The real dividing line of Christians

Rorate Caeli ^ | September 12, 2010 | Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk

[Brian Kopp DPM]

Sunday, September 12, 2010

The real dividing line of Christians

Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk, chairman of the Department of External Church Relations of the Russian Orthodox Church, recently spoke under the auspices of Lambeth Palace's Nikæan Club, and his declarations included the following:

"All current versions of Christianity can be very conditionally divided into two major groups – traditional and liberal. The abyss that exists today divides not so much the Orthodox from the Catholics or the Catholics from the Protestants as it does the ‘traditionalists’ from the ‘liberals’. Some Christian leaders, for example, tell us that marriage between a man and a woman is no longer the only way of building a Christian family: there are other models and the Church should become appropriately ‘inclusive’ to recognize alternative behavioural standards and give them official blessing. Some try to persuade us that human life is no longer an absolute value; that it can be terminated in a mother’s womb or that one can terminate one’s life at will. Christian ‘traditionalists’ are being asked to reconsider their views under the slogan of keeping abreast with modernity." (Full text of the address.)

Tip: Settimo Cielo (In London, the Moscow Patriarchate smoothes the path for the Pope)

Labels: The Moscow Patriarchate

posted by New Catholic at 9:20 PM

[BenKenobi]

Except that I am a Catholic... ;)

[verdugo]

By what you wrote, you are a Protestant. You don’t know your own faith.

[BenKenobi]

How so?

[verdugo]

re:If by conservative you mean rejects homosexuality and abortion, then they will be saved.

No such teaching in the Catholic Church. Read below

re: So yes, I believe there is no salvation outside of the conservative church, because this is where I draw the line.

Where you draw the line is your own personal opinion, totally Protestant, and meaningless. The Catholic Church teaches dogmatically, in great detail, who may be saved, if they persevere to the end. Whether one is a "conservative who rejects homosexuality and abortion" does not say everything, there are countless other mortal sins, like using contraceptives, or divorce and re-marriage.

[BenKenobi]

“there are countless other mortal sins, like using contraceptives, or divorce and re-marriage.”

And your point? Someone who supports abortion and homosexuality has divided themselves from God and what he teaches. This is right in the catechism. Anyone who persists in this opinion will not be saved.

I don’t think you understand much about the Catholic church.

[Brian Kopp DPM]

the real dividing line is those that believe in a salvation of grace and a salvation of works.

Thank Heavens neither the Orthodox nor the Catholics believe the latter.

[verdugo]

THE POINT:

Anyone, that dies with ONE mortal sin on their soul, will not be saved. Scarcely anyone is saved today. Being a conservative against abortion & homosexuality is not enough.

In the great deluge in the days of Noah, all mankind perished, eight persons alone being saved in the Ark. In our days a deluge, not of water, but sins, continually inundates the earth, and out of this deluge very few escape. Scarcely anyone is saved. ( St. Alphonsus Liguori)

Among adults there are few saved because of the sins of the flesh....With exception of those who die in childhood, most men will be damned. (St. Remigius of Rheims)

If you only knew the women who will go to Hell because they did not bring into the world the children they should have given to it. ( St. John Vianney)

O ye atheists who do not believe in God, what fools you are! But if you do believe there is a God, you must also believe there is a true religion. And if not the Roman Catholic, which is it? Perhaps that of the pagans who admit many gods, thus they deny them all. Perhaps that of Mohammed, a religion invented by an impostor and framed for beasts rather than humans. Perhaps that of the Jews who had the true faith at one time but, because they rejected their redeemer, lost their faith, their country, their everything. Perhaps that of the heretics who, separating themselves from our Church, have confused all revealed dogmas in such a way that the belief of one heretic is contrary to that of his neighbor. O holy faith! Enlighten all those poor blind creatures who run to eternal perdition! (St. Alphonsus Liguori)

[BenKenobi]

Ok. Fair enough. I see your point. I hope you see mine.