Posted on 10/30/2008 1:09:05 PM PDT by Gamecock
A superb strawman if ever there was one.
You operate under a different set of scriptures.
James 2:24 You see that a man is justified by works and not by faith alone.
James 2:26 For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so faith apart from works is dead.
But the inconvenient thing for you is the phrase "faith alone" is in Scripture. Ignore Scripture at your peril.
“erroneous interpretation.”
Well, thanks for acknowledging there are different interpretations— and it’s not solely Catholic dogma, good works are important manifestations of grace in Orthodox churches and, indeed most traditional Protestant churches.
But since, you have acknowledged your distaste for the doctrine of other Christian denominations perhaps you should reconsider your position on religious indoctrination in public schools. Because if it comes down to a vote—your beliefs would be lose out. Scoreboard.
What gets me is all the babble about the plain reading of scripture, except when it comes to the belief in "faith alone". Another is the separation of baptism from water. How they justify ignoring scripture when they want to is beyond me.
If the early Christians were concerned with "scoreboard" watching, they'd have remained heathens.
You're quite welcome to run with the pack.
Btw - what you characterized as my "distaste for the doctrine of other Christian denominations" is actually "disagreement"...
By chance are you Alan Colmes, Nacho?
Luther needed it so badly, he edited his Bible to provide it to himself.
Disagreement, it is then. And with due respect to the early Christians they suffered persecution and had their faith tasted in ways that I think few could now could appreciate or emulate.
My sincerest sympathies on the loss of your first child. There is a young couple in our parish who experienced the same tragedy. This was their first born son, Michael. The child had multiple birth defects. The young couple spared no expense to retain some of the top surgeons in this country. Over the span of 9 months, Michael underwent several procedures. Their last hope was a team of specialists at Boston Children's Hospital. Michael underwent 14 hours of surgery after which the doctors informed the young couple that every medical advance known to man had been used on their son but there was no way to correct the disabilities. On a beautiful summer day, Michael was placed in the loving arms of his mother and the life support equipment was disconnected. He died peacefully snuggled against her soft bossom.
Throughout the pregnancy, birth, and 9 month roller coaster ride from one hospital to another, the young couple and their son drew sustenance from the prayerful support of their faith community. Michael's funeral is one I will never forget. Family members from other states arrived, along with priests and deacons to assist at the funeral Mass. The parish community joined its prayers with those of the bereaved parents and relatives. But it did not end there. For months afterwards, memorial masses were offered up for Michael. This brought great comfort to the young couple as they recognized the love we all had for them and their son. One year later, the young couple brought another life into this world - a boy! And this year, they welcomed a daughter! And the parish celebrated the baptisms of their children while still offering up an annual memorial mass for Michael.
What supports us all is knowing that Jesus meets us in the Eucharist. In all Catholic Churches around the world, there burns a lamp before a golden box, a reminder that He also waits for us in the Tabernacle. He left us His own testimony:
'I am the bread of life. Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. This is the bread which comes down from heaven, that a man may eat of it and not die. I am the living bread which came down from heaven; if any one eats of this bread, he will live for ever; and the bread which I shall give for the life of the world is my flesh. The Jews then disputed among themselves, saying, ‘How can this man give us his flesh to eat?' So Jesus said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink his blood, you have no life in you; he who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. For my flesh is food indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him” (John 6:48-56).
He also waits to come to you. To St. Faustina, our Lord said: I desire to unite Myself to human souls, Know, My daughter, that when I come to a human heart in Holy Communion, My hands are full of all kinds of graces which I want to give to the soul.
Why not give our Lord that opportunity to unite Himself to you - Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity.
Yes I do...
James 2:17 So faith by itself, if it has no works, is dead.
Eph 2:8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
Eph 2:9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.
I don't have a problem with any of those verses...But what do you do with those verses in Ephesians??? Are they a complete mystery to you???
You skipped James 2:24. Not by faith alone.
But what do you do with those verses in Ephesians???
Just as Catholics believe. You get grace through faith, but there's nothing about faith alone.
Eph 2:9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.
Catholic belief is in agreement. Works of man are of no avail. Doing the will of God is another story.
Not at all. We even believe James 2:24. Is "not by faith alone" a complete mystery to you?
Whom do you imagine believes they can save themselves through works?
Think of it this way. Let's say I am a painter. I tell everyone that I'm a painter, I wear shirts declaring that I'm a painter, and I attend seminars and sermons about painting. However when I'm asked to see one of my paintings and I have no "works" produced, than I am not really a painter but a hypocrite.
And if I have a gallery full of paintings, my works, then I do not need to tell anyone that I'm a painter...my works speak for themselves.
It's the same with faith. We can declare our faith from the tops of the roofs, say the right words, believe in the right doctrine, wear the right clothes and attend all the sermons, masses, classes, etc. that are available. But with out the works of our faith being manifest, our faith is dead...empty...without any meaning.
Yet if we show our works openly, then we do not need to declare our faith, after all it is shown in our works.
No disagreement.
Thanks for your thoughtful post. Much “food for thought.”
Militant
Man! American priests get a ten dollar Mass stipend for every day?
Here in Germany they get $6.50. Those Yankees need to learn how to spread the wealth!
Man! American priests get a ten dollar Mass stipend for every day?
Here in Germany they get $6.50. Those Yankees need to learn how to spread the wealth!
Anyone and everyone who thinks faith alone isn't enough to save you...
False. You failed logic.
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