Do you believe there is one true church?

  • Thread starter Thread starter contramundum7
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
I believe (and correct me if I’m wrong) was that the intention of the original post was to answer the question: is there one true church? yes or no. And if yes, is it God’s will to have such divide among us?

Personally, I cannot reconcile the divisions with what God’s will is as found in scripture.
 
Dale_M said:
Since you are Catholic, and know the Church’s teaching, I presume you want answers from non-Catholics?
Click to expand...
I want answers from both. From Catholics, i would just like to know what their opinion is concerning the existence of Protestantism … meaning, do you think it was in God’ s “plan” that it come to exist in the world and if so, WHY??

Or do you think P was just a BIG mistake made (originally) by one very sick man, namely M. Luther?:rolleyes:
 
Harpazo said:
We must be worshipping a different Jesus, my friend.

I would go so far as to say, that one would have to deny Christ and basically call Him a liar, if one were to deny that Christ founded one Church and that Church doesn’t exist today. Personally, I knew Christ would keep His promises to us, and that’s how I found the Catholic Church. Christ would never break the promise He gave to us in Matthew 16:18-20.

In Pax Christi
Andrew
Click to expand...
I’m sorry, i don’t think i clearly stated what i meant in the Post.
I just wanted Catholics’ opinions as to why God would “allow” Protestantism to exist. Was it just because he allows free will? Or do you think he meant to bring a lot of good out of it?? Or both??
 
daro2096 said:
It wasn’t Catholic.

The Apostles would be ashamed if they could see how todays Catholic Church acts. Sitting on all wealth and letting people in Africa to die of lack of food and water.
Click to expand...
What are you talking about?? I get bombarded almost every day with requests from Catholic organizations for money to help people in Africa and all across the world…

Catholic Charities helps the poor in this country… There are so many Catholic organizations taking care of the needy, i can’t keep track of them all… 🤷
 
Traveller1534 said:
Excuse me for being so bold sir but these FEW men you refer to are in your church’s own doctrine as those who are in the place of Christ behind the altar in the only church where the sacrements are trully celebrated, so before you go making excuses for your infallible church, you had better check the facts and the seriousness of the situation. The men that were many many more than the few you laid claim to have screwed up the lives of many good folks who put thier trust into the church and these so called men in the place of Christ. This makes me nausiated to put Christ into the same line as these priests.
Click to expand...
There are Masons attempting to infiltrate the Catholic Church in order to destroy her from within… I believe many of the priests in the sex scandal cases are Masons who became priests for that reason (in other words, they never really believed). Also, i will have you know that pedophilia happens, %-age wise, TWICE as often in Protestant churches as in Catholic ones.
Why do you never hear of that? Because the liberal, secular media HATES (repeat: Hates) the Cahtolic Church…’
Of course, we know who also hates the true Church established by Jesus Christ, don’t we??😦
 
Isn’t there a saying “everything happens for a reason”…
Or “things happen because God allows it to happen”…

Did God want the CHURCH to divide? NO
Did God want Adam and Eve to eat from the tree of knowledge? NO

However the choice the option was there because God allows free will…
It’s just another example of how we as people are sinners and need God’s mercy.
 
believers said:
According to Jesus, there’s only one way to join His church. Believe in the Gospel and repent. There’s no other way.
Click to expand...
Wrong: Jesus said to do all that he commands. That involves obeying what he said as per John 6:27- (to the end). “Unless you eat my flesh and drink my blood, you have no life in you…”
It involves being a member of the Church he established (as per Matthew 16:18). After all, why would he establish a visible, infallible Church and then tell you it is not necessary to be a member thereof?? Is that logical?? More importantly, does that sound like Jesus??
Believing and repenting are the 1st step… and the 2nd and 3rd because we are sinners till the day we die… But sometimes I’ve found that its virtually impossible to do either one. The Church helps people to overcome that kind of thing (true, people have to cooperate…)
We are human beings, remember?? We need HELP… That is why Jesus Christ established a HELPING Church!! A powerful Church - more powerful than ourselves, more powerful than human beings (pastors, etc…)… Pastors may fail, but the Church never does.
As stated elsewhere in the forum: St. Catherine of Sienna 🙂 said (soemthing to the effect that) the Church and Jesus are one and the same…:o
 
