Posted on 04/14/2005 12:00:51 PM PDT by Dean Baker
I saw another post responding to your question, "What about the Jews?"
The response was --- well, they go to Heaven just because they are the chosen people.
I hope this is true (as a Jew who converted to Christianity worried about my kinfolk), but I don't think it is Biblically the most safe answer.
The Jews, are, of course heirs of Abraham and the promise. No doubt about that. Theologically, Chrisitans are heirs to that promise by being adopted into the family.
BUT, Paul (and Jesus) talked at length about how quick God was to break off branched from the vine . . . that is, reject Jews who failed to accept Christ.
So opinions differ.
no... Priests/Ministers DO have power not available to anyone else... the can MARRY people and YOU not I can't, they can Baptize babies where we can only do it in an emergency etc... so there are things only they can do.
Protestants maintain that belief is the sole criteria for salvation. While good behavior is a logic consequence of belief, it is not of any value. Catholics have a different position on free will that enables them to say that good works and holy living are spitirually valuable.
Good works and Holy living ARE spiritually valuable... if only to the one who believes it...
i can't help but believe that the Trinity doesn't look on those who truly try to help their brothers and sisters more kindly than those who could care less what happens to them... that's where pergatory comes in... the better life you lead here the less time you'll spend there before going to Heaven!!!
but then again... that's just me 8^)
Of all the things I hear from Protestants that I disagree with -- and believe me there are multitudes -- this is the stupidest one out there.
They don't believe you can call a priest 'father'. They don't believe you can call your father 'father'. They presumably object to the one-hit wonder "Daddy Dewdrop" and refuse to listed to his song.
I'm all about polite disagreement, but ign'ant is ign'ant!
Jesus promised the APOSTLES in John 14 and in John 16 that he would send the Holy Spirit to guide them into ALL truth (obviously spiritual truth), and bring to their remembrance all that he had said to them. In 2 Peter 1:3 Peter said that by the time he wrote that God had granted ALL things that pertain unto life and godliness. So Jesus did what he said he would do. In Jude, verse 3, Jude said that Christians should earnestly contend for THE faith once for all delivered to the saints. (All Christians are saints -- too many passages to cite) Over and over the New Testament writers claimed that the complete gospel was given in the first century. Paul said that if anyone, even himself or an angel from heaven, should preach any other gospel than that which was delivered in the first century, "let him be eternally destroyed." (Galatians 1:6-9) Jesus had earlier said (Matthew 15) that if anyone teaches the traditions of men instead of the teachings of God, that his worship is vain -- useless. The question that Bible believers need to ask and answer is this, "Am I teaching the gospel as found in the scripture, or am I adding to it, deleting from it, or otherwise perverting it?" Along these same lines, Is the Catholic Church, or any other church for that matter, teaching the APOSTOLIC faith or are they teaching the uninspired doctrines of men that originated after the apostles' day? We have no God-given authority to teach anything that is not in the scriptures -- no matter what any council, or synod, or self-styled inspired man may say.
That pastor is the Ann Coulter/Michale Moore of the Baptist faith.
Well, Hindus believe in stories much older than that, so clearly more than the hands of time are required to make something true.
Whatever the name might have meant at one time, I am told that Allah is simply Arabic for "God," and that Allah is the name used for God in Arabic translations of the Bible. Can someone confirm this?
That's a wonderful thought. But where did this grace come from before Jesus shed his blood on the cross? Mary was sinless since she was "full of grace" prior to the Crucifixion based again, on the Bible.
Do the hands of time make it false?
Hmmm...
Leads to another question...
Why do Jews practice differently? If they're all guaranteed spots in Heaven, why go to the trouble of being especially "Religious"? (If that makes sense?)
I am guessing the answer is that it makes them happy, or content while here on earth. Which, personally, is why I respect all those of different faiths..."Whatever makes them happy is fine with me".
Much of their teachings came from the merging of Catholicism with the Roman Babylonian Brotherhood. Mary didn't show up on the scene until 250 years after Christs Crucifixion. The rosary came years after that. It's two religions merged into one. That's why many of the things they do aren't mentioned or required in the Bible. The Church rituals are handed down through generations.
Well, they've certainly put their Christian love out for all to see.
God is not limited by a linear flow of time as we are.
The following are my opinions formed as a Baptist who grew up in Lousiana with some close Catholic friends.
I don't think it's very widespread. But there are a few in most communities that are staunchly "anti-Catholic" and there are a greater number who are just uncomfortable with some of the Catholic traditions. Those stauch anti-Catholics include a few small cults whose main teachings seem to be anti-catholic, people who have
I think most Christian scholars who have looked at the issue understand that the Catholic church has a correct understanding of the nature of God and God's plan of salvation. Those two are the critical doctrines that Christian denominations look at to determine if other groups are truly "Christian" or not.
Groups that distort the nature of God or the plan of salvation such as Jehovah's withnesses, Mormons, Seventh Day Adventists are deemed outside of Christianity, whereas Catholicism is considered a part of Christianity.
The traditions that cause some Protestants angst with regard to Catholics include:
Well, not exactly. (I wish; I am an ethnic Jew.)
To quote Paul on this topic:
. . . For not all who are descended from Israel are Israel. Nor because they are his descendants are they all Abraham's children. On the contrary, It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned. In other words, it is not the natural children who are God's children, but it is the children of the promise who are regarded as Abraham's offspring . . .
To make a long theological point very short, Christians are adopted into the promise, and Jews, while still the Chosen People, don't necessarily get the benfit of the promise, post-Christ, unless they accept Christ just like everyone else.
(Reverend)
LOL! My wife would probably disagree with you about that Title. She might say Wanna-Be.
I am NO Reverend. Just a man saved from hell. Trying to be used by the Lord when I can.
I had one "Born Again" Christain once tell me...
"In the end (I guess he means the end of times?) we all become Jews".
I think he was refering to those who accepted Christ as their Lord and Savior when he said "All".
This was after I had asked him what happened to the Jews since they didn't believe in Jesus.
"merging of Catholicism with the Roman Babylonian Brotherhood"
May I ask for your source on that?
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