You wrote:
“I’ve asked you many pertinent questions, and you failed to answer them.”
Rubbish. In one of your posts yesterday you asked the following questions:
1) “Why minister to someone who’s already saved?”
2) “What’s that saying?
3) “You don’t like Bible believing Protestants?”
4) “Do you have anything nice to say about any “bible believing” non- catholics?”
5) “Christ founded the Catholic church for his, former Jewish, but now Catholic, disciples?
6) “Did they have any idea how much that grieved God?”
7) “Do you know me?”
8) “Then how can you say I only apply what’s comfortable for me?”
9) “That’s rather presumptive of you, isn’t it?”
10) “I didn’t have any problems waiting for the right person. Birth control or did you mean abortion?
I answered those questions - often in paragraph length answers - even though some of them were absolutely NOT pertinent to ANYTHING we were discussing. You, however, flatly refused to answer many, many of mine. In post after post you ignored scriptural verses I posted, historical points I made, etc. The questions above I responded to in post 153. Where are your responses to all of my posts? Nowhere! You responded to 155 and completely ignored all of what was written in 153. Don’t even think about claiming that I didn’t respond to your pertinent questions. I respond to just about everything if not everything and you ask few pertinent questions in the first place.
“I have countered a number of your questions.”
Don’t counter them. ANSWER THEM. Go ahead and counter AFTER you answered them.
“So, again, I will, in all humility, ask how do you know there are only Catholics in heaven?”
Look at post 155. It would help if you at least kept up with your own posts. You looked at my answer in post 178. The answer still stands and you have offered no refutation of it. Pay attention!
“Or that Christ was a Catholic, or his disciples?”
Jesus knew the fullness of the faith. He is Catholic. Jesus established the Catholic Church. He is Catholic. The fact that He is Catholic in no way alters or effects the fact that He is Jewish in earthly origins.
“I countered you with them being Messianic Jews, which you ignored.”
Please, get real. ALL Jews were Messianic Jews. They ALL believed in a messiah and all religious Jews are still supposed to believe in a Messiah today. The term “Messianic Jew” today means a Christian of Jewish origins who has adopted a form of recent (believe it or not) Christianity that is heavily Judaistic. “Jews for Jesus” comes to mind immediately. Technically speaking ALL Jews are supposed to be messianic in that they are to believe in a messiah. Messianic Jews (so-called today) believe in Jesus as the Messiah and Son of God. That makes them Christians.
Thus, to say that Jesus and His disciples were Messianic Jews is 1) an anachronism since it is a modern term, and 2) misleading because ALL Jews believed in the messiah even if they didn’t believe he was Jesus. If you believe in Christ as the Messiah and Son of God, you’re called a Christian (Acts 11:26).
“We all, at one time or another, live in glass houses. Even the “anointed” ones. Are you going to condemn all who aren’t part of the Catholic church to hell?”
No, and I never did. Again, it would help if you actually paid attention to the posts we’ve actually exchanged. You clearly aren’t paying attention but you’re calling me certified, making false claims about me ignoring your questions and so on.
“That emcompasses masses of people.”
Hell will be filled with a multitude of people. You do realize that right? (Daniel 12:2; Matthew 7:13)
“So simplistic, yet with monumental impact. I don’t see where it says “and baptism is required”.”
You would if you had been paying attention to the posts you claim you’ve read. How about Mark 16:16. John 3:16 is the beginning of salvation, the initial justification. It is not the end of God’s love for us, nor is it the end of our sanctification.
“Yes, we want to be baptized after we’re saved, it’s a proclamation of our repentence and conversion.”
No. It washes away sin. Acts 22:16, 1 Peter 3:21.
“When you retorted that “with a moniker like mine” I “shouldn’t ask dumb questions” is equally as childish as anything I threw your way.”
No, it was at least humorous and fit your name. You instead just went off the wall. Your language bordered on the paranoid: “certifiable”, “False conclusions and opinions are what church doctrines are all about,” well what’s the point since a number of comments of yours are like that. If I say more, my post will be deleted.
“So you were inhabiting a glass house.”
Nope. Not even close.
“But saying only “true believers are Catholic” is?”
