|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Tue Jul 17, 2007 1:59 pm
I read a statement today that Pope Benidict wrote stating that Catholicism is the only true path of Christianity and to God. This concerned me on many levels. I'm protestant mind you. What does it matter what church we belong to? We all believe in God and in his son Jesus. It seems so trivial to keep building walls in the Christian faith when we should tear them down and be united in our faith.
Do any of you agree, disagree?
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Jul 17, 2007 2:51 pm
Wow, you mean the guy in charge of the largest organized, most political faith in the current world said he was right?
Fancy that. =O
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Jul 17, 2007 3:21 pm
Well, To bhonest with you... Borna gain Churches will tell you that he is wrong and Catholicism actualy will lead you away from True Christianity. The only one that will bring us to God is Jesus. And for his saying that a religion will bring you to heaven goes against every thing the Bible teaches about salvation. Its not the church or religion you follow that will get you to heaven. It's whether or not you believe in Christ with all your heart.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Jul 17, 2007 4:34 pm
*Sits and smiles*
Thats whats you call false teachings...
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Jul 17, 2007 4:54 pm
The statement in question was not from the pope, but from the congregation for the defence of the faith, or some such group. And it essentially says this "Our faith is the correct one".
Shocking, no?
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Jul 17, 2007 5:06 pm
It doesnt shock me coming from the Vatican...
Most major Catholic leaders still havnt gotton over the lack of power they used to have over people.
I recall, from the days I attend a church, that the only way to get to heaven is threw Jesus Christ himself.
There fore!
Since the Pope speaks for the Catholics, it must be a Wrong Teaching...
My understanding..
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Jul 17, 2007 8:18 pm
Well, haven't Catholics been saying the same thing ever since the Protestant Revolution in the 1500's when they lost religious and political power all around Europe? But I agree with you GO-YAFFA. Building walls won't solve a thing. And we all believe the same general thing, and we should unite together to spread the word of God.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Jul 17, 2007 9:14 pm
Hold on, I think I can pull up some of my dear friend's comments about it... one second. biggrin
If not, I'll get them to post here just for you guys~
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Jul 17, 2007 9:26 pm
Heeeerrre we are! ;D This is just the first few pages of the discussion of if The Catholic Church was the one true way, and yeah. I may justtry to point them to this thread. THEY'RE CRAZY. gonk heart OH OH OH.And if you're not going to bother reading it all, or at least researching it beyond the initial statement, please do not try and foam prejudices, insecurities, etc. We don't do that to you. Well, most of us don't. sad ilu all~ Rosa Quietus The word "catholic" isn't in the Bible at all as far as I know, and if it is it definitely isn't referring to the Catholic Church but would just mean "universal." There is an official Catholic teaching, I'm not sure which document it's from, that "there is no salvation outside the Church". That has been narrowly interpreted to mean, outside the ranks of those baptized in the Roman Catholic Church, but seeing as RCC recognizes any Trinitarian baptism even from another denomination, it seems logical that the "Church" being referred to is the body of all Christians, even those who are not fully in communion with the Catholic Church. As far as non-Christians go, it's harder to support the idea that they too could somehow be part of the "Church" or the "Body of Christ", but a certain amount of God's Truth is revealed to us in nature and in the law written on our hearts... so there's a possibility that they are sort-of following God without realizing it, and that they would accept Christ at their final judgement based on the way they've lived their lives. But we definitely do not believe that everyone goes to heaven regardless of their beliefs/acts. So basically, the possible positions range from "only Catholics can reach Heaven" to "even non-Christians can", but it's pretty widely agreed upon that at least some of the Protestant churches have enough of the Truth for them to be saved. Anarya Templari covered it well.
There is Truth and it is not subjective. Christ makes this clear when He states that He is the Truth and that only if we come to Him will we find salvation.
"Jesus answered, 'I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.'" (John 14:6).
"To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, 'If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.'" (John 8: 31- 32)
There it is. Plain and simple. Is there any other way to interpret this? When you read that verse, what do you think Jesus Christ is saying? The Church, which is the Truth, says that the verse says exactly what it says: Christ is the way, the truth, and the life. Only through Christ can we come to the Father, and through the Truth of Christ we will be set free. Also notice how Christ does not use the plural of truth. There is no "truths." Just Truth. One Truth, which is Jesus Christ.
Different interpretations of the same text implies there is more than one truth, but how can this be? There is only one Christ, and Christ is the Truth. Therefore, there can truly only be one correct interpretation; otherwise, there wouldn't be one Truth, and we'd have a handful of truths to pick through and decide from, but Christ makes it clear there is only one way, one truth, one life and that is Him.
To better understand this, let's have an example! Luke 22: 14-22 "When the hour came, Jesus and his apostles reclined at the table. And he said to them, "I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. For I tell you, I will not eat it again until it finds fulfillment in the kingdom of God." After taking the cup, he gave thanks and said, "Take this and divide it among you. 18For I tell you I will not drink again of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes." And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, "This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me." In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you."
