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To: small voice in the wilderness
And there goes the bridge you want to build.

Only if the people tearing it down refuse to hear what we mean by "the Catholic Church." Unfortunately they mostly simply do not want to hear it. They insist that it's a denomination. The Catechism (AND your humble servant) are as clear as we know how that the "ordinary", but not exclusive, way to be a member is to be baptized -- in whatever denomination, but the idea seems really hard to get across.

That is, someone baptized in a bayou by a group whose membership is confined to the local congregation -- as long as a Trinitarian wording was used, is definitely a member of THE (Catholic) Church.

That doesn't mean he's "saved." But he's a member.

This is so important that when we have our classes for people who want to know more about us, we are careful (though not as careful as we should be, IMHO) NOT to call, say baptized Methodists, Presbyterians, Reformed, or Baptists "converts." The proper use of the term "convert" is for someone who has not been baptized at all.

And, there are "extraordinary" ways to become a member of THE (Catholic) Church. especially in an age where a multiplicity of 'denominations' is generally thought to be a good thing, someone baptized without a trinitarian formula but who nonetheless had a deep relationship with God (by the grace of God) would be a member of THE ([one, holy,] Catholic [and apostolic]) Church.

I know that can still seem sort of megalomaniac or something. I am trying to put right out there what we mean by denying that we are, in the popular sense, a "denomination."

1,203 posted on 07/08/2010 10:09:26 AM PDT by Mad Dawg ("I tried being reasonable. I didn't like it." -- Dirty Harry)
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To: Mad Dawg
That doesn't mean he's "saved." But he's a member

Hence, the next problem with that bridge.

1,209 posted on 07/08/2010 10:13:39 AM PDT by small voice in the wilderness (Defending the Indefensible. The Pride of a Pawn.)
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