Posted on 03/19/2014 1:32:10 PM PDT by rwa265
If a Protestant looking into the claims of Catholicism were to ask me, What one book should I read, where I can find a quick answer to any question I have? I would tell him to read Devin Roses new book The Protestants Dilemma. I would also recommend this book to Protestant apologists, even those of many years, well-skilled in polemics. It will remind them of the heavy burden of proof they face, and the weakness of their position on point after point. The truth may set them free and bring them home too. (It has happened.)
All this may seem like overstatement the obligatory praise from one Catholic blogger to another. But it is not.
Consider first the range of issues this book takes up. There are thirty-six chapters, each one on a different topic, from the papacy to sola scriptura, from the canon of the Bible to Purgatory, from confession to Eucharist to infant baptism. If something about the Catholic Church troubles you, this book has the answer. If you think you have found the point on which Catholicism fails, this book will show you why it is one more point upon which Protestantism fails.
Consider also the brevity. The book is just over 200 pages long, which means that Mr. Roses answers get to the root of the question without a knot of academic detail. It is harder to do than it might seem. This is the book of a man who has spent a long time studying the questions that divide Protestants and Catholics, and who knows how to present his case in a way that is easy for anyone to understand. At the same time, the book is useful for the professional apologist, for it recalls his mind to the basics.
(Excerpt) Read more at scottericalt.com ...
Your #206 on this thread:
"nope, He was busy elsewhere so He inspired mere mortals to actually put pen to paper and write the actual book....those were Catholics."
Would you like to try again?
There is a big difference between the two.
don't read these threads thoroughly do you??
Nope....the only identified "church" were the Christians....not catholics, Baptists, Methodists, etc.
By their ACTIONS they changed them!
And Catholics in these very threads poo-poo their SINS as nothing.
Sure it does!
That's what happens; I guess, when ya hang out with Catholics. You start to read things like they do they bible.
I guess my question to lurking, why are you so ready to accept writings outside of the Bible to be as authoritative as the Bible?
doesn't the Bible teach us all we need to know about Christ and how to be saved and have sins forgiven?
sorta reminds me of the Mormons and their book of Mormon.
you really don't understand the Catholic church....every sin should be confessed to a priest, however most sins are forgiven because they are venial, or minor....bad language, minor lie, cursing...etc. Major sins can also be forgiven by a sincere act of contrition before you can get to confession.
the point of Christ and the cross was to actually forgive the sin....the priest forgives your sin through the power of Christ, he is a mediator and Christ forgives the sin. However, Christ promised the priest that whose sins the he would forgive, would be forgiven. If you confess your sin to a priest, and are SINCERELY sorry for it and try faithfully not to repeat the sin, Christ forgives it.
If you post it in a big enough font AND in bold it must be true. LOL
protestants are funny.
AMDG
are you seriously suggesting that no matter how you live your life, rape, mayhem, booze, domestic violence, murder, abortion, that all your sins are automatically forgiven??????????? You will find it very difficult to return to the Catholic church.....notice I said return, if you were legitimatly baptized, you were baptized a Catholic....nothing else is possible.
Verga, Elsie is entertaining, if misinformed....he is great at cutting and pasting and some of his opinions require some thought....I love these religious threads and learn a lot about other people's belief systems...very valuable as far as I'm concerned.
they had no choice....we do.
As a Protestant I had to look up your “baking cakes for Mary”. It is nothing of the sort. It is making special birthday cakes to celebrate Mary’s birthday. Now - if you wanted to rant on the idea of Mary being born without sin I would agree with you.
And while the idea of celebrating Mary’s birthday is a bit odd to me - it is a way of honoring her in the sense that “and all will call her blessed” - which she certainly was.
BUT - what I hear in that prayer of Mary’s is a very humble, servant attitude. And all the Glory being given to God.
Is this supposed to be inspired teaching? After reading it I think I know.
Section 4:6 though disqualifies the book in my opinion as it gives a non-Biblical way to forgive sins.
4:6 If you have anything, by your hands you should give ransom for your sins.
and all this time I thought it was Christ Who died for my sins! btw...I still believe that.
8.3 Pray this three times each day. Are we now Shia??
We have nothing in the Bible of Christ limiting His praying to three times a day. For that matter we don't have any record of how many times He prayed. We do know He got up early in the morning to pray. We do have the admonition to pray without ceasing in 1 Thes 5:17.
8:1 Your fasts should not be with the hypocrites, for they fast on Mondays and Thursdays. You should fast on Wednesdays and Fridays.
and if you are lead by God to fast on Tuesday, what are you to do? Does it really matter the day you are to fast on? Again, another non-Biblical teaching.
> 11:5 But he must not remain more than one day, or two, if there's a need. If he stays three days, he is a false prophet. So I guess Paul must have been a false prophet??
11:7 In addition, if any prophet speaks in the Spirit, you shall not try or judge him; for every sin will be forgiven, but this sin cannot be forgiven. WHAT???? Does the Bible not say to test all spirits??
The Bible only mentions one sin that cannot be forgiven and that is blasphemy against the Holy Spirit.
11:8 But not everyone who speaks in the Spirit is a prophet; only he is a prophet who has the ways of the Lord about him. By their ways will the false prophet and the prophet be known. Doesn't this contradict 11:7?
11:9 Any prophet who orders a meal in the Spirit does not eat it; if he does, he is indeed a false prophet. Based on what Biblical teaching exactly??
I think I'll stay with the inspired teaching of the Bible. You'll never go wrong with that.
And what's the point of *penance*? How does giving up something you like honor God?
We forbid no one to marry except those of the same sex, and those who are already married....
And priests and nuns.
Catholics are expected to be able to interpret the Catechism of the Catholic church without someone to interpret it for them.
They are expected to understand the interpretation of the interpretation of the Bible without anyone to help them.
But they can't do it with the Bible?
Sounds like propaganda to me.
You wrote:
are you seriously suggesting that no matter how you live your life, rape, mayhem, booze, domestic violence, murder, abortion, that all your sins are automatically forgiven??????????? You will find it very difficult to return to the Catholic church.....notice I said return, if you were legitimatly baptized, you were baptized a Catholic....nothing else is possible.
of course you can't just live your life the way you want...
when one believes Christ died on the Cross for one's sins, one's life should exhibit change and that change should be to emulate Christ and His teachings to the best we can.
the scenario I'm thinking about is a Christian, a follower of Christ, who commits a sin, but for whatever reason can't get to a priest in time to ask for forgiveness.
is that sin forgiven by the death of Christ on the Cross and is that sufficient enough of a sacrifice for forgiveness of sins?
or, because the person can't get to the priest before they die, is that an unforgiven sin?
Hardy.
Those popes didn't live lives of 2000 years. They accomplihed all those feats each just in their short span in office, which is what the links cover.
Doesn't mention what they did on their off time, nor what those w3ho *elected* them did in their off time.
The popes are so bad that there isn't even agreement over which ten are the WORST.
That doesn't mean they're the ONLY.
It barely scratches the surface of the corruption that existed within Catholicism.
Here's more links posted by a Catholic FReeper.
St. Peter Damian's Book of Gomorrah: Homosexual Situation Graver than Damian's Time
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/929551/posts
The Sword of the Saint, Unsheathed (against homosexuality)
Show me in Scripture where Jesus named the Catholic church as His church.
Otherwise, Catholics are just co-opting the term.
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