The saddest part of that is most "self proclaiming" Christians are hypocrites and do not know the regenerating, life changing, unmistakable power of the Holy Spirit when you're saved. The Holy Spirit is a literal thing, not just a Church word. I sat in the pews many days not realizing all this "Jesus stuff" was real, but it is very real, and Jesus doesn't have a banner over His head or only save any man made religious organization exclusively. He saves Catholics, Mormon's, Muslim's, Atheist, and praise be to His name he also saves deceived Christians.
Catholic vs Christianity
- Thread starter Jruiz
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What Protestants have in common with Catholics is Christology. We all believe in the basics of who Christ was.
What Catholics and Protestants do not have in common is soteriology. Catholics believe the church, baptism, and the mass save. Protestants, at least most of us, believe Jesus saves. No intermediaries, no rites or rituals. Just believe and repent and you are saved.
"Then he brought them out and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” [SUP]31 [/SUP]And they said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.” Acts 16:30-31
Just like the Bible says!
What Catholics and Protestants do not have in common is soteriology. Catholics believe the church, baptism, and the mass save. Protestants, at least most of us, believe Jesus saves. No intermediaries, no rites or rituals. Just believe and repent and you are saved.
"Then he brought them out and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” [SUP]31 [/SUP]And they said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.” Acts 16:30-31
Just like the Bible says!
I
Not quite that simple. There are verses in the Bible that say we are saved by hope... and yet others that say we are saved by grace, yet others say we are saved by baptism, and still other say we re saved by our works, while others say we are saved by simple belief...
We need to take the scripture as a whole, and not make doctrines out of biblical 'one liners'.
We need to take the scripture as a whole, and not make doctrines out of biblical 'one liners'.
Agreed, but without the guiding hand of God (Holy Spirit) in our changed hearts, we can understand very little. We don't need to listen to men or any organization, we need the Holy Spirit to guide our understanding. So while I agree it's not about "one liners", it's also not about "being told by men alone exactly how to understand scripture, and what to believe". It is a personal thing between you and God, no intermediates ,other than Christ, are necessary.
Very humorous there are at least seven churches in Europe that claim to have the skull of Peter. I know Romanists do not worship idols but they venerate all kinds of stuff. Down right superstitious this bunch in Rome.
Since Rome is not universal there is no point referring to it as catholic or Christian.
Kinda makes it look very cultish when the definitions always need to be parsed very carefully. Rome cannot even get all it's laity to believe it's wrong to abort babies. Isaiah 57:20-21 There is no peace to the wicked sayeth my God.
For the cause of Christ
Roger
Since Rome is not universal there is no point referring to it as catholic or Christian.
Kinda makes it look very cultish when the definitions always need to be parsed very carefully. Rome cannot even get all it's laity to believe it's wrong to abort babies. Isaiah 57:20-21 There is no peace to the wicked sayeth my God.
For the cause of Christ
Roger
Nor can Protestants. So that's actually not a very good argument. You have Protestants who says well third trimester is wrong but... Or the life of the mother hypothetical or rape hypothetical. Only the Catholic Church takes the stand that ALL abortions are wrong. There are no hypotheticals or extenuating circumstances that excuse it.
I am what you call a "Protestant", but I actually agree with you 100% on this issue. I also know a whole lot of "Protestants" that feel the same way and are very vocal about it. You can't just lump such a diverse variety of people with such generalized sweeping statements like that.
I say that this statement from you, "Only the Catholic Church takes the stand that ALL abortions are wrong" is just strait up factually, and completely wrong.
Here is just 1 example- this is the Assemblies of God stance on abortion.
The Assemblies of God is unashamedly pro-life. Even though a United States Supreme Court decision legalized abortion in 1973, abortion is still immoral and sinful. This stand is founded on the biblical truth that all human life is created in the image of God (Genesis 1:27). From that truth issues the long-standing Christian view that aborting the life of a developing child is evil.
Those who defend abortion claim that an unborn child in the early stages of development is merely fetal tissue, not a person. But neither science nor medicine can declare an arbitrary time during pregnancy when human life begins. The Bible indicates that human life begins at conception (Job 31:15, Psalm 139:13-16). Because of the sacredness of human life, the matter is settled by theological statement of Scripture, not by a medical determination of viability outside the mother’s womb.
There is a Christian alternative to abortion. Instead of terminating the life of the unborn child, the newborn can be placed for adoption by loving Christians. Adoption is a concept authored by God, for all Christian believers have been adopted into the family of God. By choosing to give birth to her baby rather than having an abortion, the birth mother spares the life of a child created in the image of God.- Abortion
So the Catholic Church is not the "ONLY" church to take that view.
I say that this statement from you, "Only the Catholic Church takes the stand that ALL abortions are wrong" is just strait up factually, and completely wrong.
Here is just 1 example- this is the Assemblies of God stance on abortion.
The Assemblies of God is unashamedly pro-life. Even though a United States Supreme Court decision legalized abortion in 1973, abortion is still immoral and sinful. This stand is founded on the biblical truth that all human life is created in the image of God (Genesis 1:27). From that truth issues the long-standing Christian view that aborting the life of a developing child is evil.
Those who defend abortion claim that an unborn child in the early stages of development is merely fetal tissue, not a person. But neither science nor medicine can declare an arbitrary time during pregnancy when human life begins. The Bible indicates that human life begins at conception (Job 31:15, Psalm 139:13-16). Because of the sacredness of human life, the matter is settled by theological statement of Scripture, not by a medical determination of viability outside the mother’s womb.
There is a Christian alternative to abortion. Instead of terminating the life of the unborn child, the newborn can be placed for adoption by loving Christians. Adoption is a concept authored by God, for all Christian believers have been adopted into the family of God. By choosing to give birth to her baby rather than having an abortion, the birth mother spares the life of a child created in the image of God.- Abortion
So the Catholic Church is not the "ONLY" church to take that view.
My point is that you want everyone to believe that the Roman Catholic church is united when it is not. Roman catholics are as worldly as the unsaved I encounter everyday. The drink to excess, they divorce and remarry against church rules and many more things.
This is not a catholic vs protestant issue. This is a sheep vs goats, a tares vs wheat issue. Too many folks are playing Christian who are so far from Christ as to scandalous.
A person becomes a Christian one way. By Gods grace received through faith. Faith that comes from hearing Gods word and the Holy Spirit operating in the heart of the hearer to bring conviction of sin, righteousness and judgment. Those saved by grace exhibit certain definable qualities. They know they are saved because the Holy Spirit is present in their life and I mean really present. I don't just go to church I am church. My head is not the pope or the preacher but Christ.
For the cause of Christ
Roger
This is not a catholic vs protestant issue. This is a sheep vs goats, a tares vs wheat issue. Too many folks are playing Christian who are so far from Christ as to scandalous.
A person becomes a Christian one way. By Gods grace received through faith. Faith that comes from hearing Gods word and the Holy Spirit operating in the heart of the hearer to bring conviction of sin, righteousness and judgment. Those saved by grace exhibit certain definable qualities. They know they are saved because the Holy Spirit is present in their life and I mean really present. I don't just go to church I am church. My head is not the pope or the preacher but Christ.
For the cause of Christ
Roger