The Church's Constant Teaching on our dealings with Non-Catholics

Catholic Apologetics ^ | Catholic Apologetics

[ebb tide]

Since it is recognized that it is extremely rare to find men entirely devoid of the religious sense, some people entertain the hope that nations [...] in spite of their differing religious viewpoints, may be brought to unite as brothers in the profession of certain doctrines as a common foundation of the spiritual life. [...] Certainly efforts such as these cannot receive the approbation of Catholics, for they rest on that false opinion which holds any opinion whatever to be more-or-less praiseworthy and good. [...] Those who hold this opinion are not only in gross error, they even debase the concept of true religion and, little by little, lapse into Naturalism and Atheism. [...] He who refuses to have the Church for his Mother will not have God for his Father. When St. Augustine speaks of man's last end, he hastens to add this counsel to any one who wishes to reach that end: "Their attempt will be useless if they do not submit to the Catholic Church, and humbly obey her, for she alone has been divinely instituted to give light and strength to souls, without which they will necessarily stray from the right path." Would to God they had listened to the voice of Augustine in the past! And would to God that everyone might hear him today who rends the seamless robe of Christ. and casts himself miserably outside the path of salvation. Pope Pius XI

[boatbums]

Conversely, watch who you CALL a prophet. They cannot be wrong. Not once.

BINGO!

[Elsie]

He who refuses to have the Church for his Mother will not have God for his Father.

And hugs and kisses to you; too!

[Elsie]

What is your objective in posting this? To rile up us Prots.

Why do we even give this agitator any of our time at all?

[Elsie]

I practice the same Faith that my Catholic predecssors, including the Saints, practiced.

ALL of them??

I thought those seven CATHOLIC churches that The angel told John to write to were different.

[Elsie]

Extra butter; if you please.

Oh; and make that a LARGE tub; too!

[ebb tide]

I’ve never cared about what you “think”.

[Elsie]

I remember that we could scroll from right to left, as well. Ah, those were the days.

Happy days are here again...

Here ya go... http://www.myspacegens.com/handler.php?gen=marquee

[Elsie]

I’ve never cared about what you “think”.

From your writings here; you don't seem to care much about what ANYONE but yourself thinks.

[Elsie]

... seven CATHOLIC churches that The angel told John to write to ...

It seems these Catholic houses of worship didn't read (evidently) the letter that the CATHOLIC church in Jerusalem wrote in ACTS 15.

[ebb tide]

No, I care about what the perennial Catholic Church, founded by Jesus Christ, teaches.

[ebb tide]

What’s your point?

Is is that you reject the Bible?

[boatbums]

Don't worry,...
Everyone should worry about his salvation.

Of course this was in reference to the topic of the thread which you seemed to even confirm that Catholicism SHOULD BE the religion imposed upon all in America. That is nothing but a pipe dream outside of when Jesus Christ ultimately establishes His kingdom upon the earth. The Roman Catholic church was wrong to force such upon people when she had the power of the sword and is just as wrong now when her children suggest it. Neither Jesus not His Apostles ever imposed their beliefs upon others under threat if one refused. Shake the dust off your feet, was the advice to follow when the truth was rejected repeatedly.

And, just for the record, I am NOT worried about my salvation especially since I left the Catholic church after learning about the true gospel of the grace of God. The gospel that tells me I can know I have eternal life when I believe in Jesus Christ as my Savior and Lord because of the grace of God who has gifted salvation to all those who would receive Him by faith. People who worry about their salvation are those who do not know that grace.

[ebb tide]

Presumption is a sin. So is pride.

[metmom]

We don’t need to worry when we have the promises of God Himself to us.

He has set us free from that bondage.

[Syncro]

“He who refuses to have the Church for his Mother will not have God for his Father.”-From the text of the article

Not that old meme!

What about the Catholics that say that the Catholic Mary is everyone’s mother?

I guess any Catholic can believe whatever they want.

[metmom]

There is no presuming or pride when God promises.

Believing that God is going to do what He promised is neither presumption nor pride.

