Catholic Faith alone

[jpusateri]

theMutant:

Odd, he stated very clearly that he only intends a “faith working in love” (an expression perfectly acceptable to the Catholic Church) when he speaks of faith. His question is that, since he believes, as do Catholics, that works must accompany faith, is there an understanding of “Faith alone” that is acceptable according to Catholic teaching.

An interesting article on Justification by Peter Kreeft touches on this point about 2/3 of the way down.

The word faith was also used in two different senses. Luther used it in the broad sense of the person’s acceptance of God’s offer of salvation. It included repentance, faith, hope, and charity. This is the sense Saint Paul uses in Romans. But in 1 Corinthians 13, Paul uses it in a more specific sense, as just one of the three theological virtues, with hope and charity added to it. In this narrower sense faith alone is not sufficient for salvation, for hope and charity must be present also

and

Faith is the root, the necessary beginning. Hope is the stem, the energy that makes the plant grow. Love is the fruit, the flower, the visible product, the bottom line. The plant of our new life in Christ is one; the life of God comes into us by faith, through us by hope, and out of us by the works of love. That is clearly the biblical view, and when Protestants and Catholics who know and believe the Bible discuss the issue sincerely, it is amazing how quickly and easily they come to understand and agree with each other on this, the fundamental divisive issue.

catholiceducation.org/articles/apologetics/ap0027.html

 

[itsjustdave1988]

The common Protestant understanding is that faith is the infallible conviction (fiduciary) in one’s own salvation. Catholics call that the gift of hope, whereas** the gift of faith, for Catholics is:**

"… a personal act - the free response of the human person to the initiative of God who reveals himself. (CCC 166) … an entirely free gift that God makes to man. (CCC 162) … the theological virtue by which we believe in God and believe all that he has said and revealed to us, and that Holy Church proposes for our belief (CCC 1814)

And, of course, faith alone (i.e., without charity) is nothing. We have seen that “faith alone” within Protestantism has tended toward antinomianism, which Luther himself railed against. Yet, it was Luther’s flawed, Scripturally contradictory formula which created antinomianism to begin with.

The common Protestant soteriology is based on the Augsburg Confession of the Lutherans in 1530, the Second Helvetic in 1566, the Reformed Church’s Westminster Confession in 1646. Protestant “justification” is often defined as **“a legal or forensic term used in Scripture to denote the acceptance of anyone as righteous in the sight of God.” **

Catholics would agree that it is indeed a legal or forensic term, but that it does NOT have ONLY a legal or forensic meaning. For example, “marriage” can have a purely legal and forensic meaning, and is indeed often used solely in a legal way. However, not many Christians view “marriage” as having merely a legal and forensic character to it. Likewise, “justification” is not merely “legal or forensic,” but is much more than that in reality.

From the Protestant Westminster Theological Seminary’s view:

"Justification is altogether a legal, declarative act on God’s part as the supreme Judge."

**“We deny that justification is in any sense a moral transformation or inner renewal.” **

"In justification God legally declares the sinner who in himself is still guilty and polluted to be righteous in Christ. Justification involves only the legal imputation or legal account of the perfect righteousness of Christ to the sinner. We deny that justification is by a grace given at conversion which enables sinners to do the law unto their justification."

(cited by Scott Hahn in his justification debate with Robert Knudsen, mindspring.com/~jdarcy/files/justify.htm)

The above understanding of justification is totally incompatible with the Catholic view.

Just as in the example of marriage, Christians are not ONLY made legally or forensically married, but OUGHT to understand that they are TRULY united, not just legally, but really.

Same with justification. The Catholic view …

"The master idea of the Catholic faith in general and the doctrine of justification of the Catholic Church in particular is the family of God. We receive in justification, not a legal acquittal only, but nothing less than the full gift of divine sonship, living, active and powerful, simultaneous with when we are first justified."

"… Justification, then, understood in the Catholic way, involves both the imputation of legal righteousness as the Protestants believe, but also the infusion of Christ’s life and grace as the divine son so that in Christ we become at justification living, breathing sons of God, not just legally but actually."

