I think if we look at the creeds (The Nicene Creed and the Apostles’ Creed) and let them define for us what our Christian faith is about we can be safe. The cults always have something out of whack.
In the meantime, the reason the creeds were developed was specifically to answer questions in the early days when all of these other heresies started getting legs (the gnostics, arianism, etc. - I can’t remember some of the other stuff floating out there but there was plenty).
And, folks, let’s start getting together and worrying about things like Oprah pushing the Secret and A New Earth and all of this new age crapola that leads people away from the WAY, THE TRUTH and THE LIFE.
***I think if we look at the creeds (The Nicene Creed and the Apostles’ Creed) and let them define for us what our Christian faith is about we can be safe. The cults always have something out of whack.
In the meantime, the reason the creeds were developed was specifically to answer questions in the early days when all of these other heresies started getting legs (the gnostics, arianism, etc. - I can’t remember some of the other stuff floating out there but there was plenty).***
Certainly they are profitable and useful and very instructional and cannot be ignored or taken away from in any way. It’s just that they are not all encompassing.
I don’t think that, given some rather intense posting, that every Christian here believes everything in the Creeds, even the Apostle’s creed.
I believe in God, the Father Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth,
And in Jesus Christ, his only begotten Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead and buried; He descended into hell. The third day he rose again from the dead; He ascended into heaven, and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty. From there he shall come to judge the quick and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, I believe in the holy catholic church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.
For instance: how many non Catholics believe that Jesus descended to hell? I’m met a bunch who don’t. Vociferous, they were, too.
How many here believe in the communion of saints?
Newadvent.com tells us:
The communion of saints is the spiritual solidarity which binds together the faithful on earth, the souls in purgatory, and the saints in heaven in the organic unity of the same mystical body under Christ its head, and in a constant interchange of supernatural offices. The participants in that solidarity are called saints by reason of their destination and of their partaking of the fruits of the Redemption.
How can someone believe in the communion of saints if they don’t believe in either Purgatory or that those in Heaven mean anything to us here?