From reading your posts, I do not believe that you fully understand the teachings of Jesus and His Catholic Church. I believe that you and many posters misrepresent the teachings of Jesus and His Catholic Church.
I realize that many were brought up and taught protestant beliefs. While some beliefs are positive and beneficial, yet some are not. I do believe that the Catholic Church is the ONE HOLY CATHOLIC AND APOSTOLIC CHURCH founded by Jesus Christ.
While the Catholic Church has made errors and like any organization, has problems and sinners as members, I do believe that the Church has not erred in matters of faith and will be protected by God until the end time. Yes, some members promote false teachings and many have left to form new churches or to join other churches.
God has many mysteries that we do not understand, but I have faith in God and His Church even if I do not fully understand.
When Rome passes dogmas that contradict Scripture and/or are not found in Scripture then Rome has erred.
See the Immaculate Conception.
The Fifth Marian dogma when it is passed will be yet another one.
Then he(?) is qualified to be pope.
Interesting belief.
Can you explain WHY?
Since the book Rome assembled so long ago does NOT say anything of the sort.
In fact; if your 'belief' were true; then HOW do Catholics account for the FALSE teachings found so soon: the ones in the seven churches in Asia?
I'll be awaiting an answer.
I came from a home that was vaguely Lutheran, but my desire has always been to follow Jesus, wherever that may lead, and even if that included the Catholic Church. And there were even two different times in my life where I seriously looked into the Catholic Church. I grew up in an extremely Catholic area, almost entirely Catholic, and for a period of years, even after I found that following Jesus hadn’t led me to the Catholic Church, I still regularly listened to Catholic radio and watched EWTN, and also did things like read Mother Angelica’s biography.
Now what you write here strikes me as vague, but it seems in a round-about way without actually saying it you’re repeating the charge made by the Catholic priest here and repeated by yourself that somehow Protestants including myself reject what Jesus says about works.
But as I said, Protestant belief accepts all God has to say. He says a great deal about works in His Word, and not just in James 2. Such as:
“Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity.” 2 Timothy 2:19
To be born again, recognizing the Lord’s sacrifice for us and experiencing His love for us, should mean we want to learn from God what He wants us to do. As Jesus did, we should have a hunger to do His will.
So once again, it’s a matter of the Catholic belief on faith and works which separates them that’s the issue, so the works are seen to be done by a person’s own resources apart from God, rather than just coming out of faith given to us by God.
That Catholic idea that separates faith and works also opens the door to universalism, which I’ve often seen with Catholics, that any “good works,” especially works of charity, are taken by them as proof of the goodness of a person, and what that person believes about Christ matters less. So in that view, then, an atheist or a Muslim or Hindu or Buddhist who do “good works” have proven themselves to be good people who don’t necessarily need Christ because they, too, are doing works. The truth about man’s sinful nature, the real motives of the human heart, and that whatever is not of faith is sin, are then lost.
Now when works are seen properly as just coming from faith, which we’re dependent on the Lord for, they’re just part of being born again in Christ, of being new creations and part of His Kingdom. They’re natural for one’s new nature.