… we believe that that word of justification goes forth in power. In other words, God does what he declares. In the very act of declaring us just he makes us just because His Word is omnipotent, it’s all-powerful. Isaiah 55:11: “So shall my Word go forth from my mouth. It shall not return to me void, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose.” (Hahn, ibid)

 

[mercygate]

Melchior:

TheMutant, Matt 16_18, etc.,

My apologies for my hasty and uncharitable response to you all yesterday. I was frustrated because I felt I was being misunderstood. It was probably not a good time for me to be posting. I have read some of your subsequent responses and it looks like we are getting somewhere.

Please forgive my “outburst”.

Every Blessing,

Mel

Welcome to the “occasionally-frustrated-and-losing-it” club. You have my sympathy.

You sound pretty Catholic to me. It is interesting on this thread (though I have not come to the end) that I have not yet seen a distinction between “justification,” “salvation” and “redemption.” I see there has been some discussion of the difference between “works” as in the Epistle to the Ephesians and “works” as in the Epistle of James. Though not a subtle distinction, it is often missed in casual discussions like this one.

 

[bernmutt]

Melchior:

Faith alone. Not a faith that is alone.

What do you think?

Mel

I’m a Protestant; former Catholic. It’s all about faith. Faith wthout works is dead. The works are a sign of your faith. If you have a ‘live’ faith, you have works. A ‘dead’ faith is no faith at all; it’s useless and dead. Even the demons, believe… and shudder. It’s still all about faith, but a faith that is real will have works.

You don’t do good works to earn or prove something, you do it because you love God, obey Him, then get to experience the pleasure of it. The good works I refer to are being salt and light, as Jesus said (not dead religious works, like babbling endless prayers, punishing yourself, etc.).

…Bernie
www.FreeGoodNews.com

 

[JesusIsTheWay]

EENS:

You are understanding. You have understanding–protestantism is heresy. You should hate heresy. God bless.

So Catholics are taught to hate? And then it appears that another post confirms this… Anyone agree or disagree?

 

[Tom]

JesusIsTheWay:

So Catholics are taught to hate? And then it appears that another post confirms this… Anyone agree or disagree?

Isn’t every Christian taught to “hate” evil? Aren’t we all taught to “hate” Satan? Or do you love Satan? You’re attempting to distort. Please don’t, you fully understand the context this was said in. Which Spirit would use distortion and deception to prove its point? The Holy Spirit?

 

[jpusateri]

JesusIsTheWay:

So Catholics are taught to hate? And then it appears that another post confirms this… Anyone agree or disagree?

Please don’t take things out of context. God hates divorce. (Mal 2:16) Is God suddenly NOT Love? Are allowed to hate what God hates?

 

[JesusIsTheWay]

Tom:

Isn’t every Christian taught to “hate” evil? Aren’t we all taught to “hate” Satan? Or do you love Satan? You’re attempting to distort. Please don’t, you fully understand the context this was said in. Which Spirit would use distortion and deception to prove its point? The Holy Spirit?

I’m sorry bout that… I was misunderstood… Are catholcs taught to hate the Ideas of Protestantism… or the protestants? I wasn’t trying to twist… just clarify…

Of course I hate evil and Satan… no love at all here for the serpent…

So anyway which is it?

 

[buffalo]

**CCC

**

Faith

[1814](javascriptpenWindow(‘cr/1814.htm’) Faith is the theological virtue by which we believe in God and believe all that he has said and revealed to us, and that Holy Church proposes for our belief, because he is truth itself. By faith "man freely commits his entire self to God."78 For this reason the believer seeks to know and do God’s will. “The righteous shall live by faith.” Living faith "work through charity."79

1815 The gift of faith remains in one who has not sinned against it.80 But "faith apart from works is dead":81 when it is deprived of hope and love, faith does not fully unite the believer to Christ and does not make him a living member of his Body.

