholic Church. This is based on nothing Scriptural. NOTHING. PERIOD. Early Christians were not Catholic. (Really, where do you get this??) It is nowhere to be found in Scripture and Scripture does not bear you out.
Your commitment to your particular denomination (Catholicism) and your denigration of all others speaks for you. It implies that somehow you believe (deny it all you will) that Catholicism is somehow the only WAY to Christ. In your previous post you even claimed that Christ chooses to save through the Catholic Church. You may go back and read it, but I am not imputing that to you which you have not already stated.
You began this entire thread, claiming that Catholicism is THE CHURCH - founded by Christ and that nothing in it is contrary to Scripture. Actually, there is MUCH in Catholicism which is contrary to Scripture: veneration of Saints, veneration of Mary/worship of Mary....and the belief that baptism saves (It does not - Scripture does not teach it.) My deep concern is that there seems to be an entire body of extra-Biblical teachings which Catholicism as a religion holds to more tightly than Scripture - and too often it contradicts the very Scriptures.
I have not embarrassed myself as I see no evidence that I have misunderstood your stance. In summation: you believe that Catholicism is the one true Church - despite the fact that Scriptures do not teach this; that all others are suspect and heretical (again, no Scriptural basis for stating this), and that there is nothing in Catholic teaching which contradicts Scripture (as I have pointed out above, clearly not the case.)
As for the SBC - as I have tried in vain to show you - there is nothing binding to local churches which the SBC does. I suppose, being Catholic, this idea might be foreign to you. However, kindly refrain from making slanderous statements about pastors who think “murder is just fine” - unless you can give names. I know of none - and being a Southern Baptist, I consider that I am likely more in a position to know what is being said from the pulpit of a Southern Baptist Church than you - unless you are attending a Southern Baptist Church? And your use of the word “Parish” is incorrect.
One more question: you refer to a “Protestant Gospel”....What Gospel would that be?? There is only one Gospel - as I have quoted from Scripture in my last response to you. Here you seem to be claiming that there are two Gospels: that taught by Catholicism, and that taught in Protestant churches. Kindly clarify. There is only one Gospel - that taught in Scriptures. PERIOD. All extra-Biblical creeds, dogmas, doctrines - are heretical if they preach a a way to Christ other than repentance and belief upon Him alone for salvation.
You claim to know Christ. Wonderful! When were you saved? I was saved when I was 7 years old.
“It implies that somehow you believe (deny it all you will) that Catholicism is somehow the only WAY to Christ.”
There is only ONE way to Heaven, that is through Our Lord Jesus Christ. Those who embrace Him, follow Him, and through Him attain the Heavenly rewards are all members of the Universal (Catholic) Church. This article is very clear that following the laws of the Catholic Church are not the only way (nor are they a guarantee) to obtain that reward.
You misunderstand the point, ALL who obtain the reward of Eternal Life belong to that Universal Church founded by Our Lord. Not all who claim that state on Earth will have that in the next world.
Here we go again with your numerous errors about what I said:
You wrote:
“Firstly, you are claiming that your membership in what you refer to as “Orthodox Christianity” is the only way to Heaven.”
Two errors in one sentence!!!
1) I am not Orthodox. I am orthodox. If you don’t know the difference, then you had better go back to school.
2) I never EVER claimed membership in any Church was the only way to heaven. Go ahead now and mistakenly post something else now and claim that must be what I meant.
“Your Original post implies that quite strongly, and you have not deviated from that in your follow-up posts - though now, for whatever reason, you are trying to claim you never said this.”
Error #3: I never did say it, because I don’t believe it. I am not claiming I never said. I know for a fact I NEVER EVER said it. If you can’t make the proper distinctions, hen you can’t discuss important issues. Words actually matter.
“If you mistakenly claimed this, fine. But please do not go back now and claim you did not say it.”
Error #4: I never said. I make no claim I never said it. I just never said it PERIOD.
“Your original post basically states that there is no way to Heaven but through the Catholic Church. This is based on nothing Scriptural. NOTHING. PERIOD.”
Error #5: First of all, how do you know what it’s based on? Did I even claim what you are suggesting?
“Early Christians were not Catholic.”
Error #6: Yeah, actually they all were.
“(Really, where do you get this??) It is nowhere to be found in Scripture and Scripture does not bear you out.”
Error #7: Actually it’s everywhere in scripture. And it was universally accepted by early Christians too.
“Your commitment to your particular denomination (Catholicism) and your denigration of all others speaks for you.”
Error #8: I am not in a denomination. Never have been.
“It implies that somehow you believe (deny it all you will) that Catholicism is somehow the only WAY to Christ.”
Error #9: Actually what it would imply is that the Catholic faith is not a denomination (and it isn’t). It also implies that the Catholic Church was founded by Christ.
“In your previous post you even claimed that Christ chooses to save through the Catholic Church. You may go back and read it, but I am not imputing that to you which you have not already stated.”
