Catholic

[Basherbelding]

I'm Roman Catholic and I believe in God does this make me a Christian? I'm just confused.

[larry2]

I'm Roman Catholic and I believe in God does this make me a Christian? I'm just confused.

If you have believed upon Jesus as your Savior, you are a Christian. I was also Catholic at one time. I believe I was just as saved then as I am now, but it takes reading the word of God to gain assurance of your salvation.

I just gave another Catholic these links to something I wrote concerning salvation. Click on and read them if you're interested, and I do hope they help you to understand.

Salvation with Security - Part One   

http://www.gracecentered.com/christian_forums/theology/salvation-with-security-part-one/msg594337/#msg594337

Salvation with Security - Part Two

http://www.gracecentered.com/christian_forums/theology/salvation-with-security-part-two/msg594338/#msg594338

[cezza57]

Catholic got some weird ideas.


Don't they communicate with dead people?..This is prohibited in the bible.

Also they have additional scripture too.

Excuse my ignorance, thats all I know

[chosenone]

All I can say is that catholics believe a lot of things that are not in the Bible, and they do a lot of things that we are told not to in the Bible. Thai is why I would never go to a Roman Catholic church.

   If you believe that Jesus is the son of God and that He alone died for you and came back from the dead, so that your sins can be forgiven then you are a christian. If you believe that He alone is our mediator between us and God then yes you are.

However I wouldnt recommend a Roman Catholic chuch, but if you go with your parents then there isnt a lot you can do till you are older.

[cezza57]

If you believe that Jesus is the son of God and that He alone died for you and came back from the dead, so that your sins can be forgiven then you are a christian. If you believe that He alone is our mediator between us and God then yes you are

..Mormons believe this too

[banished]

I can't believe that a member with 1463 posts is confused. This is from the Catholic Cateshism:

Baptism the foundation of communion among all Christians. Justified by faith in Baptism, [they] are incorporated into Christ; they therefore have a right to be called Christians, and with good reason are accepted as brothers by the children of the Catholic Church."

[trifecta]

All I can say is that catholics believe a lot of things that are not in the Bible, and they do a lot of things that we are told not to in the Bible. Thai is why I would never go to a Roman Catholic church.

Protestants do too.   Do you worship with incense as Malachi 1:11 says?  Do you believe in the Real Presence of Communion as said in John 6?   

   If you believe that Jesus is the son of God and that He alone died for you and came back from the dead, so that your sins can be forgiven then you are a christian.

But are you saved?    What about working out our salvation with fear and trembling? 
Is being confident that you are saved really salvation itself?

However I wouldnt recommend a Roman Catholic chuch, but if you go with your parents then there isnt a lot you can do till you are older.

Dear Basher,

Don't fall for the Protestant belief that they know more about Scripture than Catholics do.
They don't.  They pick and choose Scriptures and by doing so say that they understand Scripture better than others do.

There is much to research and much to learn.  If you are interested, read Protestant writers, read Catholic ones, and by all means, read Orthodox ones.  If you want to know about the latter, I would be happy to provide some good sources.    Personally, I think the search is well worth doing.

God bless!

[ex cathedra]

  being a member of a roman catholic church  or lutheran church  or any other christian church does not save any one.
It is christ Jesus the second person of the trinity who is of one substance with The Father and the Holy Spirit HIS WORK
ALONE IS WHAT SAVES YOU.

if you truly  BELIEVE Jesus his work ALONE has  SAVED YOU BY HIS PERFECT LIFE LEAD IN YOUR SINFUL STEAD AND HIS INNOCENT DEATH on the cross was the full punishement from God for any and all sins you have committed or ever will comit.
and these things done by your Jesus who loves has already won you heaven and the right to be called Gods own child .
of course your christian and saved.

but now if you put some trust in your own merits or the popes merits or something else  rather than God the Son alone for your complete and free salvation . then of course your not saved

Satan wants you to not trust that your completly AND FREELY forgiven  by what Christ has already done for you
.

Dont be a judas who was not saved thinking how could God ever forgive me for whay i have done.

do you really think Jesus death for you was so small a price . That not every sin has been forgiven .
OF COURSE NOT .

