Posted on 12/29/2010 11:41:03 AM PST by markomalley
This is a re-post of a previous blog but it warrants repeating. From time to time I get non-Catholics who read the blog and invite me to read their blogs in the hopes I will decide to convert. They believe they are being obedient to "preach the gospel in season and out." The presupposition with some of these individuals is that Catholicism is a false religion or a "false gospel" . The fact that a person would believe Catholicism is false clearly indicates that they have never studied what Catholicism is all about from a Catholic perspective. It is easy to draw a caricature of what Catholicism is based on myths, lies, distortions. After all, this has been going on for the past 500 years and the purveyors of falsehood have had an abundant amount of time to perfect their attacks.
What I can tell you is that when a person begins to read what the Church actually says about itself and its doctrines, the scales often fall from their eyes and the Holy Spirit brings them Home. I was one of those.
Post hoc ergo propter hoc (after this, therefore because of this): "Constantine must have been the real source of the Catholic Church's teachings because after his reign the Church grew tremendously, and before his reign it wasn't as well-known" (Ignores the simple fact that Constantine merely stopped the persecution of Christians with the Edict of Milan and allowed Christianity to spread. It also ignores the writings of the Church Fathers who lived before Constantine -- and who were Catholic.)
Straw man: "You guys worship statues, and that's evil. Therefore, your religion is Satanic." (Ignores that fact that we don't worship statues)
(comes From FISHEATERS WEBSITE)
Justification—God’s action of declaring sinners righteous or “not guilty.”
Sanctification—Our works of faith done by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Not a liberal view at all. This is on Fisheaters.com — that is NOT a liberal site at all.
Neither is the author.
The author is not a liberal. Fisheaters.com is a very orthodox site.....and this is on it!
So we sanctify ourselves with works???
Well, I certainly believe in freedom of religion. People can not be forced into certain belief systems, although Marxists believe they can and will force you into theirs.
What I do like about the hierarchy of the Catholic Church is that it allows for the intense philosophical and theological study that most people never have the opportunity for because they have families, or have struggle for life. I love the fact that the Pope has read all the German philosophy—including Nietzsche, in German, no less. The intellectual capacity and genius of that man, makes me doubt that there is any thinker more profound than he is. (I know —I have a high regard for the present pope!)
I think understanding the Gospel is not always that easy and to have people debate and discuss those issues in such depth leads to greater understanding and growth than just reading by yourself by the fire. Discussion and interactions with other thinkers is the way to expand knowledge in a way that can never be done alone.
You are aware, I hope, that when Catholics are baptized, they are BORN AGAIN. It’s not an emotional thing. It’s a God thing.....I baptize the in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
It wasn't meant to be funny, just tongue in cheek. Since this is an ecumenical thread it is supposed to be free of antagonism and hate (even from you). Giving the benefit of the doubt all antagonism and hatred must be the result of a hacker and not a freeper.
Here are the rules as posted (my copy and paste) on the Religion Moderator's profile page.
Ecumenic[al] threads.
What can be posted? Articles that are reasonably not antagonistic. Reply posts must never be antagonistic.
What will be pulled? Antagonistic reply posts. If the article is inappropriate for an ecumenic discussion, the tag will be changed to open.
Who will be booted? Antagonists
Is Augustine OK or should I throw out his stuff as well? Melanchton and Luther both have to go (obviously) but what about Athanasuis?
Oh, what the heck, it can all go. The trick is to just sit and grin because I have a free ticket out of this chit hole and nothing I can do will take that away. Neat trick, huh?
To be sanctified is to be made holy, by the Holy Spirit. When the Bible talks about sanctification, it is always in the context of how we live, now that we are believers. In other words, this “being made holy” is not how we get to heaven—Jesus has already accomplished that through his death on the cross, paying for our sins. To be sanctified is to live in thankful response to what Jesus has done. Our faith in Jesus shows in the way we conduct ourselves according to the instruction that God gives us in his Word.
Some are predestined to hatred, other are merely predisposed.
Does it say we are sanctified BECAUSE of how we live or we live a certain way BECAUSE we are being sanctified?
Do you have the scripture that says we are sanctified by our works handy?
Thanks for the ping....
Same old denials creeping across this thread that we’ve seen in others. ‘Staggering” is right. I don’t know why catholics continually post about the History of their church in order to justify themselves and Rome...and yet deny the accurate history, and well documented, of it’s very dark side.....which continues to hold the leadership unaccountable.
There is a vast difference between non-catholics and catholics in dealing with corruption in their churches. If a Protestant church ceases to deal with corruption...and it’s hold has fully ingrained the leadership....the congregation will fight them....if they do not overcome....people will leave....the church splits then...we see this happening today as some accept the homosexual agenda...who are fast corrupting many churches.
But the pedifile issue in the catholic church just pays off their victums and in many cases blame them as money grabbers. The guilty are indeed protected for the most part...and remain so today.
The church on a whole is being corrupted today...this we see clearly...but Christ said this would come as the day approaches. There is not one church who isn’t under attack.
Why are you not chastising the Catholics on this thread who have been antagonistic as well?
Sorry, but you have lost me on this. I have no idea what your point is, I apologize.
Hebrews 10:10 isn't negotiable so there isn't a verse that says works sanctify.
Acts 5:32, though, says that if you don't obey you don't have the Holy Ghost. Can you be sanctified without having the Holy Ghost in your life?
You're the Pope, you decide
The situations I’ve seen in Protestant churches in matters like adultery, dishonest business practices, etc, have resulted in either the pastor being removed from office or the member being removed from the church membership roles.
They were kicked out of the church, officially by the board.
There was church discipline practiced in these situations.
Catholics and the Catholic church are hardly in a position to cast any stones in the area of not dealing with sin in their midst.
You wrote:
“Sorry, but history says otherwise.”
No, it does not. I have a PhD in history and studied this for years.
“Read the 95 Theses.”
I have. Many times. It offers no evidence for the claim that was made.
“Do a google, there are many sources which historically document the RCC sold indulgences.”
Wrong. There are no original sources at all that show that. In other words, there plenty of morons today who make the claim that the Catholic Church sold indulgences but no one, ever, anywhere, at any time, EVER, has been able to show one scrap of evidence that the Catholic sold indulgences. All anyone has been able to show is that Catholics violated canon law and illegally sold indulgences. What I am saying is irrefutably true. I have researched it endlessly and every single person I have ever challenged to present evidence of the Catholic Church selling indulgences has failed each and every single time to present any such evidence at all. You will fail too. You might even know you’ll fail. Maybe that’s why you’re not offering any evidence yourself.
“But worse than indulgences was the following official statement of the RCC (Council of Trent, Session VI, Canon 12) “If anyone says that justifying faith is nothing else than trust in God’s mercy, which remits sin for Christ’s sake, or that it is this trust alone which justifies us, let him be damned.””
Nothing wrong with telling the truth. Without repentance there is no salvation. Trusting in Jesus without repenting of your sins will not save you. If you don’t turn your heart to God there can be no genuine trust in Him. Did you ever even think of that?
I don’t think you know as much as you apparently think you do.
Let’s look at antagonism on this thread....
From the beginning of the article....
“So, once again, for my readers who believe Catholicism is false:
Did you ever ask yourself why you hate Catholicism so much?”
Antagonism right out of the gate. Attacking non-Catholics with a falsehood that they *hate* Catholicism as if it were true and then asking why they do what they are falsely accused of.
It falls into the *Have you stopped beating your wife yet?* category.
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