If my brother won't listen to the Seventh Day Adventists, should I treat him as a pagan or tax collector?
If my brother won't listen to the Presbyterians, should I treat him as a pagan or tax collector?
If my brother won't listen to the Baptists, should I treat him as a pagan or tax collector?
If my brother won't listen to the Lutherans, should I treat him as a pagan or tax collector?
If my brother won't listen to the Fundamentalists, should I treat him as a pagan or tax collector?
Are any of these "the church" that Christ founded? If not, why should I listen to them?
Not only do these churches contradict each other, they have all contradicted themselves over time. Only the Catholic Church possesses a non-contradictory body of Teaching, and the Authority given by Christ to teach authoritatively.
But NO one can deny that the 'church' has had CONTRADICTORY actions at times.
We outsiders just canNOT understand how that would even be reMOTEly possible - in the 'true' church of course...
The facts posted on this forum with quotes from the *church fathers* themselves, show this to not be the case.
The EO do not accept the primacy of the Pope, they disagree on stuff about Mary. HarelyD just posted in the post just previous to yours other issues.
I've posted plenty of posts showing that the Catholic church says that there is no salvation outside of it and now the CCC and Catholics make exceptions.
Cynical Bear has posted other quotes of the Church forbidding the possession of Scripture by anyone other than it and now Catholics claim that they not only can have it but even as far as to say they are encouraged to read it.
Posts have been made showing when all the paganism entered the church, which was not in the NT church. Priests used to be able to get married and now they can't, although some say they still can, but as a practical matter, any priest who wants to marry has to leave the priesthood, and I know because I am related to one, so I don't even want to hear that they can remain priests and get married.
And the list goes on.
So there's not one bit of evidence that the Catholic church possesses a non-contradictory body of teaching. If they did, they'd just appeal to Scripture, which doesn't change instead of *tradition* which by nature is subject to change.
Nobody is being snowed by that proclamation. Except maybe Catholics.
Gald you didn't mention all of them..
If my brother won't listen to the Seventh Day Adventists, should I treat him as a pagan or tax collector?...etc etcAs they are all Christian denomination, within their memberships will be found a number of born again Christians how have been given the promise of salvation from God.
Are any of these "the church" that Christ founded? If not, why should I listen to them?
That is the body of Christ, as I posted in the post you replied to: "The church is the body of believers."
If there is a problem between individuals, scripture say the one sinned against should take it up with the one who did the sin.
If he listens, fine.
If he doesn't, take it up with him with a couple of witnesses present.
If he still doesn't listen, take it up with the church.
The "church" in this case if the congregation that they belong to.
Then if he doesn't listen, that is the time to treat him as a pagan or tax collector. [all the above taken from Matthew 18:15-17]
It does NOT mean take it up with the Catholic church, but the congegation where the members regularily meet.
Only the Catholic Church possesses a non-contradictory body of Teaching, and the Authority given by Christ to teach authoritatively.That is false statement.
As an example, years ago a Pope proclaimed that if any Catholic debates about Catholicism with someone that doesn't believe, he or she should be excommunicated. [you can find the exact quote from that Pope on this thread]
If that is true today, the Catholics debating on this thread would be candidates for excommunication.
If it is not true today, well there you have one example of Catholic contradictory teaching. (there are a lot more btw)
Don't worry though, there is room for any and all in the Body of Christ, His universal (that is what catholic means) church.
All it takes is being born again by believing on Jesus and asking him for salvation.