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.
Christianity is a relationship between man and God through His Son Jesus Christ. You don’t have to be a member of any church body to be a true believer. It is best to be, for sure, so that you can bless others and learn more about God, but if a person loves and trusts Jesus Christ as Saviour, that person will go to Heaven, just like any church goer who believes.
I don’t like evangelizing? Christ told us to go into the world and preach the “Good News”.
John1:1-2 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Can’t argue the Scriptures. The Word=Christ.
Baptizing is symbolic. The thief on the cross wasn’t baptized and Christ told him “I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise”.
As for purgatory, Luke 16:19-31 There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day. At his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores and longing to eat what fell from the rich man’s table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores.
The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried. In hell, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side. So he called to him, ‘Father Abraham’, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, becvause I am in agony in this fire.
But Abraham replied, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad thing, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony. And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.
He answered, ‘Then I beg you father, send Lazarus to my father’s house, for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.’
They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them.’ ‘No, father Abraham,’ he said, ‘but if someone from the dead goes to them they will repent.’ “He said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.’”
John 14:6 “I am the way, the truth and the life. No one come to the Father except through me.”
The only way you will go to Hell is complete rejection of Christ. I’m not talking about people who haven’t heard the gospel, I’m talking about people who heard and rejected the message of salvation.
As far as being a “lone ranger”, I read the Bible everyday and have not let dogmas get in the way of understanding God’s Word. I grew up in a church and it didn’t hurt me any. I have found that too many churches have lost sight of it’s purpose and have become too political. I don’t need someone else to feed me God’s Word. It’s great that people still want to go to church, but as far as I’m concerned, I don’t need someone forcing their doctrine down my throat especially when it isn’t even scriptural. If it’s in the Bible I believe it, if it isn’t I’m not buying it. I have the Holy Spirit to convict me when I’m doing something wrong. I have so much still to learn and God is continually molding me into the person He wants me to be.
Being Catholic is an organized religion, christians are followers of Christ, not a religion.
I agree that not all who are in the church are christians, but you saying that only true believers are Catholic is very arrogant of you. There’s as many charlatans in the Catholic church as any other. How do you justify all the pedophilia in the Catholic Church, much less the homosexuality? This is what you call the True Church? And I’m not saying that that only happens in the Catholic church. I don’t mean to disparage the Catholic Church but they, like other religions, have their flaws. How many people go to church and don’t even believe in God, much less Christ and His sacrifice on the cross? I’m far from perfect and that’s why I need God. As far as confession goes, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteous”. But I don’t need some Priest, or Pastor, to do that, I can go to my mediator, Christ, and do it. And I don’t tailor anything to my liking. I’m so sick and tired of people passing off doctrine as gospel, I, for one, would not want to lead someone astray with something that is not scripturally based. Just cuz the church says it, don’t make it so. I read God’s word, that’s what He wants me to do so I can apply it to my life, and when the opportunity arises I can share the message of salvation with others.