"In the interests of accuracy, is that what you believe? That once saved, you cannot lose your salvation? (Because if that is not your belief, then please explain what a person would have to do or fail to do, to lose their salvation.)"This ("what YOU believe") is a subject in which I guess you would be an expert.
I don't know why you continue to make generalizations about what CATHOLICS believe, a subject which you have amply demonstrated that you cannot address competently.
"Catholics as a whole do not comprehend..."Nonsense."IOW, they [Catholics] can't be trusted to do it on their own..."
"Roman Catholicism throws the burden of maintaining the person's salvation on them ..."
"It [Catholicism] is salvation and sanctification under coercion ..."
" Catholicism misrepresents God's mercy, grace, and forgiveness...."
"They [Catholics] teach that God's mercy must be begged for and groveled for ..."
"[Cathholics supposedly believe] "we must clean up our act first and become good enough to *merit* grace and forgiveness.(etc etc)..."
I asked for what you believe, and you gave me five paragraphs of your opinion of what Catholics believe, so distorted it would be Babylon-Bee-worthy, except that I don't think you intended it as self-parody.
If I had a nickel for every time I asked FReepers to tell me what THEY believe, and not bizarrely expand upon their view of what *I* believe, --- metmom, I could have a freezer full of Fudge Ripple Ice Cream and a couple reams of printer paper.
Whee! A dream come true!
From your exposition of your own belief, you seem to be saying that as a believer you could not sin, and could not even want to sin. "Why would I want to?"
I see no evidence that that is true. NT writers double down on the possibility of sin's recurrence.
1 Timothy 1:19If this rejection of faith were not possible, the Apostles' frequent exhortations and warnings TO BELIEVERS against sin would be unneeded and ridiculous. "Sin? Why would I want to?"
"Hold(ing) on to faith and a good conscience, which some have rejected and so have suffered shipwreck with regard to the faith."
I'm NO expert of Evangelical apostasy, I am NOT and do not want to be involved in their business--- so I abstain from commenting on all that. But riddle me this: Why would Josh Harris or Franky Schaeffer or any of the avalanche of other Evangelical apostates "want to" turn apostate?
At least I know that some can "reject" good conscience and suffer "shipwreck" of the Faith. I know sin happens. I know, too, that the Church, the House of God, like everyone, will face the Judge.
You forget metmom was a former Roman Catholic. I think she understands RC theology.
You read way too much into what people say.
I have never claimed any believer does not sin.
Nor does the new born again nature WANT to sin.
Romans 7 explains the struggle.
I make observations based on replies that I've received. Those are the conclusions I have come to.
I also remember very clearly what I thought and what I was taught as a Catholic.
I got saved late enough in life to have more than adequate exposure to Catholicism and Catholic teaching.
Not to mention having some priests and a nun in the family as well.
Catholics are not snowing us who have been raised in Catholicism. We know better.
“I don’t know why you continue to make generalizations about what CATHOLICS believe, a subject which you have amply demonstrated that you cannot address competently.”
I refer you to this current thread, that reveals 50% of Catholics don’t know what their church teaches about core doctrines.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/3767988/posts
I’d bet metmom and the rest of us know far more than the average Catholic- having examined what we were taught and comparing it to Scripture.
Best