See, many non-Roman Catholic Catholics (ie: Protestants), already know the power of the Holy Spirit and the saving grace of Jesus. There are hundreds of millions in 'Christendom' who DO NOT know His Power and Love. As the Catholic Church (for ease of explanation, I'll refer to it as the Christian church) continues to shrink in' Christendom, would it not be prudent to try to grow the believers, rather than try to 'convert' the already saved?
It is easy for a Roman Catholic to 'let rip' on a Protestant and just as easy for a Protestant to 'let rip' on a Roman Catholic, the secret being, both are filled with sinners who will continue to sin, like both you and I, until they are perfected after they physically die. 'The World' sees such things merely as infighting amongst the Christians, making us not 'set apart' from 'the world', no different from 'the world'. Actions like that turn our 'pleasing aroma of Jesus' into the smell of death. You are free to post whatever the moderators allow, but ask yourself this: If posting a piece that baits a Protestant, bringing infighting that causes a 'seeker' to turn back instead of commit to Jesus, do you suppose this pleases the Lord? Of course, the same question applies to a Protestant that posts a comment that baits a Roman Catholic.
There many things that Roman Catholics disagree with concerning Protestantism and there are many things that Protestants disagree with concerning Roman Catholicism. There are a great many MORE things that we AGREE on! Instead of focusing on the divisive, which will hinder evangelisation, why not focus on the common beliefs, to build up one another?
That was BEAUTIFUL. THANK YOU!
Instead of focusing on the divisive, which will hinder evangelisation, why not focus on the common beliefs, to build up one another?
Unfortunately, protestantism cannot define itself apart from Catholicism. It is by design oppositional. If protestantism was merely an affirmation of Christ this would not be an issue. Unfortunately the rejection of the Catholic Church is inherent in its being. It always will be.
Even in their worship and praise of Christ there is the backhanded slap to Catholicism. This makes it very difficult to make common cause with protestants apart from the deep and fundamental theological issues that separate us. And in today's modern world the protestant, in an attempt to generate goodwill, takes the relativistic approach of, "we have so much in common." I don't think so. We cannot forsake Truth for some nebulous notion of tactical advantage for the sake of the nonbeliever.
Thank you poster #9 !
There's the catch. Catholics don't think that non-Catholics are already saved.
Here are two current threads on that very topic.
How Can Protestants Be Saved?
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/religion/3159872/posts
Protestants Need to Convert (and Bad Catholics need to Revert)
Well said. Instead of the circular firing squads, let us set our sights on the millions who need to hear of the saving love of God in Christ Jesus.
Very well stated.
May Christ increase, and denominations decrease.
Let us “preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles.”
Let us boast not about our denominational affiliation, but “in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.”
Because we MUST root OUT heresy!!!
--Catholic_Wannabe_Dude(I do NOT have rabies!)
Very excellent post. We Christians need to focus on spreading the Good News and getting back together as Jesus wished we would.