It’s called *faith*, something that those who depend on works don’t exercise.

But then again, if I WERE depending on my own works, yes, I would indeed be worried about it.

So if someone is worried about their salvation, it is a pretty clear indicator that they are NOT trusting God.

[Syncro]

You don’t have to wait til mass to be forgiven.

Jesus invites you to His throne of Grace at any moment in your life.

He is waiting for you to confess the sins you stated and ask forgiveness.

He will give it to you before you are through asking.

Go ahead, it’s completely Biblical.

[af_vet_1981]

I reject that catechism. I only accept Catholic catechisms.

This is the CATECHISM OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH SECOND EDITION

Wounds to unity

817 In fact, "in this one and only Church of God from its very beginnings there arose certain rifts, which the Apostle strongly censures as damnable. But in subsequent centuries much more serious dissensions appeared and large communities became separated from full communion with the Catholic Church - for which, often enough, men of both sides were to blame."269 The ruptures that wound the unity of Christ's Body - here we must distinguish heresy, apostasy, and schism270 - do not occur without human sin:

Where there are sins, there are also divisions, schisms, heresies, and disputes. Where there is virtue, however, there also are harmony and unity, from which arise the one heart and one soul of all believers.271 818 "However, one cannot charge with the sin of the separation those who at present are born into these communities [that resulted from such separation] and in them are brought up in the faith of Christ, and the Catholic Church accepts them with respect and affection as brothers . . . . All who have been justified by faith in Baptism are incorporated into Christ; they therefore have a right to be called Christians, and with good reason are accepted as brothers in the Lord by the children of the Catholic Church."272

819 "Furthermore, many elements of sanctification and of truth"273 are found outside the visible confines of the Catholic Church: "the written Word of God; the life of grace; faith, hope, and charity, with the other interior gifts of the Holy Spirit, as well as visible elements."274 Christ's Spirit uses these Churches and ecclesial communities as means of salvation, whose power derives from the fullness of grace and truth that Christ has entrusted to the Catholic Church. All these blessings come from Christ and lead to him,275 and are in themselves calls to "Catholic unity."276

[ebb tide]

I go to Confession for forgiveness.

Completely biblical. Look it up.

[ebb tide]

The Church and non-Christians

“Those who have not yet received the Gospel are related to the People of God in various ways.”

The relationship of the Church with the Jewish People. When she delves into her own mystery, the Church, the People of God in the New Covenant, discovers her link with the Jewish People, “the first to hear the Word of God.” The Jewish faith, unlike other non-Christian religions, is already a response to God’s revelation in the Old Covenant. To the Jews “belong the sonship, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the worship, and the promises; to them belong the patriarchs, and of their race, according to the flesh, is the Christ”, “for the gifts and the call of God are irrevocable.”

And when one considers the future, God’s People of the Old Covenant and the new People of God tend towards similar goals: expectation of the coming (or the return) of the Messiah. But one awaits the return of the Messiah who died and rose from the dead and is recognized as Lord and Son of God; the other awaits the coming of a Messiah, whose features remain hidden till the end of time; and the latter waiting is accompanied by the drama of not knowing or of misunderstanding Christ Jesus.

The Church’s relationship with the Muslims. “The plan of salvation also includes those who acknowledge the Creator, in the first place amongst whom are the Muslims; these profess to hold the faith of Abraham, and together with us they adore the one, merciful God, mankind’s judge on the last day.”

The Church’s bond with non-Christian religions is in the first place the common origin and end of the human race:

All nations form but one community. This is so because all stem from the one stock which God created to people the entire earth, and also because all share a common destiny, namely God. His providence, evident goodness, and saving designs extend to all against the day when the elect are gathered together in the holy city. . .

The Catholic Church recognizes in other religions that search, among shadows and images, for the God who is unknown yet near since he gives life and breath and all things and wants all men to be saved. Thus, the Church considers all goodness and truth found in these religions as “a preparation for the Gospel and given by him who enlightens all men that they may at length have life.”

In their religious behavior, however, men also display the limits and errors that disfigure the image of God in them: