[Bellflower]

Catholics on FR constantly seem to hide behind the accusation that those who oppose some Catholic doctrines are haters. Has it ever occurred to you that we are Catholic lovers. I, for one, fear for the eternal soul of many devout Catholics. To me and others it strongly appears that many of you are putting your faith into your Church rather than in Jesus Christ Himself. Your Church cannot save you. Only Christ can. It is love that bothers to try to get you to understand this so that you do not spend the endless eons of eternity burning in the lake of fire.

I ask you to honestly answer this question. Do you believe that "God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but hath everlasting life"? Or do you believe, as it seems to many of us so called Catholic haters, that God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in The Catholic Church will not perish but have everlasting life?

Now don't give a knee jerk reaction. Search your hearts and see which version of this ultimately important statement you believe. Your eternity is depending on what you really, truly believe about how you must be saved.

[Campion]

It isn't "love" to lie and distort someone else's beliefs, as the haters do quite regularly. Scripture says love rejoices with the truth (is that still in your Bible?), not in lies, falsehoods, and distortions.

As for your question, it's a "poisoning the well" false dichotomy. Christ saves through his Church. It's how he, not we, set things up. Why do you insist on dividing him from his work, as though were somehow at odds with one another?

[Lauren BaRecall]

To me and others it strongly appears that many of you are putting your faith into your Church rather than in Jesus Christ Himself.

APPEARS. To you and some others, many things appear to be the case. Things about which you know nothing.

I tell you this: if you really knew and understood, you'd hunger and thirst for the Blessed Sacrament to such an extent that you couldn't become a Catholic fast enough.

[Cronos]

Lauren, the Trust is in Christ. Christ has given His precepts, His teachings, His interpretation of scripture that is handed down from Him through the Apostles to us. We object to people inventing their new interpretations

Case in point,Let's repeat a basic Bible lesson:

1. What does Jesus say saves us?
   • Matt. 24:13

     13But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.

   • Matt 25:31-46 34Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:
     35For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in:
     36Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.
   
   Jesus says that if you endure to the end you get salvation, that if you helped your fellow man you inherit the kingdom of God (you get salvation) --> note these are HIS own words

2. 1 Pet. 3:20-21: " It (Baptism )saves you by the resurrection of Jesus Christ"

3. Note -- also in Acts 16:31 we are told to believe and you will be saved -- so Faith is definitely one of the things needed, yet as you see above, it is not ONLY faith. Remember -- James says "even the demons believe - and shudder" -- it is not faith ALONE that saves

Salvation is by GRACE alone