[banished]

By gentleman's agreement Anti-Catholic and Catholic Bashing were to kept down in the Catholic Section.  Up here in the General Discussion Section people are being ministered to, and being converted to Christ.  The bigots with their bashing only cheapen the Christian Faith. Please remember that we are called to holiness.

[ex cathedra]

All I can say is that catholics believe a lot of things that are not in the Bible, and they do a lot of things that we are told not to in the Bible. Thai is why I would never go to a Roman Catholic church.

Protestants do too.   Do you worship with incense as Malachi 1:11 says?  Do you believe in the Real Presence of Communion as said in John 6?  

  If you believe that Jesus is the son of God and that He alone died for you and came back from the dead, so that your sins can be forgiven then you are a christian.

But are you saved?    What about working out our salvation with fear and trembling?  
Is being confident that you are saved really salvation itself?

However I wouldnt recommend a Roman Catholic chuch, but if you go with your parents then there isnt a lot you can do till you are older.

Dear Basher,

Don't fall for the Protestant belief that they know more about Scripture than Catholics do.
They don't.  They pick and choose Scriptures and by doing so say that they understand Scripture better than others do.

There is much to research and much to learn.  If you are interested, read Protestant writers, read Catholic ones, and by all means, read Orthodox ones.  If you want to know about the latter, I would be happy to provide some good sources.    Personally, I think the search is well worth doing.

God bless!

Why not read the full chapter of phillipians . Paul letter tells that with faith in jesus it is God who works in us to works out our salvation .

perhaps some protestant do know more than some catholics about the bible we know to examine what it says in context.
not taking verses out of their context.

phillipans 2:12
12Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, 13for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.

[ex cathedra]

By gentleman's agreement Anti-Catholic and Catholic Bashing were to kept down in the Catholic Section.  Up here in the General Discussion Section people are being ministered to, and being converted to Christ.  The bigots with their bashing only cheapen the Christian Faith. Please remember that we are called to holiness.

The pope is not a gentlemen he still is bashing catholics and is very anti-catholic.
he wants them to please him and reject that they are allread freely forgiven by what christ had done.
that old judas goat. betraying trust in Jesus .

Stand up Stand up for Jesus you solders of the cross.
http://www.hymntime.com/tch/htm/s/t/standufj.htm

[banished]

By gentleman's agreement Anti-Catholic and Catholic Bashing were to kept down in the Catholic Section.  Up here in the General Discussion Section people are being ministered to, and being converted to Christ.  The bigots with their bashing only cheapen the Christian Faith. Please remember that we are called to holiness.

The pope is not a gentlemen he still is bashing catholics and is very anti-catholic.
he wants them to please him and reject that they are allread freely forgiven by what christ had done.
that old judas goat. betraying trust in Jesus .

Stand up Stand up for Jesus you solders of the cross.
http://www.hymntime.com/tch/htm/s/t/standufj.htm

The Pope is down in the Catholic Section of the Forum, you can sink-your-teeth into him down there.

[ex cathedra]

By gentleman's agreement Anti-Catholic and Catholic Bashing were to kept down in the Catholic Section.  Up here in the General Discussion Section people are being ministered to, and being converted to Christ.  The bigots with their bashing only cheapen the Christian Faith. Please remember that we are called to holiness.

The pope is not a gentlemen he still is bashing catholics and is very anti-catholic.
he wants them to please him and reject that they are allread freely forgiven by what christ had done.
that old judas goat. betraying trust in Jesus .

Stand up Stand up for Jesus you solders of the cross.
http://www.hymntime.com/tch/htm/s/t/standufj.htm

The Pope is down in the Catholic Section of the Forum, you can sink-your-teeth into him down there.

The man is nothing its his doctrines of devils  that are the menace  they are anti- catholic
and they  can be found many places .

even here.



evil life does no great harm except to itself in the end ---but evil doctine is the worst  thing of all as it can lead a host of souls to hell.
Martin Luther.

[trifecta]

Why not read the full chapter of phillipians . Paul letter tells that with faith in jesus it is God who works in us to works out our salvation .


phillipans 2:12
12Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, 13for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.

