[wmfights]

I came out of that religion about 25 years ago after reading for myself what the Bible had to say.

That's an interesting perspective of someone who was once a part of that church. He didn't say he left that church. He said he left that religion.

[classified]

When the Christians in 30 to 35 A.D., enter the lions den of the coliseums they wanted to differentiate themselves from the criminals who were also being fed to the animals for entertainment. The Christians wanted the audience to know that they were being persecuted because they were Christians, so they came up with a sign, "The sign of the Cross", which each Christian made. upon entering the arena.

I had not known this until recently that the sign of the cross that the Catholics adopted had dated back so far.

[Earthdweller]

Mother Catholic, father Protestant here. Personally don't see a big difference in the belief system. The big difference was always political and rather shallow if you ask me.

My reason for becoming a Protestant was simply a practical one. I learned about Christ much more on my own. I had too much difficulty learning about Christ running through all of the Catholic bureaucracy and hierarchy.

I believe both Protestants and Catholics are Christians.

[narses]

“My question surrounds the actuality of salvation for all the millions who still practice Mary worship and so forth.”

Well there ya go, the problem. A false to fact calumny.

[notaliberal]

RE: Mary, Mother of our Lord Jesus Christ......If you are in heaven how can you be dead???

What did Jesus say to the thief on the cross?

"Today shalt thou be with me in paradise" (Luke 23: 43)...

[bdeaner]

I'm a Roman Catholic - and my understanding is that the Church has clarified its teaching that wherever Christ operates in the world, that is the Church operating. At the same time, we believe the Magisterium of the Church has a special charism that is gratuitous and unearned by anyone with a title, which gives those who hold special office protection and guidance, by the Holy Spirit, to preserve and teach the truth of the Lord's word and that Church will never be defeated by our Enemy. Lest we forget, the Enemy however is our common enemy, the Prince of Darkness -- that deceiver who is winning converts everyday, and turning our beloved society into a culture of death and vacuity. When push comes to shove, all Christians are fighting this war together, brother and sister, and in the end, we will have victory. This is Advent season after all: a time for patient waiting for that victory which our faith knows will come, just as we know Christmas will appear on the horizon with its bells and trees and bowed-wrapped presents, announcing the Good News of our Redemption.

God bless.

[Heliand]

Since “outside the Church there is absolutely no salvation” perhaps the better question is whether or not someone consciously living apart from the unity of the Catholic Church, say an ex-Catholic “Orthodox Presbyterian”, or an agressive anti-Catholic Protestant, can get to heaven.

Personally, I don’t see it happening.

[Campion]

You know, Gamecock, this article descends into foolishness after three sentences:

Knowing that one cannot serve two masters, I wonder at how it is possible that the aforementioned can really experience Christ in a saving way, while they continue to believe that the church of Rome is solely responsible for their eternal welfare.

The respondent does nothing to rebuke this bizarre claim.

BTW, I thought the usual charge was that Catholics thought they saved themselves.

Now here I find out that really, we are all supposed to think that the Church saves us.

I will continue to be the oddball and insist that God is the real responsible party, and pretty much everything else is either an instrument or an achievement, or both, of his.

You can go ahead and tell your friend the Pope, and he can excommunicate me for believing something so "un-Catholic". I'll be waiting for the letter.

[onedoug]

Can Christians be Christians?

[Ditto]

Can Catholics Be Christians?

I'd think so. Maybe even some snake handlers could be Christians. But some posters can and do in fact go well out of their way to prove themselves to be total bigoted idiots that don't have a clue beyond their own obsessions.

Kind of like the Talaban, without the IEDs -- so far.

[tioga]

Have you nothing better to do?

[schwingdoc]

This is a depressing thread.
As Catholics we are asked to form echumenical relationships with our fellow Christians. This was stressed by Pope John Paul II and now by Pope Benedict.
And to the non-Catholics, we are your brothers in Christ and together we are the body of Christ. Plain and simple.

How on earth, really, can this thread go on with negativity, devisiveness, anger and bitterness?

Please people we have bigger issues facing us than to bring each other down. There are many enemies of Christ, and our fellow Chrsitians are not one of them.

“This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends. You are My friends if you do whatever I command you. No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you.”
John 15:12-15

Please practice peace, patience and love.

[seoul62]

Oy vey, this topic again? Listen on Judgement Day, the Lord will not ask us if we are CATHOLIC OR PROTESTANTS. The Lord loves us all. I have accepted Him as my Saviour and when it is my time to go, I request of Him ever so humbly to walk me to Heaven. I am Catholic and I truly resent either side saying and so this is the way you should think. I grew up in a mixed religious household: Father: Methodist and Mother: Catholic, so I learned from both sides.

[loungitude]

l

[Cacique]

huh?

[RJS1950]

What a crock of crap! Sounds like there are more than a few “religious” people who seem to have the same mindset as muslim sects like the Sunnis and Shiites. Before all protestant denominations were even thought of there was the CHRISTIAN Catholic church.

[Dr. Eckleburg]

“Come Out from Among Them” by John Calvin.

Amen. Here’s a wonderful review of this book...

http://www.prca.org/prtj/nov2001.html#BookReview

“Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues” (Rev 18:4)

[Teófilo]

Personally, therefore, I do not judge. I have either greater or lesser hope. For example, I have greater hope for my Roman Catholic family members who ignorantly follow their leaders without thinking. Many times I find these to be at least open to discussion regarding the Gospel. However, I have lesser hope for people who are self-consciously Roman Catholic; that is, they understand the issues yet continue in the way of the Papacy.

Let me see...so if I am an unthinking, reflexive Catholic by rote I'm OK, but if I'm a learned, convinced, practicing Catholic I'm not OK.

Very clever. Untrue, too.

-Theo