[1816](javascriptpenWindow(‘cr/1816.htm’) The disciple of Christ must not only keep the faith and live on it, but also profess it, confidently bear witness to it, and spread it: "All however must be prepared to confess Christ before men and to follow him along the way of the Cross, amidst the persecutions which the Church never lacks."82 Service of and witness to the faith are necessary for salvation: "So every one who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven; but whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven."83

**2005 **Since it belongs to the supernatural order, grace escapes our experience and cannot be known except by faith. We cannot therefore rely on our feelings or our works to conclude that we are justified and saved. However, according to the Lord’s words “Thus you will know them by their fruits”- reflection on God’s blessings in our life and in the lives of the saints offers us a guarantee that grace is at work in us and spurs us on to an ever greater faith and an attitude of trustful poverty.

A pleasing illustration of this attitude is found in the reply of St. Joan of Arc to a question posed as a trap by her ecclesiastical judges: “Asked if she knew that she was in God’s grace, she replied: ‘If I am not, may it please God to put me in it; if I am, may it please God to keep me there.’”

 

[Tom]

JesusIsTheWay:

I’m sorry bout that… I was misunderstood… Are catholcs taught to hate the Ideas of Protestantism… or the protestants? I wasn’t trying to twist… just clarify… Of course I hate evil and Satan… no love at all here for the serpent… So anyway which is it?

We are taught that certain “ideas” of Protestantism are incorrect. The implication would be if we hate Protestantism’s’ teachings we must hate the Protestant and that is flatly wrong. We are taught to love and pray for our separated brothers and sisters (Protestants). Protestants don’t have a central “teaching” there are some 30,000 different denominations among Protestants, each teaching their own version, some radically different from others, some simply un-Christian. Do I hate the teachings? If they draw my brothers and sisters away from our Lord Jesus the Christ, yes I hate the teachings. Do I hate the people, definitely not, I love my separated brothers and sisters, and pray for them. We are taught to hate the sin but love the sinner.

 

[theMutant]

Let’s examine verses often cited by Protestants to prove sola fide. Note, that Melchior doesn’t necessarily agree with all of these assertions but they are commonly made. While Paul clearly teaches, as does the Catholic Church, that we are justified by faith and that it is necessary for justification, he never said that we not also justified by works done in faith.
St. Paul in Romans 3:21-28:

But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from law, although the law and the prophets bear witness to it, the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction; since all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, they are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as an expiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he has passed over former sins; it was to prove at the present time that he himself is righteous and that he justifies him who has faith in Jesus. Then what becomes of our boasting? It is excluded. On what principle? On the principle of works? No, but on the principle of faith. For we hold that a man is justified by faith apart from works of the law.

The idea that Paul is rejecting here is that we are justified by works without faith. Paul is referring to those who keep the Jewish Law outwardly but not in their hearts. In other words, they are performing the works of the Law without the foundation of faith. The purpose of the Law was not to justify, but to convict those who sin against it (v. 3:20). Works are only efficacious if they are done in faith, i.e. because you believe in and love God. Faith must come first in order to be justified. These verses, however, do not say that works do nothing to justify us, only that they are by themselves incapable of justifying us.
St. Paul in Romans 4:5-8:

And one who does not work but trusts him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is reckoned as righteousness. So also David pronounces a blessing upon the man to whom God reckons righteousness apart from works: ‘Blessed are those whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered; blessed is the man against whom the Lord will not reckon his sin.’

Paul is speaking here about those whom God will justify apart from, and in spite of, their violations of the Law. (c.f. Rom. 2:17-24). He is not referring to those who keep the Law. Remember that it is by the Law that a man’s sin will by judged unless he is forgiven them by God. Catholics agree that faith is credited as righteousness, but not that it completes righteousness (c.f. James 2:22, 23).
(continued)

 

[theMutant]

(continued from post #90)
St. Paul in Romans 8:1-2:

There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set me free from the law of sin and death.

We will not be condemned for those violations of the Law for which we have been forgiven. Once forgiven, we are set free from those transgressions through which the Law would have condemned us. What does it mean to be “in Christ Jesus?” Scripture reveals that it means not only believing in Christ, but living according to His teachings.
St. Paul in Ephesians 2:8-9:

“For by grace you have been saved through faith; and this not from your own doing, it is the gift of God–not because of works, lest any man should boast.