I am quite familiar with verse 13, but it does not change the meaning of Phillipians 2:12b.
God does work in us (the term here is energy in Greek).   Yes, we cannot do it alone, we need the energy of God.  However, it does not negate what is said above it.   You want it to say forget about the fear and trembling, we have God in us, but that is not what the verse says.

perhaps some protestant do know more than some catholics about the bible we know to examine what it says in context.
not taking verses out of their context.

Since verse 13 did not negate verse 12, I was not taking it out of its context.

As for Protestants knowing more than Catholics, I think Protestants emphasize some verses more than Catholics (e.g., faith alone) and Catholics emphasize some verses more than Protestants (e.g., Matt 16:18- power of men to forgive sins).    On balance, the Catholic intrepretation makes more sense to me.   

[ex cathedra]

Why not read the full chapter of phillipians . Paul letter tells that with faith in jesus it is God who works in us to works out our salvation .


phillipans 2:12
12Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, 13for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.

I am quite familiar with verse 13, but it does not change the meaning of Phillipians 2:12b.
God does work in us (the term here is energy in Greek).   Yes, we cannot do it alone, we need the energy of God.  However, it does not negate what is said above it.   You want it to say forget about the fear and trembling, we have God in us, but that is not what the verse says.

perhaps some protestant do know more than some catholics about the bible we know to examine what it says in context.
not taking verses out of their context.

Since verse 13 did not negate verse 12, I was not taking it out of its context.

As for Protestants knowing more than Catholics, I think Protestants emphasize some verses more than Catholics (e.g., faith alone) and Catholics emphasize some verses more than Protestants (e.g., Matt 16:18- power of men to forgive sins).    On balance, the Catholic intrepretation makes more sense to me.   

Why not read the full chapter of phillipians . Paul letter tells that with faith in jesus it is God who works in us to works out our salvation .


phillipans 2:12
12Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, 13for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.

I am quite familiar with verse 13, but it does not change the meaning of Phillipians 2:12b.
God does work in us (the term here is energy in Greek).   Yes, we cannot do it alone, we need the energy of God.  However, it does not negate what is said above it.   You want it to say forget about the fear and trembling, we have God in us, but that is not what the verse says.

perhaps some protestant do know more than some catholics about the bible we know to examine what it says in context.
not taking verses out of their context.

Since verse 13 did not negate verse 12, I was not taking it out of its context.

As for Protestants knowing more than Catholics, I think Protestants emphasize some verses more than Catholics (e.g., faith alone) and Catholics emphasize some verses more than Protestants (e.g., Matt 16:18- power of men to forgive sins).    On balance, the Catholic intrepretation makes more sense to me.   

the verse has already been translated from the greek and as it states God gives us more than just the energy to do it it is him who does it. though we may still have fear and trembling.

[trifecta]

the verse has already been translated from the greek and as it states God gives us more than just the energy to do it it is him who does it. though we may still have fear and trembling.

I hate to be picky here, but it is problem with the West's intrepretation of Scripture.  The Greek word for "work" in these verses is energia.  The west didn't understand what the word energy meant because there is no word for energy in Latin.   Augustine, whom Protestants and Catholics depend too much on for issues of theology IMHO, did not read Greek, so he really didn't get that verse.    The west just expounded on Augustine, while the eastern Christian world understood it since they read the Bible in Greek. 

[banished]

the verse has already been translated from the greek and as it states God gives us more than just the energy to do it it is him who does it. though we may still have fear and trembling.

I hate to be picky here, but it is problem with the West's intrepretation of Scripture.  The Greek word for "work" in these verses is energia.  The west didn't understand what the word energy meant because there is no word for energy in Latin.   Augustine, whom Protestants and Catholics depend too much on for issues of theology IMHO, did not read Greek, so he really didn't get that verse.    The west just expounded on Augustine, while the eastern Christian world understood it since they read the Bible in Greek. 

trifecta-

I agree with the Orthodox about Vatican II.  I don't know how they could justified going against the Creed of St Athanasius? "Whoever wishes to be saved must, above all, keep the Catholic faith. For unless a person keeps this faith whole and entire, he will undoubtedly be lost for ever."

