Posted on 01/06/2013 3:56:49 PM PST by NYer
Yup. The RCC knows that if their parishioners debate with non-Catholics, they'll risk hearing the truth.
Can't have that happening. They'll end up leaving the church and cut into the financial base.
His *agenda*????
Really????
Just when you think you've heard it all....
The Holy Spirit directed men in the writing of the Bible.
What was recognized as Scripture was recognized as such before the RCC came into existence. The most the Catholic church can maybe take credit for is compiling it and giving it its stamp of approval, which is really meaningless. Anyone could have compiled it.
And lots of people give the Bible their stamp of approval. Even cults like Mormonism pay lip service to Scripture so what they say is meaningless.
Nobody but Catholics thinks that the Catholic church's opinion on anything is significant.
Was this authority fallible or infallible?
Well, the Holy Spirit who breathed out the Scripture was infallible. The Catholic church which gave it its stamp of approval has proved itself to be more than fallible on more occasions than Catholics care to admit.
That's what official Catholic teaching says.....
This is from the Catechism of the Catholic Church, copied and pasted from the official Vatican website.
This is what Catholics appeal to and go by over Scripture.
http://www.vatican.va/archive/ccc_css/archive/catechism/p123a9p3.htm
"Outside the Church there is no salvation"
846 How are we to understand this affirmation, often repeated by the Church Fathers?335 Re-formulated positively, it means that all salvation comes from Christ the Head through the Church which is his Body:
Basing itself on Scripture and Tradition, the Council teaches that the Church, a pilgrim now on earth, is necessary for salvation: the one Christ is the mediator and the way of salvation; he is present to us in his body which is the Church. He himself explicitly asserted the necessity of faith and Baptism, and thereby affirmed at the same time the necessity of the Church which men enter through Baptism as through a door. Hence they could not be saved who, knowing that the Catholic Church was founded as necessary by God through Christ, would refuse either to enter it or to remain in it.336
847 This affirmation is not aimed at those who, through no fault of their own, do not know Christ and his Church:
Those who, through no fault of their own, do not know the Gospel of Christ or his Church, but who nevertheless seek God with a sincere heart, and, moved by grace, try in their actions to do his will as they know it through the dictates of their conscience - those too may achieve eternal salvation.337
And some examples of papal pronouncements reiterated repeatedly over the years.
Here's the link and just SOME of the quotes from the popes.
Extra Ecclesiam nulla salus
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Extra_Ecclesiam_nulla_salus
Fourth Lateran Council (1215): "There is but one universal Church of the faithful, outside which no one at all is saved."
Pope Boniface VIII, Bull Unam sanctam (1302): "We are compelled in virtue of our faith to believe and maintain that there is only one holy Catholic Church, and that one is apostolic. This we firmly believe and profess without qualification. Outside this Church there is no salvation and no remission of sins, the Spouse in the Canticle proclaiming: 'One is my dove, my perfect one. One is she of her mother, the chosen of her that bore her' (Canticle of Canticles 6:8); which represents the one mystical body whose head is Christ, of Christ indeed, as God. And in this, 'one Lord, one faith, one baptism' (Ephesians 4:5). Certainly Noah had one ark at the time of the flood, prefiguring one Church which perfect to one cubit having one ruler and guide, namely Noah, outside of which we read all living things were destroyed… We declare, say, define, and pronounce that it is absolutely necessary for the salvation of every human creature to be subject to the Roman Pontiff."
Pope Eugene IV, Cantate Domino (1441): "The most Holy Roman Church firmly believes, professes and preaches that none of those existing outside the Catholic Church, not only pagans, but also Jews and heretics and schismatics, can have a share in life eternal; but that they will go into the "eternal fire which was prepared for the devil and his angels" (Matthew 25:41), unless before death they are joined with Her; and that so important is the unity of this ecclesiastical body that only those remaining within this unity can profit by the sacraments of the Church unto salvation, and they alone can receive an eternal recompense for their fasts, their almsgivings, their other works of Christian piety and the duties of a Christian soldier. No one, let his almsgiving be as great as it may, no one, even if he pour out his blood for the Name of Christ, can be saved, unless he remain within the bosom and the unity of the Catholic Church."
And there are lots more at the link.
A merciful God does not leave us hanging, wondering if we're saved and if we did enough good works, and with an on again/ off again salvation depending on whether or not we sinned after going to confession.
That's not mercy, that's a taskmaster.
Are protestants evil?
According to some Catholic opinion, Protestantism needs to be eradicated.
There is no distinction. God doesn't allow for it even if the Catholic church does.
Jesus certainly didn't put up with it.
Matthew 23:1-12 Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples, 2 “The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses' seat, 3 so do and observe whatever they tell you, but not the works they do. For they preach, but do not practice. 4 They tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on people's shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to move them with their finger. 5 They do all their deeds to be seen by others. For they make their phylacteries broad and their fringes long, 6 and they love the place of honor at feasts and the best seats in the synagogues 7 and greetings in the marketplaces and being called rabbi by others.
8 But you are not to be called rabbi, for you have one teacher, and you are all brothers. 9 And call no man your father on earth, for you have one Father, who is in heaven. 10 Neither be called instructors, for you have one instructor, the Christ. 11 The greatest among you shall be your servant. 12 Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.
Titus 1:5-16 5 This is why I left you in Crete, so that you might put what remained into order, and appoint elders in every town as I directed you— 6 if anyone is above reproach, the husband of one wife, and his children are believers and not open to the charge of debauchery or insubordination.