Did I ever say that? No. I already corrected you on this in post #114. Once again, we see you are posting without even paying attention to what’s going on. You repeatedly make the same errors and false claims and clearly don’t care if it borders on bearing false witness.
“Sorry, that’s divisive.”
Considering I never said what you claim I don’t see how something I never said could be divisive. And in case you didn’t know (OPEN YOUR BIBLE) look at what Christ said in Luke 12:51.
“You’re, in essence, excluding people who share the same hope, as you, in Christ, they just happen to belong to a different denomination.”
No. I exclude no one. People exclude themselves. It is rather the anti-Catholics here, or at least some of them, who exclude us, the Catholics, and it won’t work.
“How very selective of you. Thank God He will decide. I know my name is in the Lamb’s Book of Life. You know how I know? He told me so.”
No. You feel that you are saved. And there is nothing wrong with the feeling in itself, but it is just a feeling. Christ said more in John 14:21.
“Jesus was a Jew. So maybe the One True Church is the Messianic Jews.”
No. Where were they in 1200? 600? 1912? Messianic Jews are a recent thing. Look up the history of “Jews for Jesus” and you’ll see that. Christ sent the Church. He did not send Messianic Jews because they didn’t exist yet.
“We are all Jews in lineage. So that would encompass alot more people than you do.”
No. As Pope Pius XII said we are all spiritually Semites. I entirely agree that all who believe in Christ are spiritually Semites. What I don’t do is assume that all who claim Christ will be saved. Jesus doesn’t either: Matthew 7:21, Luke 6:46. Are these verses news to you?
“If we both believe that salvation comes from Christ alone, why do you try and alienate people who’s core belief is the same?”
I don’t try to alienate anyone. Again, Matthew 7:21, Luke 6:46.
I just tell the truth. You find that alienating.
I bet Jesus is gonna really be surprised to find out he was a Catholic all along. LOL. Where do you guys get this stuff.
I have gone back through most of the posts and found I answered many of your questions. I also realized that almost at the get go, you were hostile and condescending. Why? I don’t know. Maybe because I hurt your feelings when I said you might be obtuse. I am sorry.
After getting beat up by you verbally, in your natural condescending tone, I let my flesh get the better of me. This is the reason religion is something Satan got a hold of and ran with. Religion is very divisive. I don’t think Christ wanted His Church taken over by a bunch of people who twisted the Pure Truth.
I don’t want to read anything your Pontiff or Pope has to say. They are men and are prone to error. They have faults like any other human. I have listened to preachers and the Bible says we are to test what they say to scripture, and that’s what I do.
You did say only Catholics are true believers, only Catholics are in heaven. I noticed you didn’t use any scripture to back that up. I’m supposed to go on your say so. I don’t think so.
I feel deep sadness for anyone who thinks they have to work for their salvation. They have sorely missed the real message of salvation. I believe Christ died for my sins and I believe He’s the only way to heaven.
I don’t believe in purgatory, and that’s why it’s important that we share Christ’s message to anyone we can, before it’s too late.
The only good that comes out of heated threads like this is, hopefully, we come out of it a little wiser than when we went in, by searching the scriptures.
Sorry about the “carbon credit” remark, it was supposed to be a lighthearted joke pertaining to your lengthy posts. I am sincerely sorry for my weakness, although, anything I said, with scripture to back me, I meant and believe.
So now you presume to know my heart and what I’m thinking? I tell you there is only One God, and it’s not you.
“Hell will be filled with multitudes”.
Does that please you?
Where in John 3:16 does it say we must be baptized?
Are you trying to diminish the power of this verse?
Most of the disciples were Jews. In their ministry they were converted Jews, but still Jews. Even though they followed Christ, they still observed Jewish customs and laws.
I’m curious, do you believe that the Jews are God’s Chosen People?
But it’s just a feeling? I don’t think so. Knowing that some people are crass and shallow and egotisical, that’s a feeling. I believe with my whole being that Christ saved me, and how do I know? The Word of God tells me. You might try reading it instead of what someone else (Pope) tells you it says.
Now I have to put myself in another timeout...thank you very much.