[winsome]

the verse has already been translated from the greek and as it states God gives us more than just the energy to do it it is him who does it. though we may still have fear and trembling.

I hate to be picky here, but it is problem with the West's intrepretation of Scripture.  The Greek word for "work" in these verses is energia.  The west didn't understand what the word energy meant because there is no word for energy in Latin.   Augustine, whom Protestants and Catholics depend too much on for issues of theology IMHO, did not read Greek, so he really didn't get that verse.    The west just expounded on Augustine, while the eastern Christian world understood it since they read the Bible in Greek.  

trifecta-

I agree with the Orthodox about Vatican II.  I don't know how they could justified going against the Creed of St Athanasius? "Whoever wishes to be saved must, above all, keep the Catholic faith. For unless a person keeps this faith whole and entire, he will undoubtedly be lost for ever."

Hi Banished.

There are a couple of points here about salvation and the Catholic faith.

Firstly the Athanasian Creed. We should note the statement after the one you quoted above (the one I have emboldened below):

P: Whoever wills to be saved must before all else hold fast to the Catholic faith.
All: Unless one keeps this faith whole and untarnished, without doubt he will perish forever.

P: Now this is the Catholic faith: that we worship one God in Trinity, and Trinity in unity;
All: Neither confusing the Persons one with the other, nor making a distinction in their nature.

It is possible to argue from this that Athanasius was implying that the doctrine of the Trinity was essential but that he was not necessarily including all doctrines.

The second point is that the idea that people outside the visible Catholic Church could be saved was not introduced at Vatican II. The Church has always recognised the possibility of salvation for those who do not know or accept Christ. Pius IX in his encyclical letter "Quanto Conficiamur Moerore" of 1863, said  "It is known, that those who observe with zeal the natural law and its precepts engraved by God in the hearts of all men, can attain eternal life if they are willing to obey God and lead a good life."

I think we have to be careful about implying that anyone is outside the possibility of God's saving grace.

"Then who can be saved?

[winsome]

Catholic got some weird ideas.


Don't they communicate with dead people?..This is prohibited in the bible.

Also they have additional scripture too.

Excuse my ignorance, thats all I know

cezza. I think you have some misunderstandings about Catholicism. This is not the forum to discuss the above. Can I suggest you raise them in the Catholic Forum where we can discuss them.

[banished]

winsome-

Yes, the doctrine of "outside the Church there is no salvation" went out the window with communion cloths and communion rails.  I just say the Rosary daily and try not to think about it. As an excommunicated Catholic for the past 22 years, who am I to say?

[DCR]

Any hope of being "re-communicated"?

[banished]

Any hope of being "re-communicated"?

I would need a Radical Sanation from the Bishop, and my present wife would never agree to something like that. I doubt very much if a Bishop would grant a Sanation behind my wife's back and allow me to have communion in secret while living in sin with a Protestant marrage? I out lived one wife already, so there is always a chance that I may become widowed again? If not, there will be no Last Rites for me!   

[Basherbelding]

What do I need to do though? I'm christened Catholic and I want to be saved I do believe in God and that Jesus died for us. Does me being christened a Catholic make a difference?

[DCR]

while living in sin with a Protestant marrage?

Being married to a Protestant is considered to be living in sin?

[banished]

while living in sin with a Protestant marrage?

Being married to a Protestant is considered to be living in sin?

As I recall, the living in sin part was lifted recently, and now the marrage is simply  classified as "not recongnized" by the Catholic Chruch.  If my wife was to agree to getting  married again in the Catholic Church we would have to stop having sex for a peroid of time before receiving the Sacrament of Marriage. I assume that the new Canon Law says that we are not living in sin as long as we stay on the Protestant side.  However, I can't be in communion with the Catholic Church and sleep with a Protestant.  Believe this or not, the Church has Canon Lawyers (for a fee) and the everyone knows that the Bishop's 401K is supported by Radical Sanation (payola). We are talking about millions upon millions of Catholics who slipped up and married a Protestant.  Then there are countless divorsed Catholics who slipped up and got remarried with out the approval of the Church. The Bishop's 401K keeps building up, so why change it?

