I've long been upset by people quoting the saying in the Catholic church that, "If you believe the Catholic church to be the true church, but do not practice it's teachings, you will not be saved." That statement is often used to imply that Catholics believe only THEY will be saved. The opposite is the truth! The rest of the statement is that if you believe that the Baptist, Methodist, etc. church is the true church then you won't be saved if you don't follow their teachings. In other words, follow your conscience and you will be saved. Simple as that.
Why would Christ die for that? Pagan idol worshippers "follow their conscience." What poppycock.
SD
I've known for a long time that the Catholic church teaches that anyone who lives a good life, whatever his religion, will be saved...that is NOT the stance of Christian/Catholic Churches, by definition. Christian/Catholic churches teach that salvation is found through Christ, NOT by deeds.
Ashland, Missouri
Don't believe it. Those who stay outside of the Catholic Church due to an INVINCIBLE IGNORANCE of the Church's necessity to salvation MAY be saved.
This is not the same as you or the errant priest here put it, that "anyone who lives a good life WILL be saved. If it were so easy for people to live "good" lives, to make themselves holy, why did God bother with the whole Christ thing?
SD
That is exactly what they taught us in the 50's at Catholic school, and we were not allowed to have friends from those other religions.
Through the years I have learned the statement (posted by My2Cents) .below to be the truth.
One is not saved through the church, but saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ.
This is a damnable heresy and calls Our Lord and Saviour a lie to His face.
Living a good life? Then why did Christ have to offer His Body and His Blood on the cross as propitiation for sin? If living a good life were all that it took to enter the Kingdom of God, Christ would have never have to had come.
John 14:6 tells us that Jesus said, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but by me. There is no other way but through Him.
Anyone who professes to be a Christian yet denies these words of Christ is nothing more than a tare sewn among the wheat. Don't be fooled. At harvest time, the wheat and tares will be seperated. The wheat shall be gathered into His barn. But the tares will be cast into the fire and consumed.
It's that simple.