Just Wondering? Do you think Catholic Priests Are Saved?

[Armchair Apologist]

Let me add there can be no edification or conservation when you question the salvation of those you disagree with.

I know that this is a policy of the BB and I agree that one should not do so in a deragotory, disrespectful, or confrontational manner but we need to give absolute clarity to the understanding of the gospel and what it entails! If someone believes or proclaims a false gospel, they ought to be called out upon it and duly warned but we should do so not out of spite, anger, or pride, but with great humility and a desire for those who are not saved to come to the knowledge of the truth!

I will not come out and tell someone they are not saved but I will speak from an objective, third-person standpoint and say that if one is depending upon the sacramental system of the Roman Catholic Church, they are not saved!

And to be fair, I would say the very same thing to anyone thinking that being a "Baptist" automatically saves them or means that they are saved.

 

[canadyjd]

I know that this is a policy of the BB and I agree that one should not do so in a deragotory, disrespectful, or confrontational manner but we need to give absolute clarity to the understanding of the gospel and what it entails! If someone believes or proclaims a false gospel, they ought to be called out upon it and duly warned but we should do so not out of spite, anger, or pride, but with great humility and a desire for those who are not saved to come to the knowledge of the truth!

Well, the BB policy doesn’t say you can question another’s salvation as long as you are nice about it.

I’ve decided, after many years, that I cannot know if someone is saved or not because I cannot see God Holy Spirit indwelling. They could be saved, but misinformed, out of fellowship with God, immature etc.

I agree to correct a professing believer in love, but I’d never declare them saved or unsaved.

I will not come out and tell someone they are not saved but I will speak from an objective, third-person standpoint and say that if one is depending upon the sacramental system of the Roman Catholic Church, they are not saved!

Well, I’ll disagree they are necessarily “unsaved” in such cases. They could be misinformed, and saved, imo. Better to explain why the sacramental system doesn’t convey saving grace.

And to be fair, I would say the very same thing to anyone thinking that being a "Baptist" automatically saves them or means that they are saved.

Peace to you

 

[Armchair Apologist]

Well, I’ll disagree they are necessarily “unsaved” in such cases. They could be misinformed, and saved, imo. Better to explain why the sacramental system doesn’t convey saving grace.

If someone says they are "not saved," I tend to agree with them.

Let me rephrase here: I believe it is proper to say that anyone trusting in their own works to save them are not saved. This is a blanket, doctrinal statement of fact and I believe that a believer cannot nor should he or she ever try to sugarcoat or marginalize the seriousness and severity of such a statement.

What we can do is keep such a statement in the "third person" and allow the Holy Spirit to do his work and transition this over to the "first" or "second person" as he sees fit.

I stand by my statement though: A Roman Catholic who is trusting in the sacramental system of his or her (Roman Catholic) church to save them is not saved! I would hope that a Roman Catholic would respond saying that their ultimate hope is in something FAR GREATER than the Roman Catholic Church and would then be able to articulate wheren lies this hope!

 

[Cathode]

Of what "Spoken Word" are you speaking? Where do we find such today and how is it ever authoritative to anyone?

God’s Word comes down to us in two forms The Spoken Word of God and Written Word of God.

Two traditions, the Oral Tradition and the Written Tradition.

“ Hold to the traditions we taught you, either by word of our mouth or by letter”

Protestantism rejected this, and declared that it would only follow the written tradition alone.
Therefore bible alonism is unscriptural ironically.

 

[Cathode]

You find Apostolic Oral teaching in the preaching of the Catholic Church.
The Spoken Word of God explains the Written Word of God.
Right interpretation of Scripture.

Not the countless human interpretations of scripture in Protestantism, human founded traditions of men.

 

[JonC]

The reason I ask is that I have attended several Catholic services (or Masses) that were led by five different priests. During their mini sermon or Homilies, I never once heard any one of them give the plan of salvation. They talked about being kind to your neighbor, overcoming trials in your life, and similar things, but I never heard them say anything about repenting of sin, turning to Christ as your Lord and Savior, or about being born again. I believe this would be the perfect opportunity to give the plan of salvation, but I have never heard it from them. This makes me wonder if they are saved or not as I believe that saved person; priest, pastor, deacon, lay person, church member, etc., if they are truly saved would want to see others saved. I believe that is one sign that a person is saved. I think that some Catholic priests are saved, but I also tend to believe that some are not.
Joe

Some probably are. Some probably are not. Just like any Christian sect.