[Basherbelding]

Can someone answer my question please.

I'm christened Catholic and I want to be saved I do believe in God and that Jesus died for us. Does me being christened a Catholic make a difference?

[desertknight]

Yes, it makes a difference.

John 3:5  "Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God."

If you have been baptized under the sign of water through the power of the Holy Spirit in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, within any Christian tradition, that is sufficient.  It need not be Catholic.

[banished]

Can someone answer my question please.

I'm christened Catholic and I want to be saved I do believe in God and that Jesus died for us. Does me being christened a Catholic make a difference?

Well, the Catholics believe that John Chaper 3 is about Baptism, and the Protestant single out one verse (John 3:16) and believe that they are Born Again.  The choice is yours.  Catholic believe that your Salvation through Baptism is conditional, and the Protestants believe that being Born Again is for ever until Jesus comes.  Again the choice is yours. Catholics believe that you must renew your Salvation with the Sacrament of Confessing your sins to a Priest, do your penants, and have communion.

There is much more freedom on the Protestant side, but the wafer that you receive at the alter to the Catholic Church is the real Jesus, so the rules are much tighter for Catholics.  How old are you now?  Are you still living with your parents?

[mclees8]

while living in sin with a Protestant marrage?

Being married to a Protestant is considered to be living in sin?

As I recall, the living in sin part was lifted recently, and now the marrage is simply  classified as "not recongnized" by the Catholic Chruch.  If my wife was to agree to getting  married again in the Catholic Church we would have to stop having sex for a peroid of time before receiving the Sacrament of Marriage. I assume that the new Canon Law says that we are not living in sin as long as we stay on the Protestant side.  However, I can't be in communion with the Catholic Church and sleep with a Protestant.  Believe this or not, the Church has Canon Lawyers (for a fee) and the everyone knows that the Bishop's 401K is supported by Radical Sanation (payola). We are talking about millions upon millions of Catholics who slipped up and married a Protestant.  Then there are countless divorsed Catholics who slipped up and got remarried with out the approval of the Church. The Bishop's 401K keeps building up, so why change it?

Oh Brother! God help us !!

[winsome]

Salvation has a past, a present and a future.
We are saved from something; we are saved for something; and in between there is a journey where we become fit to receive our final salvation.

I have been saved.
We are initially saved when we repent, believe and are baptized. This makes us children of God and heirs to the kingdom.
But before we come into this inheritance there is much we need to do. The initial act of salvation makes us right with God (righteous or justified) but the process will also include ongoing repentance (when we sin), faith (in Jesus), hope (based on our faith) and love (expressed in good works). If we do no good works then indeed our faith is dead and unfruitful. What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but do not have works? Can faith save you? If a brother or sister is naked and lacks daily food, and one of you says to them, "Go in peace; keep warm and eat your fill,

[desertknight]

 

As I recall, the living in sin part was lifted recently, and now the marrage is simply  classified as "not recongnized" by the Catholic Chruch.  If my wife was to agree to getting  married again in the Catholic Church we would have to stop having sex for a peroid of time before receiving the Sacrament of Marriage. I assume that the new Canon Law says that we are not living in sin as long as we stay on the Protestant side.  However, I can't be in communion with the Catholic Church and sleep with a Protestant.  Believe this or not, the Church has Canon Lawyers (for a fee) and the everyone knows that the Bishop's 401K is supported by Radical Sanation (payola). We are talking about millions upon millions of Catholics who slipped up and married a Protestant.  Then there are countless divorsed Catholics who slipped up and got remarried with out the approval of the Church. The Bishop's 401K keeps building up, so why change it?

