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.
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Ouch!
You wrote:
“I have gone back through most of the posts and found I answered many of your questions.”
No. If you had then we would be able to see some sort of analysis of the verses I posted or at least an admission that they say the words you don’t like. Instead, we see what?
“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.”
You couldn’t hurt my feelings if you tried. This is the internet. Hurt feelings?
“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.”
Christ said He was going to be divisive. Remember? I posted the verses that showed that. But you see Satan only being divisive? Again, Christ said He came to DIVIDE. Also, Christ did not condemn religion in itself so why do you? And you wonder why I say you act like a lone ranger in religion?
“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.”
No, you clearly don’t. How can you test what the pope says, if you refuse to read anything he writes? Do you even see the contradiction there? In case you didn’t know, Pope Benedict XVI happens to be a great theologian and knows more about scripture than you ever could hope to know. That’s not a boast, it’s just a fact. As we have already seen, there are a number of verses you apparently didn’t know existed and are ill equipped to discuss. That is not the situation with Benedict, but you would turn a deaf ear to him all the while claiming you test things according to scripture. You don’t see the two contradictions there? Really? Is it not hypocrisy to say you test all things with scripture and then to admit “I don’t want to read anything your Pontiff or Pope has to say”?
“You did say only Catholics are true believers, only Catholics are in heaven.”
Nope. I already posted this now three times. Why do you keep bearing false witness? What I said was that not only Catholics go to heaven, but in heaven everyone is Catholic. Do you understand? Anyone - of whatever faith on this earth - who gets into heaven (through the grace of God) is Catholic in heaven no matter what they were on earth. I have already said this, and yet you keep claiming I said something else.
“I noticed you didn’t use any scripture to back that up.”
I noticed you didn’t use ANY scripture when I asked you how you knew Matthew wrote the gospel named after him. See that? Things can be known even if they are not in scripture. Do you know how?
“I’m supposed to go on your say so. I don’t think so.”
It isn’t my say so. Use reason:
1) To be Catholic in the most proper sense is to have the fullness of the faith.
2) Those in heaven have the fullness of faith (as they must since they are in union with God).
3) Thus, those in heaven are Catholic (no matter what they were on this earth).
Refute that if you can.
“I feel deep sadness for anyone who thinks they have to work for their salvation.”
I have never worked for my salvation. Christ did that. I too would pity anyone who did. I also pity anti-catholics who continue to spread lies that Catholics work for their salvation when we don’t. I also pity people who believe in a false gospel from the 16th century called Protestantism for it was not sent by God.
“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.”
So do all Catholics. We taught that from Pentecost until today and will do so until the end of time.
“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.”
No. Think of what you just said. 1) Since YOU don’t believe in Purgatory you want to spread the gospel as you see it. 2) Yet you have no evidence that there is no Purgatory nor that your version of the gospel is correct. 3) Purgatory in no way stops a person from going to heaven. So how can purgatory be a concern for you when no one goes there who doesn’t go to heaven? You really don’t even know what purgatory is, do you?
“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.”
I have no evidence that you searched the scriptures. I gave you plenty of verses and they directly contradicted YOU. Some of these I repeated several times because you yourself either outright ignored them or you kept repeating your already refuted point. I don’t think either one of us became any wiser in this discussion. I knew almost exactly what you would say in each and every post. Anti-Catholics are often very predictable in their approach, lame attacks and defenses, etc. I know I didn’t learn anything because I already knew the verses discussed on both sides, all your arguments were old hat, etc. And it seems clear that at least you won’t be learning much in the future either: “I don’t want to read anything your Pontiff or Pope has to say.”
“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.”
I appreciate the apology. You didn’t back up anything that is peculiarly your Protestant belief system with scripture. All you did was pull verses out of context. And you still ignored the verses I posted. What a pity.