I am definitely discussing the "proper roles of Scripture and Tradition, as is the topic". Of course you are. I apologize, -- I only meant to prevent the usual sidetracking into mariology, which for some reason excites people too much and all such threads look alike. It is wholly understandable to discuss Mary too, just that I want the thread to be primarily about what the head article is about.
When individuals have the same holy power over their destinations that the church claims, the church must be just another organization.
The Catholic or Orthodox do not disagree that the individual reaches final justification based on what he individually does. Indeed, this follows from the "Kingdom is within you" verses that you cite so often. But you seem to read these two verses and discard everything else. I read these verses. I do not discard them. But I also read the scripture that describes the Church that I offered to you, -- the Matthew "bind and loose" passage, and the entire spirit of 1 Corinthians, and Timothy, and Titus. Moroeover, I showed you (maybe on the Rome thread) that some aspects of the Kingdom of God are social and not pertaining to the individual. As a Catohlic I cannot take just a few verses I like and build a theology on them alone.
The Catholic teaching on the Baptism is that anyone can baptize if a priest is not available, ad that specifically Protestant Baptism (excepting some far-off denominations) is valid. Protestant converts are not re-baptized. So on this score you probalby won't disagree as it is one case where the priestly function is not necessary (marriage is another). Further, we teach that thus defined baptism accepts one into the Catholic Church and washes off his original sin, as well as all personal sin up to that point. But it does not guarantee eventual salvation and it does nto protect from committing future personal sin. We believe that it is Christ who baptizes and the will of either the sponsor or the baptizee himself is sufficient; for that reason, it is possible to baptize an infant. We do require repentance and a statement of faith in an adult who gets baptized.
Most of it is tradition, as the specifics of baptism are not elaborated upon in the Scripture, and what is said about it we adhere to.
Who judges that it was or was not in Jesus' orderly fashion when He did [effect the adoption of St. John by Mary]?
The scripture indicates that it was next to last word of Christ before death, so to think that it was some trivial economic arrangement would be strange. Also, St. James was related to Mary and would have been a natural caretaker. Also, Mary is likened to any other disciple who "keeps the word" in two other passages in the gospels, so the familial connection between Mary and the body of the disciples is a scriptural fact. Of course, the Church decides how to interpret this, just like with anything else.
The reason I use those two verses is because they pretty much sum up the scriptural relationship of man and God, and man's access to God. They reflect the spirit of the rest of the scriptures, and indeed, our observation of ourselves and the world around us. I believe that the foundational things of human spirituality written of in the Bible can be observed in every day life.
Let me say, if my seeming truculence has you fooled, that I find most every Catholic I meet good folks, grounded in the things of the spirit. I expect, and know I will see, them standing shoulder to shoulder with me and mine when we face the evil of Islam. In the final analysis, we are all brothers in Christ and make up His body.
I agree on your writing about baptism. I do think that to baptize, the one must be on the true path to the Kingdom and hold the teachings of Christ sincerely in his heart, and so must the baptized. And that's all that's needed.
I don't think statements of repentance are much good. Repentance of past sins before receiving Christ is a long process, and only when the truth of your behavior come clear do you feel that gut wrenching need to fall on your face and confess your wrongness, and it that state can you be open for forgiveness. The forgiveness is what matters. Only then are you clean.
In my experience, you hurt when you've realized your past wrong, and when you repent, you actually feel the forgiveness of Christ come to you.
As for Jesus charging a disciple with the car of His mother, it don't see how, even if He waited to the last minute, it confers anything other that her as His mother to her. In at least three other scriptures, there is the appearance that he didn't esteem her greater than any other that came to him to learn the ways of God.
You could even interpret this act on the tree interpret like that. I don't believe that that, though. I believed Jesus loved His mother, and acknowledged that the Holy Spirit used he to build His earthly body.
I don't believe that accorded her status to be prayed to, or worshiped in any way, which acts of faith are reserved for Him and His Father. I think the Catholic church leadership errs in that, and errs in arrogance.
And we must remember Paul's opinion, which I happen to share. Of faith, hope and charity, charity is the greatest, and no matter what miracles you do, if you can't love with pure agape love, you are not alive, just your body.
