Featured Catholicism is not compatible with Christianity

Well, here's the thing: it's our beliefs that are different, not our faith.

I've met quite a few catholics, and I'd have to say a few of them are saved. Even had a catholic priest pull me to the side and whisper, "ya know, you baptists are right about that infant baptism thing." But they remain in their church, until such a time as God moves them; not of their own will, because apparently God has them there for a reason.

Oh, and you mis-used "whom" again. Re-phrase your sentence to "her son him is becoming a member"; that's the equivalent of how "whom" is used.

 

"Receiving Christ" to a Catholic means taking communion. I now live in the Philippines, which is 85% Catholic. The entire culture here is permeated with Medieval Spanish-Catholicism. Every aspect of life has the "fingerprints" of Dark Ages Catholicism on it (much worse than Mexico, C. Amer., So. Amer.).

 

Is official Catholic doctrine pure the pure doctrine of Jesus Christ? Nope. But correct doctrine does not make anyone right with God. The evil one has better understood theology than any human upon the earth, but that does not make him right with God.

Yes you can. All the time. Being Catholic does not save them nor prevent them from being saved.

My mother came to faith in Christ as a Catholic through the witness of a priest living his faith. He did not fill her full of doctrine, but instead let her see the light of Christ as he served others. What doctrine he did give her was that faith - absolute trust in God - was the key to being in right relationship with Him and all the rituals and ceremonies are just aids for us to focus our hearts and minds upon God. I'm not sure I would put it that way, but she heard the story of Jesus and saw His life in the priest and wanted it for herself.

Years later, she found her way to a Baptist church and reaffirmed her commitment to Christ in a church organization that believed more in the way she understood God.

So don't spread that lie from the pit of the lake of fire that Catholics can't be saved.

 

The Catholic Catechism teaches: the new birth = baptism.
The Bible teaches: the new birth = regeneration or salvation.
Both cannot be correct. They are diametrically opposed to each other. If the Catholic is aware of what his catechism teaches how can he be a Catholic and a Christian at the same time?

 

What you have expressed is a gross caricature of Catholicism. I'm sure you came by it honestly. I grew up with the same kind of trivialization. Here is a current catechism published by the American branch of the church. You will find much to disagree with, but you will also see a strong emphasis on faith, long before any of the sacraments are mentioned.

There are many Catholics who do not understand their own catechism. There are even more Baptists who don't understand it, nor their own heritage and the scriptures. Let's have a bit of humility.

 

Catholicism is apostate no matter how Baptist Believer attempts to paint her into a positive light.

However some can be saved in its midst as salvation is all of God.

Catholicism is in fact a polytheistic, oppressive and heretical sect. The priest office is not found in Scripture and is blasphemy to the finished work of Christ. The trinkets and many saints for many occasions of providence are merely imported polytheism popularized. The worship of Mary as Co-Mediatrix and Co-Redemptrix is also blasphemous. No apologies, I am not into the subtle and not so subtle inclusivism that is rampant in the church today nor will I be.

 

She is perhaps attempting to soothe her own conscience. Catholicism is diametrically opposed to Protestantism.

Maybe she'll read it. Hopefully those who witness to her are mature believers with a stable background and life with no ax to grind.

You as well.

 

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

See the memoirs of Mother Theresa. She is at the top of the Vatican beatification list. There are over a billion souls on the Vatican rolls. It is no wonder, Satan himself is become and angel of light.

Seems to me that if Jesus was indwelling a person's soul, He would lead that person out of apostate religion.

Warm and fuzzy religion is of the flesh--God will not deal with our flesh.

Even so, come, Lord Jesus.

Bro. James

 

You do realize that you have questioned another longtime BB member's (Briony-Gloriana) salvation? This is the very same act that you recently complained about and called it bullying.

Being more loving towards others on this board

Seems a bit hypocritical.

 

That is the most ironic statement of the year now closing.

 

Nice distortion of what I actually wrote and believe.

