Free Republic
Browse · Search
Religion
Topics · Post Article

To: ADSUM
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.

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.

524 posted on 06/10/2018 11:29:28 AM PDT by ealgeone
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 488 | View Replies ]


To: ealgeone

You are entitled to your own opinion, but not entitled to change the facts of Jesus and the Catholic Church teachings.

I realize that Luther and others rejected some of the teachings of Jesus and the Apostles and His Church, and tried to rely only on the Bible. Even the Bible says not all is contained in the Bible.

From John 21;
It is this disciple who testifies to these things and has written them,* and we know that his testimony is true.n 25There are also many other things that Jesus did, but if these were to be described individually, I do not think the whole world would contain the books that would be written.o

At times Fundamentalists talk as if they thought no case could be made for the Catholic faith. That’s understandable. After all, if you’re a Fundamentalist instead of a Catholic, it is because you do not believe that Catholicism is true. You reject it because you think it is false. But make sure what you’re rejecting is Catholicism, not merely a caricature of it. If you think Catholics worship Mary, pray to statues, and claim the pope is equal to God, then you aren’t rejecting Catholicism, but someone’s misrepresentation of it. You deserve to have the facts before you make up your mind. This tract, which is just an overview, states a brief case for Catholicism in a few important areas. Catholic Answers has available tracts which consider in detail these and other topics—including, perhaps, just the ones you are most interested in.

Since the Reformers rejected the papacy, they also rejected the teaching authority of the Church. They looked elsewhere for the rule of faith and thought they found it solely in the Bible. Its interpretation would be left to the individual reader, guided by the Holy Spirit. But reason and experience tell us that the Bible could not have been intended as each man’s private guide to the truth. If individual guidance by the Holy Spirit were a reality, everyone would understand the same thing from the Bible—since God cannot teach error. But Christians have understood contradictory things from Scripture. Fundamentalists even differ among themselves in what they think the Bible says.

The Bible also tells us that private interpretation is not to be the rule for understanding the Bible. Peter declares this to be a matter of prime importance, saying, “First of all you must understand this, that no prophecy of scripture is a matter of one’s own interpretation” (2 Pet. 1:20). Later he warns what can happen if a person ignorantly approaches Scripture on his own or is unstable in clinging to the apostolic teachings he has received. He states of Paul’s letters, “There are some things in them hard to understand, which the ignorant and unstable twist to their own destruction, as they do the other scriptures” (2 Pet. 3:16). Private interpretation and instability in clinging to the doctrines passed down from the apostles can thus result in one twisting the scriptures to one’s own destruction.

The Bible also denies that it is sufficient as the Church’s rule of faith. Paul acknowledges that much Christian teaching is to be found in the tradition which is handed down by word of mouth (1 Cor. 11:2, 2 Tim. 2:2). He instructs us to “stand firm and hold to the traditions which you were taught by us, either by word of mouth or by letter” (2 Thess. 2:15). We are told that the first Christians “devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching” (Acts 2:42), which was the oral teaching that was given even before the New Testament was written.

To make an informed decision, you need to hear both sides. Why not write to Catholic Answers for additional information and tracts? Either your suspicions will be confirmed, or you will discover that there is more to Catholicism than you once thought.
https://www.catholic.com/tract/fundamentalist-or-catholic


578 posted on 06/10/2018 3:37:01 PM PDT by ADSUM
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 524 | View Replies ]

Free Republic
Browse · Search
Religion
Topics · Post Article


FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson