Who are the Catholics: The Orthodox or The Romanists, or both?

Me

[the_conscience]

I just witnessed a couple of Orthodox posters get kicked off a "Catholic Caucus" thread. I thought, despite their differences, they had a mutual understanding that each sect was considered "Catholic". Are not the Orthodox considered Catholic? Why do the Romanists get to monopolize the term "Catholic"?

I consider myself to be Catholic being a part of the universal church of Christ. Why should one sect be able to use a universal concept to identify themselves in a caucus thread while other Christian denominations need to use specific qualifiers to identify themselves in a caucus thread?

[Dr. Eckleburg]

The Church is defined visibly by who is and who is not invited to the Holy Communion.

That, of course, is not Scriptural.

The church is defined as those who have been given faith in Jesus Christ as Lord, King and Savior.

"And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved...

...And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved." -- Acts 2:21;47

---

"Be not afraid; only believe." -- Mark 5:36

What a racket the RCC has going for itself -- mesmerizing people into believing there is salvation in a crumb of flour and water and that that crumb is magically morphed into the body of Jesus Christ only when a priest says the correct incantations and raises it above his head to just the correct elevation.

The RCC teaches there is no salvation without a priest and his mojo. And there is no priest without a magisterium declaring that priest to be "another Christ."

Shameful. Repent of these superstitions that demean Christ's accomplished, one-time, perfect sacrifice on the cross. It is finished.

"For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified.

Whereof the Holy Ghost also is a witness to us: for after that he had said before,

This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them;

And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more.

Now where remission of these is, there is no more offering for sin." -- Hebrews 10:14-18

[Dr. North]

Is anyone contending that salvation comes through communion?

[1000 silverlings]

The things you learn on these forums

[the_conscience]

LOL

I'll give you additional treasury merits for good humor! :)

Actually the hierarchy would look something like this:

Top Level: Unconditional sovereign grace trinitarian liberty-loving Christians.

Generally Reformed, Presbyterian, Episcopalian, Lutheran, Reformed Baptist, Other Baptist, Non-Denominational.

Next Level: Semi-pelagian trinitarian liberty-loving Scripture-adhering local community based Christians.

Generally Protestant churches of various denominations.

Final level: Hierarchical generally despotic over-controlling over-presumptuous sanctimonious religions.

Here the tree splits between the multifarious organizations associated with the Pope and multifarious Eastern organizations claiming a conjectural apostolic confession; other despotic top-down religions that lick the hand of the leader like Mormons, Scientologists, Muslims, ect...

[1000 silverlings]

It's like the Godfather movies, this theology of theirs. You can kill, steal, rape,pillage, whatever, but... if you are "invited" to communion, you're in the Mother Church.

"The Pope - the Holy Father himself - has this very day blessed Michael Corleone; and you think you know better than the Pope? " Dominic Abbandando

[Alex Murphy]

What a racket the RCC has going for itself -- mesmerizing people into believing there is salvation in a crumb of flour and water and that that crumb is magically morphed into the body of Jesus Christ only when a priest says the correct incantations and raises it above his head to just the correct elevation.

And only when it's made using the Vatican-approved recipe:

Genetically-modified (GM) wheat may not be be suitable under canon law to be used to make hosts for the Catholic sacrament of the Eucharist, it's been claimed.

Fr Sean McDonagh, a Columban priest and well-known commentator on environmental issues, questions whether the Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith which oversees Catholic doctrine could ever sanction GM wheat. Writing in Intercom, a publication of the Irish Catholic Bishops' Conference, Fr McDonagh cites the example that gluten-free hosts are outlawed for use in communion -- even though it can endanger the health of those suffering from coeliac disease, which is a bowel disorder. Low gluten hosts are permitted.

"Crops which have been genetically engineered to date include maize, soya beans, canola (derived from rapeseed) and potatoes. Many biotech companies would like to genetically engineer wheat. If this is pushed through, the question will arise as to whether GM wheat can be used in the Eucharist?"

....from the thread No Genetically Modified Jesus! (Important Issu!) [Catholic Caucus]

[the_conscience]

...apostolic confession succession...

[Dr. Eckleburg]

Is anyone contending that salvation comes through communion?

Seems like those are exactly the words Annalex used in post 399 -- "The Church is defined visibly by who is and who is not invited to the Holy Communion."

And we know that in addition to declaring that outside the church of Rome there is no salvation, the RCC catechism says...

1407 - The Eucharist is the heart and the summit of the Church's life, for in it Christ associates his Church and all her members with his sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving offered once for all on the cross to his Father; by this sacrifice he pours out the graces of salvation on his Body which is the Church.

Here's a sermon by a Roman Catholic priest found on google...

IS THE EUCHARIST NECESSARY FOR SALVATION?

"...Like Baptism, the Eucharist is necessary for salvation to be received either sacramentally or in desire...

The doctrine of the Church is that Holy Communion is morally necessary for salvation..."

[Petronski]

I will reply via pm tomorrow. Suffice to say for now, Firefox is 2nd worldwide and is far more immune to virii/spyware/crapware.

[Dr. Eckleburg]

lol. This is what they’re concerned with. Yeesh.

[Dr. Eckleburg]

"The Pope - the Holy Father himself - has this very day blessed Michael Corleone; and you think you know better than the Pope?" Dominic Abbandando

lol. If Winona Ryder hadn't od'ed and been replaced with daughter Sophia, the worst "actress" to be forever immortalized on film, Godfather III would be just as good as I and II.

[Quix]

Thoughtful analysis, imho.

THx.

[Cronos]

How about a term for them instead of Christian? The Machenites? The Machenics? The Macharownees?

[Cronos]

The term “Latin” is inadequate as Catholics include the Maronites and Syro-Malabar. “Catholic” is the only broad term a forum website can use. “Roman Catholic” similarly misses out on those two important groups of Catholics. For the same reason we ought not to think that we can’t use the term “Greeks” to refer to the Russian Orthodox, Bulgarian Orthodox, Serbian, Greek, etc. when “Orthodox” is a far simpler version for the FR moderators. I agree that’s simplistic, but everything religious is not simple.

[annalex]

not Scriptural

You are free to stay with that opinion, "doctor". My job was to point out the fact: no sects exist in the Church.

[annalex]

Indeed, salvation comes ordinarily through the visible Catholic Church and her Sacraments. Exceptions exist, as God wills: conversion might be close to the hour of death or come in circumstances that preclude physical coming to confession and the Eucharist.

This is why the frequent repetition of Hail Mary is advisable at all times:

Hail Mary, Full of Grace
The Lord is with thee
Blessed art though among women
And blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus
Holy Mary, Mother of God,
Pray for us sinners
Now and in the hour of our death
Amen.

Pray it for yourself and for others.

[Lorica]

However, since the FReeper who posted this thread is neither Catholic nor Orthodox and I can't help but escape the feeling that this thread was posted in an attempt to drive a wedge between Catholics and Orthodox.

Bingo.

[Lorica]

And so when you're introduced to someone in real life for the first time, and he asks you your religion, do you say,

"I'm a Catholic"?

Your simple yes or no answer will suffice.

[NoGrayZone]

I was going to quote my Bible, but decided to post this link instead. It has translations from all versions.

[Dr. North]

What of those who are saved by Christ, fully accept that salvation, and yet never take communion?

Are you contending that they would be less saved by virtue of their not taking communion?

If so, that is elevating communion above being saved by Christ, and saying that being saved by Christ is insufficient to in fact be saved if not supplemented by communion.