I was responding to an assertion that there are no saved Catholics. I am not an advocate for Catholic doctrine, except when people misrepresent it. I think it is important to be accurate in our critique, not just say whatever suits our purpose.

No kidding. You couldn't agree with me on this point without taking a swipe at me first?

 

Really? Why do you think that? Because I disagree with you I must be ignorant?

What foolishness!

You have completely missed the point I made about church doctrine not saving people. Catholic doctrine doesn't save people. Reformed doctrine doesn't save people. Baptist doctrine doesn't save people. Biblical doctrine doesn't save people. Jesus saves people. Knowledge is not salvation.

 

No need to pretend you didn't paint the RCC in a positive light. If you think that is taking a swipe at you you're just too sensitive. I took a swipe at RC and what she truly is, something you call a 'caricature'. You've also defended her alleged 'faith' with a link, and that is painting her into a positive light. She's apostate, and your defense of her is short-sighted to say the least.

You sir have misrepresented her yourself and so I offered some things to set the record in a more truthful light.

Please don't take describing what you have done as a personal attack.

 

A not so short kibbitz regarding the RCC and the membership thereof: the holy see is either descended from Apostle Peter or not. If descended from Peter, all human kind must be Roman Catholic or they are lost. See Council of Trent. If this is not true, the Vatican is without Biblical authority, as well as those who would reform the holy see. She is either the mother of harlots or she is not. It cannot be all of the ecumenical rubbish being preached for several generations.

The salvation of the soul has nothing to do with belonging to a church or any other good work. See Ephesians 2: 8-10.

The daughters are going back to their mother.

To be apostate, one must fall away from Truth; some would say the Church of Constantine never had the Truth even through today. The paganism of this group goes back to Nimrod.

Interesting: RCC claims 1.25B; Islam claims 1.5B.

Where is God's remnant?

Even so, come, Lord Jesus.

Bro. James

 

This is not entirely correct. You'll rarely hear a Roman Catholic talk about being saved as if the event has occurred. Instead, salvation is more...shall we say...of a process than Baptists might understand. Baptism is the act of ushering one into the communion with the Holy Church, but it is not "salvation" in and of itself. Salvation, for Roman Catholics, doesn't occur until after the end of one's life. Only at that point is one "saved" (again they wouldn't likely use that term.)

One of the massive differences soteriologically between Baptists (et al) and Roman Catholics is indeed our understandings of the nature of salvation. At the core of Roman Catholic soteriology are the sacraments; Baptists are not sacramentalists. For Roman Catholics, salvation is something that is maintained so long as someone remains in communion with the Holy Church (their Church.) It begins with infant baptism (or adult baptism...which can be done by immersion btw) which ushers the child under the provisional sacrament of the Church. Then, following confirmation, the regular participation in the Eucharistic service (where Communion, or the Eucharist) is offered and consumed is part of this. The other sacraments work in as well. If one deviates, massively, from the teachings of the Church and walks away from regular participation in the sacraments, they are considered apostate. If you die in this state, your mortal sins can send you to Hell.

Anyways, it isn't accurate to say that "baptism=salvation" for Roman Catholics. It doesn't provide this completely.

Ultimately we have to ask ourselves, once we clear away the false understandings about other forms of Christianity, what do we do with the massive segment of people who have lived and died faithfully in the Roman Catholic Church who didn't have another option? For the millions upon millions of people who lived between about CE 1000 and 1550 there wasn't really another option. How then should we understand their mortal state? Is God so crass that He sends faithful, Jesus proclaiming people to Hell simply because of a corrupt ecclesiastical situation?

 

Allow me to ask a question: if someone says they've placed their faith in Jesus Christ and nothing else; that they are saved solely by God's grace and mercy; are they saved?

 

Fair enough, however I wouldn't bank on proclaiming Jesus as any type of evidence of a true conversion, nor of these same being cast into hell as making God 'crass' for doing so, and He may well do just that. Of course, as you are well aware this (proclaiming Jesus faithfully) has nothing to do with being truly converted anyhow.