Banished, I have no idea what your "real" story is or where you have gotten this, but it is totally bogus.  I have been Catholic for decades and have known dozens of Catholic/Protestant, Catholic/Other faith, marriages and they are fairly simple to obtain permission for and totally accepted within the Church.  It's as common an occurrence as there is.  Any prohibition against such marriages was done completely away with long before I was born and do not apply to anyone living.  If you or your wife were legitimately married before than that can be a factor in your marriage now not being recognized, but to make claims that, "I can't be in communion with the Catholic Church and sleep with a Protestant." is utterly false.  I have no idea where you could come up with this bazaar information.  You can't be divorced from a legitimate marriage and re-marry within the Church, that is true.  You can obtain an annulment if that marriage was of questionable validity, and yes, it involves some legal research and that may require a fee.  It would in any civil procedure as well and they are not simply acting for the Church, but that it goes into the Bishops 401K is an outright lie.  Clergy retirement funds are very small and are handled in exactly the same fashion as any private sector fund is.  Each diocese, as required by canon law, must make public all salaries, funds, expenditures, etc, from the Bishop on down to the janitor, at least once a year.  They are readily available.  If you are Catholic than you remember that one week per year in every parish this is done and copies are handed out or made available to every parishioner detailing every penny spent.  It has been so in every parish that I have ever belonged to.  This is some good information on interfaith marriage within the Catholic Church...

http://www.cin.org/users/james/questions/q102.htm

Jimmy Akin is as good a source as you will find on this.
 

[winsome]

while living in sin with a Protestant marrage?

Being married to a Protestant is considered to be living in sin?

No, a Catholic being married outside the Catholic Church without an appropriate dispensation is considered to be not validly married whether the partner is a Catholic, Protestant, aetheist etc.

[larry2]

              Being married to a Protestant is considered to be living in sin?

As I recall, the living in sin part was lifted recently, and now the marrage is simply  classified as "not recongnized" by the Catholic Chruch.  If my wife was to agree to getting  married again in the Catholic Church we would have to stop having sex for a period of time before receiving the Sacrament of Marriage. I assume that the new Canon Law says that we are not living in sin as long as we stay on the Protestant side.  However, I can't be in communion with the Catholic Church and sleep with a Protestant.  Believe this or not, the Church has Canon Lawyers (for a fee) and the everyone knows that the Bishop's 401K is supported by Radical Sanction (payola). We are talking about millions upon millions of Catholics who slipped up and married a Protestant.  Then there are countless divorced Catholics who slipped up and got remarried with out the approval of the Church. The Bishop's 401K keeps building up, so why change it?

                                       Oh Brother! God help us !!

                                                                 
Being ex Catholic, this said it all. I haven't laughed so hard since being on these forums. There are such wonderful brethren in such bondage not only in the Catholic Church, but in many Protestant churches as well. Let's look forward to Jesus' soon appearing.

[winsome]

              Being married to a Protestant is considered to be living in sin?

As I recall, the living in sin part was lifted recently, and now the marrage is simply  classified as "not recongnized" by the Catholic Chruch.  If my wife was to agree to getting  married again in the Catholic Church we would have to stop having sex for a period of time before receiving the Sacrament of Marriage. I assume that the new Canon Law says that we are not living in sin as long as we stay on the Protestant side.  However, I can't be in communion with the Catholic Church and sleep with a Protestant.  Believe this or not, the Church has Canon Lawyers (for a fee) and the everyone knows that the Bishop's 401K is supported by Radical Sanction (payola). We are talking about millions upon millions of Catholics who slipped up and married a Protestant.  Then there are countless divorced Catholics who slipped up and got remarried with out the approval of the Church. The Bishop's 401K keeps building up, so why change it?

                                       Oh Brother! God help us !!

                                                                 
Being ex Catholic, this said it all. I haven't laughed so hard since being on these forums. There are such wonderful brethren in such bondage not only in the Catholic Church, but in many Protestant churches as well. Let's look forward to Jesus' soon appearing.

Why do you think gross misreprentation of Catholicism is funny?

[larry2]

Why do you think gross misreprentation of Catholicism is funny?

I do not know all of what "Saint banished" has said is a misreprentation, but it reminds me of many things I believed, and much of the bondage I was in as a Catholic. In my case, my wife could not be married within the altar unless I was a Catholic, and the list goes on.

Though I don't consider Catholics false brethren as in Galatians 2:4, but there are many that would deny our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus, that they might bring us into bondage.

If you believe "Saint banished" has misrepresented a religious organization, why don't you bring supporting evidence even if it is cannon law.