You have to remember that the purpose church meeting together is not to reach the lost but to equip the saints. So while I prefer the gospel being given (often those who are seeking find themselves doing so in church) that is not the purpose of the assembly.

 

[JonC]

Bible alonism is about power control, each man enshrines his own interpretation of scripture as the only truth.

History tells a very different story (the Riman Catholic Church using the Bible and salvation for their own political power). This was how the Reformation began (and the Catholic Church itself made reforms). It is how the Catholic Church controlled armies. It is how the Catholic Church tried to weild power over England.

Scripture, in terms of major doctrines, do not need to be interpreted. There is only one way to believe many biblical texts, and "interpretations" merely explain away the words to hold power over other people.

 

[Cathode]

History tells a very different story (the Riman Catholic Church using the Bible and salvation for their own political power). This was how the Reformation began (and the Catholic Church itself made reforms). It is how the Catholic Church controlled armies. It is how the Catholic Church tried to weild power over England.

Scripture, in terms of major doctrines, do not need to be interpreted. There is only one way to believe many biblical texts, and "interpretations" merely explain away the words to hold power over other people.

Protestantism thinks in terms of power, and spiritual self determination.

They often accuse Catholics of outsourcing their faith to the Church.
In fact its Bible alonists that have outsourced to themselves abitership of the faith.

The Catholic Church rightfully holds authority to teach the true interpretation of scripture, since it was founded by Christ to teach the truth of Christianity.

Bible alone traditions were founded by Luther, human traditions which dissent from each other on interpretation of scripture.
And none of them had anything to do with the Bible, the Bible didn’t come from Protestants or Baptists, only the Catholic Church.

 

[rockytopva]

Protestantism thinks in terms of power, and spiritual self determination.

They often accuse Catholics of outsourcing their faith to the Church.
In fact its Bible alonists that have outsourced to themselves abitership of the faith.

The Catholic Church rightfully holds authority to teach the true interpretation of scripture, since it was founded by Christ to teach the truth of Christianity.

Bible alone traditions were founded by Luther, human traditions which dissent from each other on interpretation of scripture.
And none of them had anything to do with the Bible, the Bible didn’t come from Protestants or Baptists, only the Catholic Church.

What about the Orthodox before them? The Orthodox is a Christian church too, you know. Nikola Tesla's father, Milutin Tesla, was a respected Serbian Orthodox priest and a gifted writer and poet.

 

[JonC]

Protestantism thinks in terms of power, and spiritual self determination.

They often accuse Catholics of outsourcing their faith to the Church.
In fact its Bible alonists that have outsourced to themselves abitership of the faith.

The Catholic Church rightfully holds authority to teach the true interpretation of scripture, since it was founded by Christ to teach the truth of Christianity.

Bible alone traditions were founded by Luther, human traditions which dissent from each other on interpretation of scripture.
And none of them had anything to do with the Bible, the Bible didn’t come from Protestants or Baptists, only the Catholic Church.

Some Protestants do. But they carried it over from Roman Catholic doctrine of the union of church and state. But generally Protestants do not think that way (I doubt most Catholics do anymore).

Proving the Roman Catholic Church uses the Bible as a means to gain power is not difficult. Just talk to Roman Catholics.

They teach that the Catholic Church gave us the Bible. They teach the myth that the Catholic Church existed during the time of the Apostles. This was to claim that Jesus' conversation with Peter was giving Peter a status that they now hold. They teach that the Pope is the vicar of God. They teach that priests are mediators between the laity and God. They teach that grace through sacraments are dependent on the Catholic Church. They teach that God has given the Catholic Church the authority to interpret Scripture, to create doctrine and practices apart from God's own words.

You can see the power grab in the Catholic Church. They have created a myth, telling their disciples that they existed centuries before they were actually formed.

Why do Catholics believe all of that? Because their religious cult told them it was true.

Same with Mormons. Why do Mormons believe the Book of Mormon is true? Because their cult tells them it is true.

This is the same with all of the cults. Why did people kill themselves to get on the spaceship behind the comet? Because the cult leaders told them to.


But real Christians have a different authority. We ignore the ramblings of old men, idiots, claiming to be vicars of God. We ignore fools cultists call "father" (an aspect of ancient Roman cults).

Why? Because we have God's Word. We have the words Catholics think is foolishness except as delineated by their cult.


I do understand that you cannot grasp God's words, that you believe you need mediators to explain to you what was written to common men in the common language of that time. But you have chosen to follow old fools rather than Christ.

You ARE the proof that the Roman Catholic Church uses religion as a means of power over people.