7 For an overseer, as God's steward, must be above reproach. He must not be arrogant or quick-tempered or a drunkard or violent or greedy for gain, 8 but hospitable, a lover of good, self-controlled, upright, holy, and disciplined. 9 He must hold firm to the trustworthy word as taught, so that he may be able to give instruction in sound doctrine and also to rebuke those who contradict it.
10 For there are many who are insubordinate, empty talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision party. 11 They must be silenced, since they are upsetting whole families by teaching for shameful gain what they ought not to teach. 12 One of the Cretans, a prophet of their own, said, “Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons.” 13 This testimony is true. Therefore rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith, 14 not devoting themselves to Jewish myths and the commands of people who turn away from the truth. 15 To the pure, all things are pure, but to the defiled and unbelieving, nothing is pure; but both their minds and their consciences are defiled. 16 They profess to know God, but they deny him by their works. They are detestable, disobedient, unfit for any good work.
1 Corinthians 5:1-13 It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and of a kind that is not tolerated even among pagans, for a man has his father's wife. 2 And you are arrogant! Ought you not rather to mourn? Let him who has done this be removed from among you.
3 For though absent in body, I am present in spirit; and as if present, I have already pronounced judgment on the one who did such a thing. 4 When you are assembled in the name of the Lord Jesus and my spirit is present, with the power of our Lord Jesus, 5 you are to deliver this man to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord.
6 Your boasting is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump? 7 Cleanse out the old leaven that you may be a new lump, as you really are unleavened. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed. 8 Let us therefore celebrate the festival, not with the old leaven, the leaven of malice and evil, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.
9 I wrote to you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people— 10 not at all meaning the sexually immoral of this world, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters, since then you would need to go out of the world. 11 But now I am writing to you not to associate with anyone who bears the name of brother if he is guilty of sexual immorality or greed, or is an idolater, reviler, drunkard, or swindler—not even to eat with such a one. 12 For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Is it not those inside the church whom you are to judge? 13 God judges those outside. “Purge the evil person from among you.”
That's very similar to worthless...
Interesting. When non-Catholic clergy or ministers get caught in immorality, they are absolutely castigated for it. Think Jim Bakker.
And recently another Catholic was absolutely shredding Martin Luther for being so immoral as to get married.
But when the inexcusably heinous and reprehensible conduct of high level Catholic clergy through the ages is addressed, well, nobody is perfect and we have to separate the man from his office.
Sounds a lot like the excuses liberals used for Bill Clinton, doesn’t it?
A man who does not have the moral integrity to control his own lust and behavior has no business being in any position of authority over others, especially in matters of faith and MORALS.
But I still don’t doubt it will be lost on Catholics. They’ve been too indoctrinated to see it objectively.
I wonder just where them Protestants came up with THAT idea???
Matthew 19:9
“And I say to you, whoever divorces his wife, except for immorality, and marries another woman commits adultery.”
Oh, you poor, poor man(?)!
I think I have read your book though: 
Amazingly; FR history shows that this admonition was NEVER given to cereal boy!
Ok then.
You, however, may continue to tell US what we do or don't.
Carry on.
Uh...
...the fellow who starts and stops the merry-go-round?
It's a ride for kids where you go round and around and around and around...
...in a circle; doncha know.
Don’t forget about *annulment*, aka Catholic church sanctioned divorce.
They’ll even grant it to couples who’ve had a number of children.
They seem to not realize what makes a marriage in God’s eyes.
Why did you leave out the THIRD possibly?
That Sacred Tradition ain't so SACRED after all...
That's EXACTLY like MORMONism claiming the rituals that THEY do in their Temples are sacred.
They cannot be found in ANY of their 'scripture' either.
It depends on how far back you go. I was read St. John Chrysostom the other day and he welcomed people reading the scripture and engaging in discussions. About 600 years later they didn't want anyone questioning their decisions.
If my brother won't listen to the Seventh Day Adventists, should I treat him as a pagan or tax collector?
If my brother won't listen to the Presbyterians, should I treat him as a pagan or tax collector?
If my brother won't listen to the Baptists, should I treat him as a pagan or tax collector?
If my brother won't listen to the Lutherans, should I treat him as a pagan or tax collector?
If my brother won't listen to the Fundamentalists, should I treat him as a pagan or tax collector?
Are any of these "the church" that Christ founded? If not, why should I listen to them?
Not only do these churches contradict each other, they have all contradicted themselves over time. Only the Catholic Church possesses a non-contradictory body of Teaching, and the Authority given by Christ to teach authoritatively.
The fella on the OTHER side of the merry-go-round.
And NONE of them 'lead' the biggest church in the world.
Pope Stephen VI (896–897), who had his predecessor Pope Formosus exhumed, tried, de-fingered, briefly reburied, and thrown in the Tiber.[1]
Pope John XII (955–964), who gave land to a mistress, murdered several people, and was killed by a man who caught him in bed with his wife.
Pope Benedict IX (1032–1044, 1045, 1047–1048), who "sold" the Papacy
Pope Boniface VIII (1294–1303), who is lampooned in Dante's Divine Comedy
Pope Urban VI (1378–1389), who complained that he did not hear enough screaming when Cardinals who had conspired against him were tortured.[2]
Pope Alexander VI (1492–1503), a Borgia, who was guilty of nepotism and whose unattended corpse swelled until it could barely fit in a coffin.[3]
Pope Leo X (1513–1521), a spendthrift member of the Medici family who once spent 1/7 of his predecessors' reserves on a single ceremony[4]
Pope Clement VII (1523–1534), also a Medici, whose power-politicking with France, Spain, and Germany got Rome sacked.
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