Well, as with Mormons and others let’s see if that is the same Jesus of scripture.
Jesus said this.
Deuteronomy 12:30 Take heed to thyself that thou be not snared by following them, after that they be destroyed from before thee; and that thou enquire not after their gods, saying, How did these nations serve their gods? even so will I do likewise. 31 Thou shalt not do so unto the LORD thy God
But the RCC says this.
“We need not shrink from admitting that candles, like incense and lustral water, were commonly employed in pagan worship and the rites paid to the dead. But the Church from a very early period took them into her service, just as she adopted many other things indifferent in themselves, which seemed proper to enhance the splendor of religious ceremonial. We must not forget that most of these adjuncts to worship, like music, lights, perfumes, ablutions, floral decorations, canopies, fans, screens, bells, vestments etc. were not identified with any idolatrous cult in particular; but they were common to almost all cults” (Catholic Encyclopedia, III, 246.)
Definitely not the same Jesus there. Let’s try another one.
Jesus said this.
Romans 8:34 Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.
And this.
Ephesians 5:20 Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ;
But the RCC says this.
2679 Mary is the perfect Orans (pray-er), a figure of the Church. When we pray to her, we are adhering with her to the plan of the Father, who sends his Son to save all men. Like the beloved disciple we welcome Jesus' mother into our homes, for she has become the mother of all the living. We can pray with and to her. The prayer of the Church is sustained by the prayer of Mary and united with it in hope.
And this.
Our gaze is directed toward you in great fear, to you do we turn with ever-more insistent faith in these times marked by many uncertainties and fears for the present and future of our planet. Together we lift our confident and sorrowful petition to you, the first fruit of humanity redeemed by Christ, finally freed from the slavery of evil and sin: hear the cry of the pain of victims of war and so many forms of violence that bloody the earth. Clear away the darkness of sorrow and worry, of hate and vengeance. Open up our minds and hearts to faith and forgiveness!” —Pope John Paul II
Nope, not the same Jesus there.
I could go on and on but the fact is that the RCC is not teaching or serving the Jesus of scripture.
>> According to your own stated beliefs, we are saved and will remain so regardless of whatever beliefs we hold that you don’t accept.<<
Sorry Jvette, my “stated beliefs” are that if we believe on the Lord Jesus Christ we will be saved. That can only be the Lord Jesus Christ that is revealed in scripture. Clearly the RCC does not serve that same Jesus but a different Jesus who they have conjured up from the combination of paganism and Christianity. So you see, Catholics are really no different than Mormons and others who claim they believe in Jesus but it’s clearly a different Jesus then the Jesus of scripture.
Of course you would try to make that claim, i.e. that Catholics do not believe in the same Jesus, but as usual you are absolutely wrong.
That erroneous belief certainly explains why credible dialogue is not possible with you.
In your quote from the Catholic Encyclopedia, the Church does not violate the verse from Deuteronomy as they do not offer the same worship to God as the pagans offered to their false gods. The Church did not seek out those things in order to emulate the pagans and that passage does not “admit” to such a thing.
This is not a gotcha, however much one might want it to be.
All things belong to God and the use of inanimate objects in worshiping Him do not constitute a belief in a different Jesus. As Jesus said, it is not what enters a man’s mouth that defiles him, it is that which comes out of the mouth that defiles him. He goes on to explain that what comes from the mouth comes from the heart.
St. Paul speaking about meat offered to idols said that there is nothing wrong with eating, otherwise, he would no longer eat. The meat itself is not intrinsically immoral, but the extrinsic circumstances of being sacrificed to false gods or idols is what makes eating it wrong.
This is just another red herring thrown out to try to convince others of utter nonsense.
The Jesus of the Catholic faith is our salvation, Our Redeemer, the Second Person of the Holy Trinity. There is no other.
If one carefully reads those quotes about Mary, one will see that in both, Jesus/Christ and God are the source of all that we praise in Mary. She is the perfect pray-er because of her perfect obedience to God’s plan. In the second, she is the first HUMAN fruit of Christ’s redemptive mission.
Do you disagree that Mary was part of God’s plan and that Christ is indeed the redeemer?
*****Clearly the RCC does not serve that same Jesus but a different Jesus who they have conjured up from the combination of paganism and Christianity. So you see, Catholics are really no different than Mormons and others who claim they believe in Jesus but it’s clearly a different Jesus then(sic) the Jesus of scripture.*****
Clear only to one with a hatred that blinds them to the truth.
The Jesus of Scripture is indeed the Jesus that Catholics worship and follow.