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12 Claims Every Catholic Should Be Able to Answer; Claim 2
CERC ^ | Deal Hudson

Posted on 01/05/2015 3:27:43 AM PST by NYer

Freedom of speech is a great thing. Unfortunately, it comes at an unavoidable price: When citizens are free to say what they want, theyll sometimes use that freedom to say some pretty silly things. And thats the case with the 12 claims were about to cover.

petersaint.jpg

Some of them are made over and over, others are rare. Either way, while the proponents of these errors are free to promote them, we as Catholics have a duty to respond.


2.  "Christianity is no better than any other faith. All religions lead to God."

If you haven't heard this one a dozen times, you don't get out much. Sadly enough, the person making this claim is often himself a Christian (at least, in name).

The problems with this view are pretty straightforward. Christianity makes a series of claims about God and man: That Jesus of Nazareth was God Himself, and that he died and was resurrected — all so that we might be free from our sins. Every other religion in the world denies each of these points. So, if Christianity is correct, then it speaks a vital truth to the world — a truth that all other religions reject.

This alone makes Christianity unique.

But it doesn't end there. Recall Jesus' statement in John's Gospel:

"I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but by me." In Christianity, we have God's full revelation to humanity. It's true that all religions contain some measure of truth — the amount varying with the religion. Nevertheless, if we earnestly want to follow and worship God, shouldn't we do it in the way He prescribed?

If Jesus is indeed God, then only Christianity contains the fullness of this truth.


TOPICS: Apologetics; Catholic; Theology
KEYWORDS: 12claims
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To: chajin
There isn't a word in the above article that this LCMS Lutheran finds unscriptural, and that would be true of my Reformed, Baptist, Word of Faith, and (orthodox) Methodist friends as well.

Safety in numbers?

Mat 12:33
Either make the tree good, and his fruit good; or else make the tree corrupt, and his fruit corrupt: for the tree is known by his fruit.

Mat 12:34
O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.

Mat 12:35
A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things.

Mat 12:36
But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment.

Mat 12:37
For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.


61 posted on 01/05/2015 12:27:57 PM PST by Resettozero
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To: verga; CynicalBear
Please make these caucus thread from now on, I don’t want to read the comments of the ignorant and uniformed.

Must not be able to stand the light of the truth!

62 posted on 01/05/2015 12:29:41 PM PST by ealgeone
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To: verga

So, y’all can not stand learning the truth from the Bible?


63 posted on 01/05/2015 12:32:48 PM PST by MamaB
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To: defconw
Here's the deal. If we say that no religion but "ours" contains truth, then we are not very much different then the idiots running around calling people infidels.

John 14:6

I am the Way, the Truth, the Life, no one comes to the Father but through Me.

The way the greek is set up, Jesus is comparing Himself to any other religion. He is the only way to Heaven; hence Christianity is the only true religion.

64 posted on 01/05/2015 12:33:21 PM PST by ealgeone
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To: tomsbartoo; CynicalBear; boatbums; Iscool
Yes, Jesus Christ did die for our sins, but notice his inclusion of the phrase “and was resurrected”. That was never part of Catholic belief before Vatican II. That is the so-called “Pascal Mystery” language that was added with the Novus Ordo Mass. Before the N.O., Catholics were taught that the “Holy Sacrifice of the Mass” (now the “Eucharistic Celebration”) was a re-creation of Calvary, and that His death on the Cross alone sufficed as expiation for our sins. But with the Protestanized version we are now taught to believe that the Crucifixion and death of Our Dear Lord Jesus Christ was not enough––but that it was necessary for Jesus to be resurrected as well.

It's in the Scripture that y'all claim the Catholic church wrote.

Peter himself called Paul's writings *Scripture*.

The Resurrection of the Dead

1 Corinthians 15:12-19 Now if Christ is proclaimed as raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain. We are even found to be misrepresenting God, because we testified about God that he raised Christ, whom he did not raise if it is true that the dead are not raised.

For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied.

Looks like the Catholic church was wrong for all those years prior to V2.

65 posted on 01/05/2015 12:51:21 PM PST by metmom (...fixing our eyes on Jesus, the Author and Perfecter of our faith...)
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To: ealgeone
>>Must not be able to stand the light of the truth!<<

That was my thought exactly.

Job 24:13 They are of those that rebel against the light; they know not the ways thereof, nor abide in the paths thereof.

John 1:5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

66 posted on 01/05/2015 1:11:41 PM PST by CynicalBear (For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus)
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To: tioga

Good to see you in the forum! Have you noticed any significant changes under Bishop Matano?


67 posted on 01/05/2015 1:14:22 PM PST by NYer (Merry Christmas and best wishes for a blessed New Year!)
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To: MamaB; defconw
Mary is dead, too

Says who?

68 posted on 01/05/2015 1:15:52 PM PST by NYer (Merry Christmas and best wishes for a blessed New Year!)
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To: NYer

So that’s it? If any of those store-front religions (and there are literally thousands of them) “acknowledge Jesus Christ as Savior”, than those religions are not false religions according to your belief? Maybe you want think that one through some more.

Quite frankly, you seem to want to talk all around the barn about the issue, but you wont address it specifically. You do understand my point don’t you? Just tell me whether or not you believe the Catholic Church is the ONLY true Church founded by Jesus Christ and that ALL others are FALSE. I really think its one of those yes onto answers. Mind you, I’m not saying the followers of those false religions are bad people; I’m just saying that their religion is false and it will lead no one who follow them to salvation.

As for the “unity” issue, sure, many popes have worked diligently “so that all may be one”; but the pre-modernist popes promoted legitimate ecumenism and not the false ecumenism that was spawned by the Second Vatican Council and later embraced by the modernist bishops and popes of today. The earlier Church has always encouraged non-Catholic individuals to convert to Catholicism, and over the centuries, many have. But none tried to find “common ground” with any of the false religions as means of evangelizing.