Zooey said:
Jesus did not, I believe, intend that Christianity should be split into so many different groups…
He was, however, God in the flesh, after all, & therefore He knew that divisions would arise. Therefore, He has used & is using all of our divisions for His purpose: Carrying the Gospel of His life, death, & resurrection to all, teaching them & baptizing them.
He is with us all, and will be with us all, unto the end of the age, when He returns in glory. At that time, all divisions will cease.
In the meantime, Christ reaches some with 🙂 Methodism, some with fundamentalist Baptist churches, some with Presbyterian, some with Catholic, some with Eastern Orthodox.
I only wish that we could all stop fighting once in a while, long enough to realize how many more Christians there are, on account of all the other Christian churches from ours. It should–no, it would warm the hearts of true believers everywhere, to see this great enormous fellowship that exists, in the eyes & mind & heart of God, whilst on this earth, we continue to squabble.
But that’s just me: Your Friendly Neighborhood Methodist, with a vision floating in her brain of how the world should be…and the knowledge that, one day, it will be…
“When He cometh,
When He cometh,
to gather His jewels,
to gather His children,
His loved & His own,
they will shine like the morning,
with their bright crowns adorning,
they shall shine, all His jewels,
His dear ones, His own”.**

** No idea of the source. My:love: grandmother used to sing it to me, when I was just a wee toddler, & I could not get to sleep…
Click to expand...
Sometimes fighting :knight2: is necessary. I mean, you would fight to save your family from harm, wouldn’t u?? Not all “bickering” is to be shunned. 🙂
 
To Daro, who said,
The Apostles would be ashamed if they could see how todays Catholic Church acts. Sitting on all wealth and letting people in Africa to die of lack of food and water.
Click to expand...
I repeat my advice to another poster.

Forum rules:
Non-Catholics are welcome to participate but must be respectful of the faith of the Catholics participating on the board.
That “atrocity” that you are spewing forth venom on is the Bride of Christ to me and other Catholics. Kindly reserve your ‘admonishment’ for the few men who disobeyed the law of the church and kindly do not extend their personal sin onto the billion people who make up the holy, Catholic, and apostolic church.
Click to expand...
IOW, those men disobeyed Christ and His Church in their actions. Christ’s CHURCH has not done so and never will.
Click to expand...
You have absolutely no idea what the Church and its ‘wealth’ (if the Pope is so wealthy, why does his will, a public document and a matter of public record, show that he had nothing to leave?? Just who do you think ‘owns’ a chapel, a painting, a 500 year old chalice, etc.?) does for the people not just in Africa but worldwide if you think it doesn’t ‘respond’. I’m sorry that you repeat unsubstantiated assertions and accusations without bothering to establish their truth.
 
contramundum7 said:
I’m sorry, i don’t think i clearly stated what i meant in the Post.
I just wanted Catholics’ opinions as to why God would “allow” Protestantism to exist. Was it just because he allows free will? Or do you think he meant to bring a lot of good out of it?? Or both??
Click to expand...
I’m sorry. I was just replying to believers’ post. I should have stated that. :o

The Church is made up of humans, who are less than perfect. Sadly, people tend to be selfish and want what they want, when they want it. Or, people are afraid of what they don’t understand and run away from it.

In Pax Christi
Andrew
 
contramundum7 said:
I want answers from both. From Catholics, i would just like to know what their opinion is concerning the existence of Protestantism … meaning, do you think it was in God’ s “plan” that it come to exist in the world and if so, WHY??

Or do you think P was just a BIG mistake made (originally) by one very sick man, namely M. Luther?:rolleyes:
Click to expand...
No, I do not think that God’s will is division. Christ made plain the importance of unity. I think the schisms adn separations are the result of sinfulness and selfishness on all sides. Luther is not the only “sickie” involved. Furthermore, Luther is LONG GONE, and you see that we are all still sick…
 
Many of you speak of schisms and such but isn’t the underlying truth here that many times the so called true church of Christ has fallen and fallen gravely?? You can’t just sit there behind all of your self righteousness and pretend that no matter what happens, mother church will not and cannot be led astray. All of the many scandals over the centuries, the child sexual abuse, the coddling and protection of Nazi war criminals, the Spanish Inquisition and need I go on?? It is very evident in history that folks such as Martin Luther and Thomas Cranmer knew that the church was meant to stay on God’s course but the folks from withing were too hell bent (I meant that intentionally) to do things their own self serving political way. If anyone has had an adgenda here, it is the Catholic church over the centuries with scandals, lies and God knows what else!
 
