Posted on 08/11/2008 4:58:31 PM PDT by annalex
Previously posted:
On Salvation Outside the Catholic Church
The Great Heresies
SALVATION PAST, PRESENT, AND FUTURE
JUSTIFICATION IN CATHOLIC TEACHING
Hermits and Solitaries [Ecumenical]
THE PRIESTHOOD DEBATE
RIGHTEOUSNESS AND MERIT
A Well-Rounded Pope [Ecumenical]
A Monastery to Last 1,000 Years [Ecumenical]
Explaining Purgatory from a New Testament Perspective [Ecumenical]
In the Crosshairs of the Canon [How We Got The Bible] [Ecumenical]
'An Ordinance Forever' - The Biblical Origins of the Mass [Ecumenical]
Beginning Catholic: Church Authority In Scripture [Ecumenical]
Beginning Catholic: Catholic Tradition: Life in the Spirit [Ecumenical]
Christian Atheism
Vatican plea to uncover Virgin Mary and show her breast-feeding baby Jesus
Why do Catholics have to confess their sins to a priest instead of praying straight to God? [Ecu]
Our Times: The Age of Martyrs
The Eucharist - the Lord's Sacrifice, Banquet and Presence
Beginning Catholic: Catholic Morality: Life in Christ [Ecumenical]
Chosen In Him: The Catholic Teaching on Predestination [Ecumenical]
The Sacraments [Ecumenical]
Beginning Catholic: A Strong Start in the Faith: The Catholic RCIA Stages [Ecumenical]
Beginning Catholic: The RCIA Inquiry Stage In the Catholic Church [Ecumenical]
Catholic Art
Evangelicals: Change of Heart toward Catholics
Beginning Catholic: The Creed Of The People Of God: The Essentials/Catholic Belief [Ecumenical]
lol good luck with that.
Why is this addressed to Stephen Baldwin, of all people?
True, the Catholic Church, though a repository of wonderful Christian Thought and History, is rather poor at Evangelism.
For my view, this is a function of the broken offices of the Church today, a Evangelist leads to Christ, a Teacher instructs, today there is a gulf between the two...sadly.
I’m sorry; I just looked at this a few times and don’t see what the problem is. What did Baldwin do/not do to p*ss off the author?
I’m a former Catholic, and have been yelled at (so to speak) on this site many times. But I have a question I’d like answered, if anyone cares to respond.
Does the Catholic church stand by John 14:6 “I am the way, the truth and the life; no man come to the Father but by Me”?
So many so-called Catholics I know state that it doesn’t really matter what one believes, as long as you’re a “good person” and believe in “something”. I kid you not. And these are regular churchgoers.
Can anyone tell me what the Catholic Church actually believes/teaches on this subject (which, of course, should be central to the Christian faith)? I am hoping the Catholics I know are just dolts and not indicative of today’s Catholic faith.
Thanks in advance.
I’m sure Baldwin is quaking with fear at the thought that some anonymous internet poster doesn’t think he’s a good Christian.
I’m not sure Joann37, I’m not a Roman Catholic.
Yes I agree. Singling out someone like Baldwin for what purpose? To suggest he isn’t a “true” Christian? To suggest unless he becomes a Catholic he isn’t entitled to God’s full grace or indeed that he isn’t truly Christian? Nonsense. This kind of sectarianism is counter-productive. To pit “Protestantism” against Catholicism in this fashion is unhelpful and smacks of religious chauvinism of the worst kind. I’d say to the writer: please write a letter to the other Baldwin (we all know which one) encouraging him to seek Christ rather than “outing” a Christian man who lives and works in very difficult and anti-Christian industry.
Joann37,
The Catholics you know are just dolts.
You wrote:
“Does the Catholic church stand by John 14:6 “I am the way, the truth and the life; no man come to the Father but by Me”?”
Yes. The Church has always stood by that. Anyone who gets to heaven gets there because of Christ and His grace and no other reason.
