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To: HarleyD
"If you have free will, then why don’t you do God’s will every single moment of your Christian life?"

As Catholics we do not accept Total Deprivation as described by Calvin. While we concede that there is a deprivation of original holiness, we believe that human nature has not been totally corrupted.

Through original sin human nature is wounded and inclined to sin. We call that inclination concupiscence". However, the sanctifying Grace of Baptism erases original sin and turns a man back towards God, but our nature remains weakened and inclined to sin requiring a state of spiritual battle.

562 posted on 04/04/2012 3:06:40 PM PDT by Natural Law (If you love the Catholic Church raise your hands, if not raise your standards.)
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To: Natural Law
As Catholics we do not accept Total Deprivation as described by Calvin. While we concede that there is a deprivation of original holiness, we believe that human nature has not been totally corrupted. Through original sin human nature is wounded and inclined to sin.

Calvin never came up with the term "Total Deprivation" or Total Depravity that I'm aware of. Total Depravity is simply a term that states Calvin's principle that man is unable to initiate the calling of God to salvation. God must initiate the calling. The reason we beleive is simply because man's heart is constantly inclined to do evil things as we see from Genesis 6:5 (and many other verses). It will never seek God.

Now I understand the Catholics' position that the sanctifying "Grace of Baptism" erases original sin and turns a man back towards God. But how is man initially to be turned back to God if he's never been baptized into the "Grace of Baptism"? And without this initialization, he will never have his original sin erased.

Something always has to happen prior to man ever doing anything. And I have yet to hear one Christian tell me that God did not saved them. In testimony after testimony I constantly hear, "I was doing (fill in the blank) and then God (fill in the blank)". Deep down, in a Christian heart, they know the truth that without God they would never have been drawn to Him.

574 posted on 04/05/2012 4:04:11 AM PDT by HarleyD
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