These verses do not say faith alone. Paul is saying that works do not save us but that Grace does. Catholics couldn’t agree more. Catholics also agree that faith is necessary to receive this Grace. Neither the faith that a person has, nor the works he does in faith, earn this Grace. Therefore, no one can refer to the good works he has performed in faith as proof of his justification. No one can boast on account of his works or his faith. Grace comes from God freely, it cannot be demanded or earned. Paul does not say, however, that works do nothing to justify us. He only affirms that our salvation is not of our own doing. No one can boast about any Grace they have received because they have not earned it.
St. Paul in Hebrews 9:11-14:

But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things that have come, then through the greater and more perfect tent (not made with hands, that is, not of this creation) he entered once for all into the Holy Place, taking not the blood of goats and calves but his own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption. For if the sprinkling of defiled persons with the blood of goats and bulls and with the ashes of a heifer sanctifies for the purification of the flesh, how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify your conscience from dead works to serve the living God.

The ‘dead works’ Paul is referring to are violations of the Law, not observances of it. Even though the old sacrifices were intended to purify those who transgressed against the Law, they weren’t sufficient to completely purify them because they were imperfect. Christ, however, was the perfect sacrifice and His sacrifice purifies us completely. Note also that Paul admits that the sacrifices did effect a purification, meaning that the sacrifices were efficacious when done in faith. He is merely teaching that, without Christ’s perfect sacrifice, no amount of sacrifices according to the Law would effect a complete sanctification. The Catholic Church teaches the exact same thing when she says that we are justified by works. Their efficacy is dependent upon the work of Christ on the Cross and without that work of Christ, no amount of good works can warrant entrance into Heaven.
(continued)

 

[theMutant]

(continued from post #91)
Did Paul teach that we are justified by grace through faith alone? The following verses demonstrate that he did not: Some of these quotations apply to Melchior’s understanding of justification by faith alone and some do not. I include the latter for the benefit of others.
St. Paul in Romans 2:6-11:

For he will render to every man according to his works: to those who by patience in well-doing seek for glory and honor and immortality, he will give eternal life; but for those who are factious and do not obey the truth, but obey wickedness, there will be wrath and fury. There will be tribulation and distress for every human being who does evil, the Jew first and also the Greek, but glory and honor and peace for every one who does good, the Jew first and also the Greek. For God shows no partiality.

Paul states here that those who seek glory, honor, and immortality by doing good works will be granted them as a reward by God because of the good works they have done.
St. Paul in Romans 11:22-24:

Note then the kindness and the severity of God: severity toward those who have fallen, but God’s kindness to you, provided that you continue in his kindness; otherwise you too will be cut off. And even the others, if they do not persist in their unbelief, will be grafted in, for God has the power to graft them in again. For if you have been cut from what is by nature a wild olive tree, and grafted, contrary to nature, into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these natural branches be grafted into their own olive tree.

Some Protestants argue that, if you have true faith, your salvation is assured. Anyone who loses their faith never had “true” faith to begin with. Yet, Paul teaches that the “branches” are branches because of their faith (verse 20). Paul goes on to say that we will receive the kindness of God provided that we continue in his kindness. Since this kindness is a result of faith, as is indicated by the fact that those who “do not persist in unbelief” will be grafted in, Paul is clearly teaching that even true believers face the danger of not continuing in God’s kindness (i.e. by losing their faith or acting in violation of it). He also says that “branches,” once cut off, can be grafted on again. This clearly implies that any who get cut off have the chance of reconciliation with God. This is exactly what the Catholic Church teaches.
(continued)

 

[theMutant]

(continued from post #92)
St. Paul in 1 Corinthians 9:23-27:

I do it all for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings. Do you not know that in a race all the runners compete, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. Well, I do not run aimlessly, I do not box as one beating the air; but I pommel my body and subdue it, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.

If anyone was born again, it was Paul! Who else had a Damascus road experience? There is no doubt that he believed in Jesus and accepted Him as Lord and Savior. Yet he clearly states that he did good works so that he would not be disqualified for the “imperishable wreath” (Heaven); which means that he believed that his own salvation was not assured by his faith. He plainly couldn’t be teaching that we are saved by faith “alone” or that we can be absolutely assured of our salvation.
St. Paul in 2 Corinthians 5:10:

For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive good or evil, according to what he has done in the body.

