Posted on 03/11/2012 4:27:55 PM PDT by Heart-Rest
—if I can convince my best friends’ mom to put in a good word for me, what’s to lose??—
The analogy doesn’t work because your best friend’s moms words are useless here. To suggest otherwise is to grossly misunderstand the reason for, and function of Jesus death and resurrection.
We all die alone.
“There is a way that seems right to man but its end is death.” - Proverbs.
Correct. In the OT God spoke through the Prophets. During the Gospels God spoke through and as Jesus. In the Church age He is speaking through the Holy Spirit. We hear His voice through the Holy Spirit through scripture reading, prayer, circumstances and the body of believers.
Remember in about third or fourth grade when you, maybe, learned to diagram a sentence???
you(understood pronoun)do(verb) THIS (subject of sentence) in memory of Me.(merely explains why you are doing THIS. In fact, (you do this) is a proper imperative sentence by itself and it needs no additional words to be said!
Poor form.
By your presented "logic" in your opening statement, because I’m not a Catholic, I’m an anti-Catholic and a (insert one of the many referenced despicable characteristics here) type of anti-Catholic to boot.
Stopping now, because, although I have some arguments about the Catholic Church based on my experiences, I don't voice them because I do consider Catholics my brothers in Christ.
Your opening comment causes me to wonder what you and your fellow Catholics think of us Bible only Christians though...
There is a lot wrong with your contention so I will address them individually:
First, Papal Infallibility does not mean sinless or "impeccable" popes. It simply means that the Pope, by the deposit of faith from the Holy Spirit, is preserved from even the possibility of error when in his official capacity he solemnly declares or promulgates to the universal Church a dogmatic teaching on faith or morals. In the 2,000 year history of the Church the Pope has only exercised this power twice.
Secondly, no one denies that there has been great evil done by those who profess to be Catholics, much of it in the name of the Church. However, I reject outright the active or tacit approval or participation of the Pope in these crimes. They simply are not credible. You would do well to read the Kremlin archives regarding the propaganda attacks on the Church within the Soviet sphere of influence, particularly the attempted linking of the Church and its clergy to Nazi activities.
You are always a Catholic because you are marked with a Catholic Baptism. Christ the Son, God the Father and the Holy Spirit came to you at that moement.
And let me guess, the Book of Mormon is the “other record” you are alluding to in your “single tribe” comment?
“Unless you eat my Body and drink my Blood, you shall not enter the kingdom of heaven.”
**because your premise and thiking is wrong so why waste my time.**
So now you can read Heart Rest’s mind?
Against the rules.
Fourth grade, for me, was 1964. I see what you mentioned as the equivalent of explaining all the various muscle movements required to simply grab a cup. But now you grab a cup without even thinking about it and only rarely drop one.:-)
Sentence structure now just “happens”.
**John Ch 3: “You must be born again” Quote, Jesus,**
Catholics ARE born again through the Sacrament of Baptism. You might be misunderstanding that.
** Ephesians 2: 8-9:
8) For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9) not of works, lest anyone should boast.**
Those are St. Paul’s words. Christ’s words say: “Unless you eat my Body and drink my Blood, you shall not enter the kingdom of heaven.”
I’ll take Christ over St. Paul any day.
Great post, thanks.
** why would anyone try to elicit the help of a dead Christian?**
You have been led astray here. When a person dies, it is the body that dies — the soul remains alive and faces Christ in a particular judgment. If that live soul is judge fit for heaven (absolutely no sin on their soul) they go immediately to heaven. If that soul is judged by Christ to need reparation for the venial sins committed on earth (not pure enough to go to heaven) it is sent to Purgatory to be purged of that blemish. If that soul in judged guilty of a mortal sin at the moment of death — it is sent to hell.
The souls in hell cannot pray for us. But the live souls in Purgatory and Heaven can pray for us.
Sorry your learning meandered through untruths.
You are always a Catholic because you are marked with the mark of a Catholic Baptism. You WILL and CAN come back to the church.
Did you learn anything?
Again, because of your Catholic Baptism, you will always be a Catholic. Come home to the truth. (BTW, even Luther said the Catholic Church was true on many things.”
Discuss the issues all you want, but do not make it personal.
??
Thank you for sharing your testimony, dear Country Gal!
A brief list? Welcome home!
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