If the two men you have mentioned agree to follow the true teachings of the Catholics, why is that any sort of a revelation? If you say that somehow it’s because they still like to preach like they’re Protestants but can now say they’re Catholic, someone is very confused as to what the Catholic Church is all about. But maybe you’re making some other point that I’m missing by your mentioning them.

As for your quibbling with my careless phrase when describing the Catholic Church, and then following it up with a really over-the-top and patronizing lecture apparently intended to impress me with your knowledge about the structure of the Church, really? I’m actually just little a bit embarrassed for you. I don’t think anymore need be said about that. I honestly wouldn’t do that anymore.


69 posted on 01/05/2015 1:23:36 PM PST by tomsbartoo (St Pius X watch over us)
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To: NYer

LOL He is changing the ages and order of First Penance and First Communion. Then he changed the age for Confirmation to much older. They could do it all here at just about any age. I have noticed that the Priest now takes the Host back to the Tabernacle, not laypeople. We had a new priest, so it’s hard to discern the Bishop’s changes from the new pastor, so I sometimes ask the priest I assist with RCIA what is going on and why.

We do have a priest teaching RCIA at our church. It’s great. He, also, teaches Theology to the 5th and 6th graders. We are so blessed to have him.


70 posted on 01/05/2015 1:33:52 PM PST by tioga
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To: metmom; CynicalBear; boatbums; Iscool

The problem with Protestants reading these Catholic issues and Catholic responses, is that you only think in Protestant terms. This issue is with the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. I’ve explained this earlier to one of your Protestant brethren at Post #42. Take a look at that and at least you’ll understand more clearly as to where and why we disagree. Quite frankly, I think the short answer is that I’m Catholic and you’re not.


71 posted on 01/05/2015 1:34:56 PM PST by tomsbartoo (St Pius X watch over us)
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To: tomsbartoo; metmom; CynicalBear; boatbums; Iscool
The problem with Protestants reading these Catholic issues and Catholic responses, is that you only think in Protestant terms. This issue is with the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. I’ve explained this earlier to one of your Protestant brethren at Post #42. Take a look at that and at least you’ll understand more clearly as to where and why we disagree. Quite frankly, I think the short answer is that I’m Catholic and you’re not.

Heck of an outreach plan you've got there.

72 posted on 01/05/2015 1:40:28 PM PST by ealgeone
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To: Grateful2God; CynicalBear
Jesus spoke of His, and our Father. That Father was the God of Abraham, embraced by Jews, Christians, and yes, Muslims. Unless your personal interpretation of the Bible rejects the idea of the entire Old Testament, when Jesus refers to the Father, He is referring to the God of Abraham.

Jews and Muslims have a different god.. They do not have a trinune God that saves..they do not have a God that came to the earth to save them from their sins.they do not have a God of Grace and mercy that saved them from their sins.

They have a god of works, which is why Romanists think they have the same god.. because Catholicism is also a works based religion

73 posted on 01/05/2015 1:40:46 PM PST by RnMomof7 (Ga 4:16)
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To: Salvation
Catholics evangelize. They don’t proselytize.

Please define the difference Sal.

74 posted on 01/05/2015 1:42:37 PM PST by RnMomof7 (Ga 4:16)
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To: metmom

All religions of works MM


75 posted on 01/05/2015 1:43:26 PM PST by RnMomof7 (Ga 4:16)
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To: defconw

You’re right. Thanks! : )


76 posted on 01/05/2015 1:50:02 PM PST by Grateful2God (And Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart.)
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To: tomsbartoo

Well, y’all only think in catholic terms and can not post verses to back up your beliefs. I am thankful to be SB although I have attended many churches in my 70 years. Mostly when I was a kid. One of my dad’s brothers was a Nazarene minister but he died years before I was born. A cousin of my mom’s was a Church of God of Prophecy minister. All of my older relatives were Christians who really knew the Bible. Most of my generation are Southern Baptists with a few Methodists tossed in. My last aunt died today. She was the last of that generation. She will be missed. It is no fun being the “old” generation and there are only a few of us left.


77 posted on 01/05/2015 1:51:36 PM PST by MamaB
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To: tomsbartoo; metmom; boatbums; Iscool
>>I’ve explained this earlier to one of your Protestant brethren at Post #42.<<

In post 42 you called it an "unbloodied re-creation of that Sacrifice". Unbloodied?? I thought Catholics believed they were drinking the real blood of Christ? Not all that "unbloodied" if you ask me. Or do they turn the cracker into blood then unbloody it? How does that work?

78 posted on 01/05/2015 2:04:00 PM PST by CynicalBear (For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus)
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To: CynicalBear

As it has often been said on this site, Protestants should simply stick to reading the Protestant posts. A legitimate question about Catholicsm is one thing, but cynical quips are simply boring.


79 posted on 01/05/2015 2:20:21 PM PST by tomsbartoo (St Pius X watch over us)
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To: All
I have a question. No sarcasm intended. I really would like an honest, civil answer.

I've read so many posts that say we Catholics speak to the dead. Our belief is that a person has an immortal soul that either goes straight to Heaven; Purgatory to Heaven, or to hell.

OKAY I KNOW PEOPLE HERE DON'T BELIEVE IN PURGATORY. PLEASE DO NOT EVEN ADDRESS THAT: IT ISN'T WHAT I'M ASKING.

I am, rather asking you to state, simply and with reference only to your own beliefs, what YOU believe happens to a person when they pass.

Until coming here, I thought it was simply a matter of Heaven or hell. I honestly want to know what you believe.

Peace be with you!

80 posted on 01/05/2015 2:24:40 PM PST by Grateful2God (And Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart.)
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