Paul states here that we will receive according to our works.
St. Paul in Ephesians 2:10:

For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

Why were we created in Christ Jesus? To do the good works which God has prepared for us.
St. Paul in Ephesians 5:3-6:

“But immorality and all impurity or covetousness must not even be named among you, as is fitting among saints. Let there be no filthiness, nor silly talk, nor levity, which are not fitting; but instead let there be thanksgiving. Be sure of this, that no immoral or impure man, or one that is covetousness (that is, an idolater), has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things that the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience.

Paul wrote this to a community of believers. This clearly means that those who have faith must also work to act accordingly by not falling into sin, otherwise they will lose any inheritance in the Kingdom. This loss of inheritance applies to those who were inheritors to begin with; to believers who are disobedient.
St. Paul in Philipians 2:12-13:

Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for God is at work in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.

Paul says that each one of us must work out our own salvation with fear and trembling. This doesn’t sound like he is telling them that their salvation is assured because they have faith. Why would we need to have fear and trembling over our salvation if we have faith and it is assured by faith alone? Why would we need to work out our salvation if we have faith? The reason is that our salvation is not assured solely on the basis of faith but also on how we have worked for our salvation by living our faith. Paul says that God works in us, not just so that we continue to have faith in Him, but also to work for His good pleasure. He wrote this to a community of believers; people who have faith in Jesus. He is clearly indicating here that we must do more than have faith, we must also do works, in order to attain Heaven.
(continued)

 

[theMutant]

(continued from post #93)
St. Paul in Hebrews 10:26-27:

For if we sin deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a fearful prospect of judgment, and a fury of fire which will consume the adversaries.

Some Protestants argue that those who continue in sin after ‘accepting’ Jesus have never really accepted Him. They were never really believers. However, Paul is writing to believers. He says that if “we” (believers) continue to sin even though we know and believe what is true, then “we” (believers) face the same punishment as those who are not of the faithful (the adversaries). How could this be the case if we are justified by our faith alone and thus have the full and absolute assurance of our salvation by that faith through the imputed righteousness of Christ which covers our sins? The fact is that, while we have the moral assurance of our salvation, we do not have an absolute assurance of it. If, after receiving faith in Christ, we persist in sinning, we will lose the reward gained for us by His Sacrifice–even though we may still have our faith. This does not mean that there is no hope for those who persist in sin–which we all do. We can regain the reward provided that we repent and honestly strive obey God.

The following are some additional verses which affirm that we are not justified solely by having faith but also by the works we do in faith:
Jesus in Matthew 7:21:

Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.’

No one can call Jesus ‘Lord’ except by the Holy Spirit (c.f. 1 Cor. 12:3). Those who call Jesus Lord are those who have accepted the gift of Faith from the Spirit. Jesus says they won’t enter Heaven unless they also do the will of His Father. In other words, their faith alone is not sufficient to attain Heaven.
Jesus in Mark 16:15-16:

Go into all the world and preach the gospel to the whole creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.

Jesus is speaking of what is required for salvation. He clearly indicates that, along with faith, Baptism is a requirement for salvation. In order for sola fide to be true, we would have to assert that Jesus’ inclusion of Baptism in these verses has no salvific implications, in spite of the fact that He is specifically talking about requirements for salvation. There is no biblical basis for such an assertion.
Jesus in John 3:5:

Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.

This statement immediately follows and clarifies John 3:3. In context (John 3:1-4:3), this rebirth is Baptism (John 3:22). According to Jesus, we must be Baptized to enter heaven.
(continued)

 

[theMutant]

(continued from post #94)
Jesus in John 6:28-29:

The is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.

Jesus says here that faith itself is a work. Even though faith is a gift from God, we have the option of employing our free will in accepting or rejecting this gift. We retain this ability throughout our lives. Therefore, at the same time that faith is a result of God’s grace, it is also a willful act; i.e. a work.
Jesus in John 6:52-58:

Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink his blood, you have no life in you; he who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. For my flesh is food indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him. As the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so he who eats me will live because of me. This is the bread which came down from heaven, not such as the fathers ate and died; he who eats this bread will live for ever.