Error #10. Yeah, actually you are. The idea that Christ saves through His Church (i.e. He preaches through it and gives sanctifying grace through it) is dramatically different than the false things you keep ascribing to me that I never actually said and do not actually believe in.
“You began this entire thread, claiming that Catholicism is THE CHURCH - founded by Christ and that nothing in it is contrary to Scripture.”
And that is a fact.
“Actually, there is MUCH in Catholicism which is contrary to Scripture: veneration of Saints, veneration of Mary/worship of Mary....”
Error #10: Actually none of those things contradict scripture. They just aren’t explicitly in scripture. To use an analogy that many Protestants could identify with: altar calls. Altar calls are not in scripture, but that doesn’t mean the actual practice is contrary to scripture.
“and the belief that baptism saves (It does not - Scripture does not teach it.)”
Error #11: 1) The grace of baptism is salvific. Christ saves through the grace He gives us. 2) Read 1 Peter 3:21, “…who disobeyed long ago when God waited patiently in the days of Noah while the ark was being built. In it only a few people, eight in all, were saved through water, and this water symbolizes baptism which now saves you also—not the removal of dirt from the body but the pledge of a good conscience toward God. It saves you by the resurrection of Jesus Christ,...”
You wrote:
“My deep concern is that there seems to be an entire body of extra-Biblical teachings which Catholicism as a religion holds to more tightly than Scripture - and too often it contradicts the very Scriptures.”
Error #12: As I posted above, your concern should be that you don’t know what’s in the scriptures, falsely accuse others of believing doctrines they don’t believe in, and do not understand what you attack. Your plate is full, buddy. Until you can clean that plate off, you might want to refrain from presumptiously assuming you know anything about us.
“I have not embarrassed myself as I see no evidence that I have misunderstood your stance.”
Error #13: See the last two posts. There is no way you could make mistake after mistake like this and then say “I see no evidence I have misunderstood your stance” without having no idea of what has been said and what it means.
“In summation: you believe that Catholicism is the one true Church - despite the fact that Scriptures do not teach this;”
Error #14: Actually it does teach it. Christ founded only ONE Church.
“that all others are suspect and heretical (again, no Scriptural basis for stating this),”
Error #15: Again, scripture does teach it. There’s only one Church Christ founded. Thus, others are schismatic and heretical or both. They have no authority.
“and that there is nothing in Catholic teaching which contradicts Scripture (as I have pointed out above, clearly not the case.)”
Error #16: And as I pointed out with “Altar calls” your case is lacking to say the least.
“As for the SBC - as I have tried in vain to show you - there is nothing binding to local churches which the SBC does.”
Error #17: I never claimed it was binding. Show me where I did. I said the SBC said it was going to push for legislation that was pro-abortion - and it did!
“I suppose, being Catholic, this idea might be foreign to you. However, kindly refrain from making slanderous statements about pastors who think “murder is just fine” - unless you can give names.”
Error #18: Murdering babies is murdering babies. It is not slander to say so. Unless you can prove that murdering an unborn child is some how not murder, then you’re stuck with it. The SBC supported - in its official resolutions - to support the murder of the unborn in therapeutic abortions. They admitted it time and time again. Period.
“I know of none - and being a Southern Baptist, I consider that I am likely more in a position to know what is being said from the pulpit of a Southern Baptist Church than you - unless you are attending a Southern Baptist Church?”
Error #19: Incredibly, you keep ascribing to me things I never said, and deny what the SBC acually did say. Do you think those SBC meetings had no pastors involved? Are you serious?
“And your use of the word “Parish” is incorrect.”
Error #20: It was the best word available because saying “churches” can be saying too much in a sense. And we were talking about the SBC’s formal policy as you were trying to distinguish it from the parish/local level. Parih was a good word to use in that case even if Landmarkism (a recent Protestant novelty) doesn’t use it.
“One more question: you refer to a “Protestant Gospel”....What Gospel would that be??”
The one invented by Protestants in the 16th century.
“There is only one Gospel - as I have quoted from Scripture in my last response to you.”
There is one gospel, but it isn’t taught by Protestants.
“Here you seem to be claiming that there are two Gospels: that taught by Catholicism, and that taught in Protestant churches. Kindly clarify.”
There is one true gospel. The Catholic Church teaches it. Protestants deny it and teach another. This is irrefutable. After all Protestants invented their gospel in the 16th century.
“There is only one Gospel - that taught in Scriptures. PERIOD. All extra-Biblical creeds, dogmas, doctrines - are heretical if they preach a a way to Christ other than repentance and belief upon Him alone for salvation.”
That is part of the gospel, but it denies the fullness of the reality of Christ’s action. It denies what Christ gave us.
“You claim to know Christ. Wonderful! When were you saved? I was saved when I was 7 years old.”
I was saved many years ago.
You made 20 errors (at least!) in this one thread. You really need to study:
http://www.catholic.com/thisrock/1999/9911fea1.asp