Methinks you protest too much. I know YOU are a member of a cult, and among the thousands of splintered offshoots from the one true Church of Christ, which has remained the same Catholic, and Apostolic, and not fabrications. I don't have to prove anything to you. You obviously don't care enough about the claims of the Catholic Church to give me a serious representation and refutation.
You probably don't even want to investigate Catholic claims. At a bare minimum, you post against other Catholics without truly going through the effort to show your homework. Its a waste of time, because you won't convince anyone.
>>>We biblicists can point to precisely where salvation by grace, through faith, alone is taught<<<
No where in scripture does it expressly say "faith alone." That sounds like the invention of Martin Luther, whose errors were condemned by the council of Trent in 1563. The Catholic Church does not hold an unassuming doctrine on justification and grace. The Church does in fact teach that Faith is the essential and necessary and sufficient requirement for justification. That justification cannot be earned. The Church disagrees practically, that a person can say they believe in Jesus on Sunday and then burn crucifixes on Saturday night. Wouldn't you agree, a Christian does not believe in Jesus the Son of God, if they teach that Jesus was only a man and just wanted to pretend he was God? There are such things as practical consequences for belief. Why else would so many street side preachers attempt to get someone to proclaim Jesus?
The teachings of the Catholic Church are not hidden in some secret room. They are open and easily accessed online or in bookstores and libraries. They can be obtained from the sources of documents distributed.
Until you want to present to me something that is not a convenient straw-man for you to denigrate, I don't have to respond any further here.
If it's apostolic please show where the apostles taught the assumption of Mary. Show where they taught the position of a pope. Show where they taught the concept of purgatory. Show where they taught the need for indulgences.
Romans 5:1 Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:
Romans 4:5 But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.
Romans 3:28 Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law.
Galatians 5:6 For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision; but faith which worketh by love.
Galatians 2:16 Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.
Philippians 3:9 And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:
Ephesians 2:8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
Romans 3:27 Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay: but by the law of faith.
Now you might think to come back with James 2:24 but let's let Christ answer that one for you.
John 6:28 Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God? 29 Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.
You mean things like this?
CC 841 The Church's relationship with the Muslims. "The plan of salvation also includes those who acknowledge the Creator, in the first place amongst whom are the Muslims; these profess to hold the faith of Abraham, and together with us they adore the one, merciful God, mankind's judge on the last day."
So Catholics and Muslims have the same god ey!
Well, let's be clear about this...you responded to me, not the other way round. You claimed I was wrong about the false, spurious doctrines I claimed were taught by your cult-like organization. You are correct, you don't "have" to respond.
But, notice, by not responding you are tacitly admitting that the false doctrines I mentioned are, well, false. Otherwise you would provide passages of Scripture wherein they were proven.
And, yes, my FRiend, Paul does tell us that it is faith, alone. Rom. 3:28. For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from any works of law.
But, that would upend Rome, now wouldn't it?
IOW, you have no Scripture to back up your claims about Catholicism.