The Catholic Church's stance is clear. There is only one Truth in this passage and it is simply this: Christ was very literal and He asks us to continue to do this meal. Thus Bread and wine completely transform into Christ's body and blood through the Eucharist. (The Greek words eucharistein (Luke 22:19; 1 Cor. 11:24), from which Eucharist is derived, and eulogein (Mt 26:26; Mark 14:22) recalled the Jewish blessings that proclaim – especially during a meal – God’s works: creation, redemption, and sanctification. Hence the name: Eucharist). It is a meal that is central to Christ, for it is the moment He becomes the Lamb of God, the sacrifice needed to save us. The Passover Lamb of the Old Testament that saved the Israelites, which God asks the Israelites to continue that meal, is fulfilled in Christ, the new sacrifice. It is a crucial piece in the puzzle of salvation.
However, there are some who take this passage and say that Christ is talking symbolically, and the meal isn't really that important at all. Just a nice reminder of Christ's love. They say the sacrifice of Christ doesn't have anything to do with bread and wine, and it's just about the cross. They admit there may be a link between the Lamb of God and the Old Testament Passover Lamb, but it's not important as the cross.
Still others insist that we should do the meal, but having bread and wine isn't necessarily important as long as we stay true to the essence of sharing with others. These say that the sacrifice of Christ was on the cross, and that the Lamb of God is just figurative and not really important at all. They also insist there isn't a link between the Lamb of God, Christ, and the Passover lamb of the Old Testament.
And again others say that the bread and wine are only partially Christ, and that bits of bread and wine are mixed in with Christ's body and blood, and that we should partake of the meal, but it's not the center of everything.
Which is the Truth? There's four interpretations here that claim to be truth. Christ made it clear that He is the Truth. There is only One Truth. Which one is it?
The debate is fierce on this particular subject, but only one Truth has withstood the ages, and has been present since Jesus walked the Earth with the apostles. Which Truth is that? The first one provided by the Catholic Church.
We don't pick and choose our interpretations. There is only one True Interpretation, but finding it can be hard. Faith, prayer, and trust in God helps us as well as our brothers and sisters and the Church.
To say that someone can read the Bible and go by their own translation and not need anyone else's is a misnomer and it causes disruption amongst believers like in my example above. Many have fallen into a large number of arguments about the Christian faith (examples: the Eucharist debate, and/or how one is saved), and they have become shaken in their faith, confused, for as a Christian, they know there is truly one Truth. Each of us are seeking the One Truth. For there is only one.
Christianity isn't a subjective religion, where you decide your own interpretation and go with that. It's a religion of One Truth. What is that one Truth? Jesus Christ.
Think hard about this, friends. One Truth. One God.
Hey kikkaku ~ what you just described concerning the Bible is essentially sola scriptura with a dose of American individualism, both of which are a misnomer. Tread carefully there. GreenInkling There are two ways of revealing truth: through nature and through revelation. All human beings have access to truth through nature. But this is an incomplete truth. We can't possibly know everything there is to know about God through nature, since He is above and beyond every created thing. But through revelation, He leads us to what He wants us to know about Him. Some of the revelation came through the Jews. They were his chosen people. More comes through the Scriptures. And even more comes through the Catholic Church. So if you are a Jew, you are short two revelations. If you are a non-Catholic Christian, you have the Jews' revelations, the revelations of the Bible, but not the revelation of the Church. You really need all three to have the fullness of Truth. This the Catholic Chruch, and the Catholic Church alone, can offer you. 3nodding
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Jul 17, 2007 10:11 pm
Strictly speaking, protestants ARE heretics from the original church of Peter.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Jul 18, 2007 8:43 am
When Catholics say their faith is the right one, they are right actually, their faith IS the right one if their faith is in God, the Holy Spirit, and that Jesus paid for their sins on the cross. The thing is their religion is not the right one, thankfully useless religious acts don't disqualify us from the kingdom of God, they just hamper God's ability to move His kingdom to earth. Otherwise every church would be guilty of it to some degree, catholic or charismatic.
Im not entirely sure about their faith though, do they accept the Holy Spirit? Because you Can't reject one part of the Trinity without rejecting them all.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Jul 18, 2007 12:33 pm
i totally agree with you !! why do we, as christians, have to build barriers between us, when we were all sent to preach the Word to others ?? that just doesnt make sense to me... eek sad
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Jul 18, 2007 12:51 pm
This is nothing new, Roman Catholicism been claiming to be the path to true Christian faith. Thankfully, the Reformation movement was successful to restore the Gospel's message (justified by faith alone in Christ). Of course, down in history you will find Roman Catholics claiming that Protestants are nothing but heretical pigs. Not to mention, we would not have are own translated Bibles today if it wasn’t for Protestants. The tradition behind kissing idols, buying indulgences for penance, talking to Mary and the Saints in Heaven so that God can hear you and maintaining your salvation is not the message of the Gospel.
I would debate the arguments present in this topic however, I wished I had the ability and time to do so.
The Holy Father is not the Pope. God is the only Holy Father that we Christians have. "In Christ Alone"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Jul 18, 2007 2:58 pm
Firewasp Im not entirely sure about their faith though, do they accept the Holy Spirit? Because you Can't reject one part of the Trinity without rejecting them all. There are Christian faiths out there that do not accept the trinity, but accept either a bi-unity or even a single God, but Catholics do accept the trinity, as they were the ones who originally thought it up XD.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Jul 18, 2007 9:16 pm
Tell me child, is there any report that he said this?
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
