Are non-Christian religions acceptable?

[semper_catholicus]

I cannot find anywhere in that document where it says that non-catholic religions are acceptable to God.

 

[semper_catholicus]

That says that Muslims worship the same God.

If that is true, then they do it in a confused way. I can’t see how they can worship the true God if they only worship God the Father, and do not recognize Jesus as God.

 

[AndrewAxland]

I cannot find anywhere in that document where it says that non-catholic religions are acceptable to God.

Only because you don’t want to, not because it’s not there.

It’s pretty clear by now that you have created for yourself some fanciful re-imagining of what you think Catholicism should be, and that your version has no points of resemblance to the real deal. In other words, heresy.

I have no desire to indulge your silly fantasies any longer.

 

[semper_catholicus]

I do see where it says that MEMBERS of other religions can be acceptable to God, which I agree with of course, but not the religion itself.

 

[ratio1]

I can’t see how they can worship the true God

This can be taken very far if one wants to.
A Protestant doesn’t worship the true God because he she doesn’t believe in the Catholic Church.
A cafeteria Catholic doesn’t worship the true God because he she doesn’t believe in all the church teaches.
One can even say you are not worshipping the true God because you are not following the CCC exactly.

We have to draw a line somewhere.
The sensible line is that people who claim to worship the God of Abraham is worshipping the same God. So that people who worship Roman gods or Greek gods or Hindu deities are not worshiping the same God. But Jews and Muslims are.

 

[otjm]

Quoting Scripture out of context is a no-no; so is proof texting.

And meanwhile, to answer your question, you need to read Nostrae Aetate - Declaration on the Relation of the Church to Non-Christian Religions.

 

[semper_catholicus]

Yeah, they’re probably worshiping the same God as us insofar as they know.

 

[ratio1]

Correct and I agree. You’re probably worshipping the same God as the Catholic Church insofar as you know.

 

[semper_catholicus]

That’s what I’ve thought of anyway. I find it difficult to see, objectively, how they worship the same God.

 

[ratio1]

Understand your sentiment and I did struggle with this previously. But the CCC does say they do worship the same God. So if you disagree with the CCC then I find it difficult objectively to think you worship the true God of the Catholic Church.

 

[mrsdizzyd]

We are the 3 Abrahamic religions: Judaism, Islam, and Christianity. All three worship the God of Abraham. The God of the Torah. Now, we may disagree on other aspects of our religions, but all three come out of the same place historically.

 

[semper_catholicus]

Is the CCC and expression of Ordinary Magisterial Teaching or Extraordinary Magisterial Teaching?

I never said I disagreed.

 

[abucs]

How then can any Catholic possibly give any value to non-Christian religions?

Hi Eddie.

I think it is always healthy to look for the good values in other religions.

I think the religion of the day is political correctness which seems to view most things through an ‘equality prism’. I think I would agree with you that there does tend to be a secularising influence to view all religions as the same which we should not do.

But non Catholic religions do have value, if for no other reason that each of us as children of
God have value.

For example, I like the contemplative wisdom sayings in Buddhism and the insight and knowledge of the Jewish historic religion which can strengthen and throw light on the being of God and of course 1st century Christianity.

 

[Usagi]

Whether we take a very strict or a looser interpretation of EENS and the numbers of the invincibly ignorant, no Catholic affirms that any non-Christian religion is independently salvific. It’s not “Jesus for us and some other path for others.” Anyone who is saved is saved by Jesus Christ, and via incorporation, even if they don’t realize it in this life, into His Church.

The writings on invincible ignorance suggest that the good and true elements in other religions can help to point someone toward the Truth, even if they have an incomplete or imperfect understanding of it, However, such religions also contain false and misleading elements, and ultimately people are saved despite false beliefs, not because of them.

 

[Eddie18]

Kind of hard for me to reply to each individual message tonight, and since several different topics seem to have been introduced, I thought I would stop and summarize where we are. The topic again is regarding some verses from Scripture that clearly condemn non-Christian religions. I saw some comments from people about me taking them out of context, or not interpreting them right.