The Jews to whom Jesus was speaking (John 6:25-71) took His words literally. Jesus’ response was to assure them that He was telling the truth and emphatically assert that they must actually eat His flesh and drink His blood to have eternal life. If Jesus was only speaking figuratively, as many Protestants claim, then the only conclusion we can reach is that He deliberately deceived His followers. If He was speaking figuratively, not only did He not explain Himself at the time, but he never did. Nowhere in Scripture does it reveal say that He was speaking figuratively; which means that the Protestant claim is unbiblical. Is Jesus a God of deception? No, He is Truth incarnate! He knew that they took His words literally and that this is why they chose to stop following Him. This is the only place recorded in the Gospels where Jesus’ followers left Him because of His teaching (verse 66). It is also argued by some that this speech by Jesus is what turned Judas against Him (verses 70-71). When taken in the context of what He said at the Last Supper, it is clear that He is saying here that we must partake of the Eucharist if we are to have spiritual life; which we must have to enter Heaven. Does believing in Christ mean that we must merely accept that He is Lord and Savior, or that we must believe all that He teaches, even if we don’t comprehend the full meaning or reason for it?
James in James 2:20-24:

Do you want to be shown, you foolish fellow, that faith apart from works is barren? Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he offered his son Isaac upon the altar? You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was completed by works, and the scripture was fulfilled which says, ‘Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness’; and he was called the friend of God. You see that a man is justified by works and not by faith alone.

This is the only place in Scripture which explicitly addresses the belief that we are justified by faith alone; and it rejects that belief. I have heard the claim that James was referring to a particular situation. However, sola fide doesn’t say, “you are justified by faith alone; except in the following circumstances…” James clearly and explicitly states that we are not justified by faith alone. James says that faith without works is barren. Not that works are barren, but that faith is barren if it does not include works. He clearly states that works complete faith which means that faith by itself is incomplete. He even goes as far as to say that faith without works is dead (James 2:17, 26). These verses are directly related to what Paul wrote in Hebrews 11:8-19; where Paul used the example of Abraham to stress the importance of faith in our justification but, again, did not say faith alone.

 

[JesusIsTheWay]

Tom:

We are taught that certain “ideas” of Protestantism are incorrect. The implication would be if we hate Protestantism’s’ teachings we must hate the Protestant and that is flatly wrong. We are taught to love and pray for our separated brothers and sisters (Protestants). Protestants don’t have a central “teaching” there are some 30,000 different denominations among Protestants, each teaching their own version, some radically different from others, some simply un-Christian. Do I hate the teachings? If they draw my brothers and sisters away from our Lord Jesus the Christ, yes I hate the teachings. Do I hate the people, definitely not, I love my separated brothers and sisters, and pray for them. We are taught to hate the sin but love the sinner.

So you don’t hate the people. That’s all I wanted to clarify. Sounds fine to me. thanks for the feedback

 

[Tom]

To the original question:

Is there any definition of Faith Alone that would be acceptable to Catholics?

The simple answer is yes, one which does not include the word “alone”.

 

[Les_Richardson]

Tom:

To the original question:

Is there any definition of Faith Alone that would be acceptable to Catholics?

The simple answer is yes, one which does not include the word “alone”.

:clapping:
Great summation!

 

[Exporter]

Melchior,
It has only served to strenghten my stereo-types of many Catholics as ignorant. So many here accuse protestants of misrepresenting Catholics and then they do the very same thing. I constantly bring up historical Protestant doctrines in topics here and even when I explain what I am getting at, people still choose to squeeze all protestants into the 21st century Evangelical Baptist box. These are your words.

*What you have experienced is that Catholics who know the Faith of Catholocism will not bend to a false doctrine. You can explain you Protestant self until you are blue in the face and a good Catholic will not turn away from the teachings of Holy Mother Church. We never hear about Protestants at a Catholic Church. Our ideas about Protestants usually come from those Professional Anti-Catholics, and there are many.

You can’t make a steak dinner out of Hot Dogs.