“Continuing in this line of thought, the Church’s proclamation of Jesus Christ, “the way, the truth, and the life” (Jn 14:6), today also makes use of the practice of inter-religious dialogue. Such dialogue certainly does not replace, but rather accompanies the missio ad gentes, directed toward that “mystery of unity”, from which “it follows that all men and women who are saved share, though differently, in the same mystery of salvation in Jesus Christ through his Spirit”.5”
“Faithful to God’s word, the Second Vatican Council teaches: “By this revelation then, the deepest truth about God and the salvation of man shines forth in Christ, who is at the same time the mediator and the fullness of all revelation”.9”
http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/cfaith/documents/rc_con_cfaith_doc_20000806_dominus-iesus_en.html
You think? Interesting analysis of the inner workings of the Catholic Church.
In my particular stream of Christianity, I see a gulf between teachers/ pastors/ evangelists, and prophets/ apostles. Many in the first camp don’t even recognize the existence of those in the second camp!
I guess we all have our issues. Meanwhile, some prefer to criticise guys like Stephen Baldwin instead of joining him in communicating the grace of Christ to the lost.
Singling out Stephen Baldwin makes perfect sense and doesn’t smack of chauvinism at all:
1) He is already a Christian, a recent convert, and has expressed an opneness to dialogue on Christian issues.
2) To bring someone to the fullness of Christian truth is not chauvinism - it’s just common sense and charitable.
3) As the letter says, “I write to you as one Christian to another in order to share with you the opportunity to experience a deeper dimension of intimacy with our Lord and Savior.” That is not chauvinism. It is a desirable Christian charity.
4) Also, your last point about converting the other Baldwins is off base. The Baldwin family is clearly a dissenting Catholic family. If Stephen Baldwin were to return to Catholicism with the zealousness of a convert, he would strongly encourage his whole family to return to the faith they clearly have abandoned. It would be a faith they are familiar with, but have fallen away from. Convert Stephen Baldwin and the whole family might convert. No joke. A friend of mine wanted to know why I was so interested in his conversion (he was a fallen away Mormon turned atheist). I told him plainly: if he converted, not only would mean all the difference in the world to him, but he would convert hundreds of others in his life time. He was taken aback. He later converted. He is now heading up a Catholic radio ministry and is converting others.
Vladimir, thank you so much for your response.
I am going to write to the local archdiocese and tell them what these clowns I know are saying. I am going to name the churches each of these people attend, so that the powers that be can notify these people that there was a true purpose for Jesus dying on the cross for us.
I know this should be obvious to Christians of ALL denominations, but it apparently is not. Again, thanks for your response.
Joann
He didn't roll over immediately and convert to Catholicism.
Loon!
Respectful dialogue is done man to man not by playing politics over a magazine or the internet. True dialogue doesn't need impersonal letter writing. I question the sincerity and purpose of someone who doesn't have the integrity to speak to him personally or write him personally before he engages in advertising his position.
2) To bring someone to the fullness of Christian truth is not chauvinism - it’s just common sense and charitable.
Again, sincerity of dialogue is achieved by personal association not some advertising campaign for Catholic theology.
3) As the letter says, “I write to you as one Christian to another in order to share with you the opportunity to experience a deeper dimension of intimacy with our Lord and Savior.” That is not chauvinism. It is a desirable Christian charity.
Christian charity is achieved through a letter published openly and now on the Internet? Is that what you call charity? I call it propaganda and impersonal despite the putative sincerity.
4) Also, your last point about converting the other Baldwins is off base. The Baldwin family is clearly a dissenting Catholic family. If Stephen Baldwin were to return to Catholicism with the zealousness of a convert, he would strongly encourage his whole family to return to the faith they clearly have abandoned. It would be a faith they are familiar with, but have fallen away from. Convert Stephen Baldwin and the whole family might convert. No joke. A friend of mine wanted to know why I was so interested in his conversion (he was a fallen away Mormon turned atheist). I told him plainly: if he converted, not only would mean all the difference in the world to him, but he would convert hundreds of others in his life time. He was taken aback. He later converted. He is now heading up a Catholic radio ministry and is converting others.
I guess it would be redundant for me to answer this one given my position above.
Funny you should ask...
Just about every religious group gets a path to Heaven from the Catholic Church, but at the same time you'll find that anti-Catholics and "seperated brethren" are hell-bound.
I would write to the people involved. The archbishop isn’t going to know you from Adam. You might come across as a crank to be honest. The best thing to do is to write to the people you know, explain what’s going on, and invite them to read the Church’s own catechism or the document I linked to. Also, pray for them. Everybody needs prayers.
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