[metmom]

But, beloved, we are persuaded better things of you, and things that accompany salvation, though we thus speak.

He is talking about those who aren't saved. They dabbled in it, may have had an experience of God healing them or something for example, but they did not repent and confess.

I have met people who laughed at Christianity, saying that they had tried that born again thing and it didn't work. Those are the kinds of people he is referring to.

If the other interpretation is correct, then people get ONE chance at salvation and if they blow it, they're done for good.

No backsliding allowed. Too bad for you.

Did it ever occur to Catholics that God WANTS to save people and not condemn them? That He's looking for reasons to save them instead of reasons to damn them?

Cause for all the bondage that Catholics live under that you have to be without sin when you die or you're not going to make it, and you'd better hope you can get to confession before you die so you can make it, and you'd better do, do, do and hope you die between confession on Saturday and communion on Sunday or you're toast, literally.

If your interpretation is correct, then the likes of Ted Kennedy can't make it because being raised Catholic and living a live of immorality and murder and sin, he can't be brought to a place of repentance again or he'd be crucifying Christ afresh.

It allows for no human failings.

Pinging some other former Catholics who might want to chime in on some of this as I fully expect mockery and ridicule from some in the FRoman Catholic segment about some of my comments, which I know I am not alone in knowing about.

[CynicalBear]

Look back at that passage again. It doesn’t say they were believers and were indwelt by the Holy Spirit as a true believer is. They simply were “partakers” at that point.

>> For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come, If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame.

Those people were aware of all that was involved in believing but didn’t themselves inwardly accept that belief. Thus having been fully made aware of what was available they rejected it and turned their backs on it.

[daniel1212]

The larger issue is that Caths cannot lose what they never had, as they are told they are children of God and treated as such due to being sprinkled with water (in their usually morally cognizant condition), and thus are formally justified due to their own holiness.

And thus usually end up in "Purgatory" in order to be made good enough to enter Heaven.