Combatting bible alone error/Sacraments

[po18guy]

To avoid further derailing a thread on memory loss and repentance, here is an example post from someone who denies the Sacraments:

Ordinance- rule, law, decree. We recognize the command to baptize. But the word sacrament from the Latin according to the Catholic dictionary says they are vehicles of Grace. Na… The concept itself (setting aside the practices) are forein to the Apostolic founder’s understanding of how we receive grace.

In my mind as an adult Catholic convert, this clearly demonstrates, for the hundred-millionth time, the utter and complete error of placing personal opinion in charge of theology. Many other accusations might be made, but I will not make them. Such deniers who have been here for some amount of time are 1) ignoring the plethora of fellow non-denom/bible/Protestant denominations that all disagree with them and 2) directing all of their, ummmm… “energy” against the Catholic Church. This strikes me as distinctly odd. Bible Christians, why not clean up your own house first? Let’s see some unity from that “self-interpreting” scripture!

Yet, not one of them is willing to throw their Catholic bible away. Surreal.

Anyway, many these days deny the Sacraments, in direct, 100% opposition to the clear, plain, perspicacious reading of scripture. Not to mention 2,000 years of 100% consistent Christian practice.

Can we help such misguided individuals?

 

[Fraevo63]

Love them. Pray for them. Christ died them and they are loved by God.

 

[Bushum]

Pride is a very powerful thing. If you grow up a Protestant and then spend a significant portion of your life believing in what they teach your ego and pride will fight you because we don’t want to be wrong. This is further exacerbated by the fact that everyone is their own interpreter of the Bible. Now with that in mind you have other people telling you that you are doing it wrong and don’t understand.

After 36 years of being Protestant there is no way any Catholic could have talked me into converting. I would have shut them out because I was obviously right because well, I’m me and I’m always right. I fought it for a long time but I could no longer rationalize the completely nonsensical views of many of my fellow Protestants. Every time I read scripture I could not explain things that “sounded Catholic”. Reading the writings of the earliest Christians sealed it for me. I’ll be confirmed at Easter and I thank God every day that he softened my heart and stilled my pride so I could see the truth.

Moral of the story, if you are going to attempt to get a Protestant to “get it” you better know your scripture. “Because the church says so” will not produce anything but a defensive response. The Bible obviously proves Catholicism but it’s easy for pastors to cherry pick and ignore the verses that make their arguments fall apart.

My mother was not comfortable with my conversion at first. I asked to her share her objections one by one. They were the typical objections and the same ones I always had. I explained each one with scripture as a justification to why the church teaches it. After about 20 minutes my mom, a 65 year old lifelong Protestant, stopped and said, “it sounds like Catholicism is the original Christianity!” If only I had gotten it so quickly. She had never heard anyone explain it in her entire life.

 

[Dan_Defender]

Better to follow the advice of St Paul:
‘As for a man who is factious, after admonishing him once or twice, have nothing more to do with him, knowing that such a person is perverted and sinful; he is self-condemned.’ - Titus 3:10-11

 

[po18guy]

Thank you all for the replies - they are very instructive. The point which generated this was a discussion of the Sacrament of Anointing (James 5:14-15). It is eminently clear from scripture and consistent Apostolic practice (which was long established before James ever wrote a line!) that grace flows via the Sacraments. A certain ('I’ll do it my way!) member insists that this is not a Sacrament, personally does not believe in Sacraments and this is not how God’s grace flows!

That sounds suspiciously like something said by a Pope, a senior theologian or a bona fide Oracle of God.

Yet, as I look a little closer, I see in those two sentences:

“Is any among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord; and the prayer of faith will save the sick man, and the Lord will raise him up; and if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven.”

Excuse me, but even a weak mind such as mine can easily see that God’s grace is overflowing here. I have personally received great graces via the Sacrament. Being given a 99.5% chance of dying of three cancers (simultaneously) and a stem cell transplant tends to indicate to me that there was at least some grace involved.

I guess I’m the one confused here…