Below, for sake of clarity, I’m posting the 3 original quotes again along with 3 additional quotes that say the same - just to be thorough. If anyone thinks I have taken any of these quotes out of context, or misinterpreted any of them, please tell me exactly which quotes, and what you think is the correct context and/or meaning. Please be specific:

• “And he said to them: Go ye into the whole world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized, shall be saved: but he that believeth not shall be condemned.” Mark 16:15-16
• “If any man come to you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into the house nor say to him, God speed you. For he that saith unto him, God speed you, communicateth with his wicked works.” 2 John 1:10-11
• “But he that shall deny me before men, I will also deny him before my Father who is in heaven.” Mat 10:33
• “But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach a gospel to you besides that which we have preached to you, let him be anathema. As we said before, so now I say again: If any one preach to you a gospel, besides that which you have received, let him be anathema.” Galations 1:8-9
• “He that is not with me, is against me: and he that gathereth not with me, scattereth” Matthew 12:30
• “Now I beseech you, brethren, to mark them who make dissensions and offences contrary to the doctrine which you have learned, and avoid them. For they that are such, serve not Christ our Lord, but their own belly; and by pleasing speeches and good words, seduce the hearts of the innocent” Romans 16:17-18

 

[AndrewAxland]

At this point, all I can say is that it would be best to talk about this with your pastor or spiritual advisor.

An internet forum is not the appropriate venue for the discussion you need to have.

Good luck!

 

[abucs]

“And he said to them: Go ye into the whole world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized, shall be saved: but he that believeth not shall be condemned.” Mark 16:15-16

So this was said before the New Testament was written and presumably before the Church defined the 7 sacraments. So perhaps we can ask, what is the gospel and what is baptism in this context?

We can think of baptism as a new beginning, a dedication to God, a choosing of goodness over a sin and a formalised sacrament of the Christian churches.

Which one or combination does God accept? That is the meat of the inquiry.

We can think of the gospel as a new covenant, the incarnated good triumphing over evil, a call to reject sin, a personalised relationship with Jesus and sacrificing one’s life for the goodness which is God.

Which one or combination does God accept? That is the meat of the inquiry.

 

[Pup7]

That’s what I’ve thought of anyway. I find it difficult to see, objectively, how they worship the same God.

(sigh)

They do. Take a basic comparative religions class when you get to college.

And again - for the billionth time - read the CCC. Attentively.

Is the CCC and expression of Ordinary Magisterial Teaching or Extraordinary Magisterial Teaching?

150% completely irrelevant - as there is ONE Magisterium.

You live in and were born into and were raised in a Vatican II world. It happened long before you came here and before I came here, for that matter. It’s the way it is. There is one CCC, there is one Roman Catholic faith.

 

[Pup7]

Kind of hard for me to reply to each individual message tonight, and since several different topics seem to have been introduced, I thought I would stop and summarize where we are. The topic again is regarding some verses from Scripture that clearly condemn non-Christian religions. I saw some comments from people about me taking them out of context, or not interpreting them right.

Below, for sake of clarity, I’m posting the 3 original quotes again along with 3 additional quotes that say the same - just to be thorough. If anyone thinks I have taken any of these quotes out of context, or misinterpreted any of them, please tell me exactly which quotes, and what you think is the correct context and/or meaning. Please be specific:

• “And he said to them: Go ye into the whole world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized, shall be saved: but he that believeth not shall be condemned.” Mark 16:15-16
• “If any man come to you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into the house nor say to him, God speed you. For he that saith unto him, God speed you, communicateth with his wicked works.” 2 John 1:10-11
• “But he that shall deny me before men, I will also deny him before my Father who is in heaven.” Mat 10:33
• “But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach a gospel to you besides that which we have preached to you, let him be anathema. As we said before, so now I say again: If any one preach to you a gospel, besides that which you have received, let him be anathema.” Galations 1:8-9
• “He that is not with me, is against me: and he that gathereth not with me, scattereth” Matthew 12:30
• “Now I beseech you, brethren, to mark them who make dissensions and offences contrary to the doctrine which you have learned, and avoid them. For they that are such, serve not Christ our Lord, but their own belly; and by pleasing speeches and good words, seduce the hearts of the innocent” Romans 16:17-18

We covered this, posts and posts ago.

I think you’re frustrated because you’re not getting the answers nor the reaction you wanted.

 

[ratio1]

Patience is a virtue that some find very hard to have.