And there lies the rub. Extra Ecclesiam nulla salus. Who is a "believing Baptized Christian?" Are Mormons? Jehovah's Witnesses? Are Jews saved if they do not recognize Christ? Is it impossible for a Muslim to go to Heaven, if they never really hear the Gospel?
Catholics continue to hold onto their faith because, in the immortal words of Lincoln, "A house divided against itself cannot stand." I agree there are other issues facing us in the world today, but focusing solely on external affairs and ignoring internal strife can lead to an internal collapse of what we are fighting for. It is the same with the war on terror - we might very well defeat Islamic terrorism, but if our culture continues to collapse, it will be a Pyrric victory.
“And there lies the rub. Extra Ecclesiam nulla salus. Who is a “believing Baptized Christian?” Are Mormons? Jehovah’s Witnesses? Are Jews saved if they do not recognize Christ? Is it impossible for a Muslim to go to Heaven, if they never really hear the Gospel?”
I don’t think that is a “rub” with any major Christian denomination.
“Who is a “believing Baptized Christian?””
Whoever accepts this gift:
1Now, brothers, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. 2By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain.
3For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance[a]: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, 5and that he appeared to Peter,[b] and then to the Twelve. 6After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. 7Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, 8and last of all he appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born.