Paul evangelized in his time, and likewise Christ’s disciples, in Christ’s time on earth. If I didn’t know better I’d say you are trying to be obtuse. This is, again, another good example why I don’t subscribe to any religion, it distracts us from Christ, who is the only One who’s gonna save us. God was always God and Christ was always Christ long before there ever was a Catholic Church.
On the subject of being a Catholic, there is only One True Church and it’s not a building or a religion. The True Church is the body of believers, and that emcompasses all who believe that Christ died for us. There is no purgatory, no prerequisite to be baptized in order to be saved from hell, or have to confess our sins to anyone (priests, pastors etc.) but God. And all the “hail Marys” is not going to save you from hell if you don’t believe Jesus is the only way to save us from ourselves and hell.
You wrote:
“Paul evangelized in his time, and likewise Christ’s disciples, in Christ’s time on earth. If I didn’t know better I’d say you are trying to be obtuse.”
I’d say you’re just trying to ignore what you don’t like.
“This is, again, another good example why I don’t subscribe to any religion, it distracts us from Christ, who is the only One who’s gonna save us.”
Christ’s Church in itself cannot distract anyone from Christ because it is His Body.
“God was always God and Christ was always Christ long before there ever was a Catholic Church.”
No. The Second Person of the Trinity became the Christ in the womb of Mary. He was not Christ in the truest sense until He became man for only then could He carry out His redemptive mission. Also, the Church flowed from the side of Christ on the Cross. As St. John Chrysostom wrote: “Water and blood symbolized baptism and the Holy Eucharist. From these two sacraments the church is born: from baptism, the cleansing water that gives rebirth and renewal from the Holy Spirit, and from the Holy Eucharist. Since the symbols of baptism and the Eucharist flowed from his side, it was from his side that Christ fashioned the church, as he had fashioned Eve from the side of Adam.”
“On the subject of being a Catholic, there is only One True Church and it’s not a building or a religion.”
No one claims it is a building so I am always amazed that people make a point of denying what no one claims the Church to be. The Church is not a religion, but Christianity is. The one, true Church was established by Christ - the Catholic Church.
“The True Church is the body of believers, and that emcompasses all who believe that Christ died for us.”
No. That was only true when all believers were Catholics. Since the rise of heretical sects, it can no longer be claimed that all believers in Christ are in the Church.
“There is no purgatory,”
Yes, actually there is. http://www.catholic.com/thisrock/2005/0511sbs.asp
“...no prerequisite to be baptized in order to be saved from hell,”
Well, except for in the Bible! http://www.catholic.com/library/Necessity_of_Baptism.asp
” or have to confess our sins to anyone (priests, pastors etc.) but God.”
Well, except for John 20:19-23
“And all the “hail Marys” is not going to save you from hell if you don’t believe Jesus is the only way to save us from ourselves and hell.”
True. But then again no one believes otherwise so why condemn what no one even believes?
Christianity is not about being a Lone Ranger and making it up as you go along. When you wrote: “This is, again, another good example why I don’t subscribe to any religion, it distracts us from Christ, who is the only One who’s gonna save us” you forget that Christ sent the Apostles. Christianity is not a consumer product to tailer to your satisfaction.
Amen. My thoughts exactly.