Traveller1534 said:
Many of you speak of schisms and such but isn’t the underlying truth here that many times the so called true church of Christ has fallen and fallen gravely?? You can’t just sit there behind all of your self righteousness and pretend that no matter what happens, mother church will not and cannot be led astray. All of the many scandals over the centuries, the child sexual abuse, the coddling and protection of Nazi war criminals, the Spanish Inquisition and need I go on?? It is very evident in history that folks such as Martin Luther and Thomas Cranmer knew that the church was meant to stay on God’s course but the folks from withing were too hell bent (I meant that intentionally) to do things their own self serving political way. If anyone has had an adgenda here, it is the Catholic church over the centuries with scandals, lies and God knows what else!
Click to expand...
Coddling Nazi war criminals? When? The Spanish Inquisition? How many people died during Protestant persecutions- Geneva, England, etc. Salem witch trials, anyone?
Any sin that can be levied against the leaders or members of the Catholic Church can be equally levied against Protestants. Pot, say hello to kettle.:rolleyes:
 
Did you say ANY sin? I guess I would be interested to see what you may know about the huge child sex abuse scandal going on in the Episcopal church then because I have never heard of it.:confused:
 
Traveller1534 said:
Many of you speak of schisms and such but isn’t the underlying truth here that many times the so called true church of Christ has fallen and fallen gravely?? You can’t just sit there behind all of your self righteousness and pretend that no matter what happens, mother church will not and cannot be led astray. All of the many scandals over the centuries, the child sexual abuse, the coddling and protection of Nazi war criminals, the Spanish Inquisition and need I go on?? It is very evident in history that folks such as Martin Luther and Thomas Cranmer knew that the church was meant to stay on God’s course but the folks from withing were too hell bent (I meant that intentionally) to do things their own self serving political way. If anyone has had an adgenda here, it is the Catholic church over the centuries with scandals, lies and God knows what else!
Click to expand...
So then, is there one true Church?? Are you here just to belittle the Catholic Church or why are you here?? We know that Christ chose 12 apostles. One betrayed him and one denied him. So 17% of the Church committed grave sin. Did the Church end there?? Did Jesus say, “Sorry, I can’t do this because you guys aren’t all perfect?” No, instead He took the one who would deny Him and made him the head of His Church.

You are very mad at the Catholic Church. Your feelings may be well warranted. Perhaps you were personally hurt or are very close to someone who was. But no church, Protestant or Catholic, is perfect. Jesus uses imperfect humans to confect an image of Himself until He comes again. We are all He has to work with. So as we stumble and fall He picks us up and points us back in the right direction. That’s all of us. You can go on and on pointing out our faults. That doesn’t discredit what Jesus did. He said that the gates of hell shall not prevail over His Church. He said that for a reason. Satan is very active within the one true Church of Christ. Where else would He find a better playground?? God Bless…teachccd
 
You seem to know me quite well in such a small amount of time. Maybe you should become my shrink.
 
Traveller1534 said:
Did you say ANY sin? I guess I would be interested to see what you may know about the huge child sex abuse scandal going on in the Episcopal church then because I have never heard of it.:confused:
Click to expand...
Do you personally know all of the Episcopal leaders and their history? One child abuse case is too many. Wouldn’t you agree?? So if there is one Episcopalian minister who molested a child then they would be equal to the Catholic Church. Unless one molested child is o.k.'d in the true Church of Christ. So my question remains: Do you know for sure that no Epsicopal leaders molested children in all of their established years?? Most Protestant churches admitted to child sexual abuse within their ministries. But like the Catholic Church, they carry on while recognizing the gravity of those sins.

Child sex abuse doesn’t have to be huge. One child is huge. Too huge. Ask that one child if you won’t believe me…
 
I believe that you are ducking the real issue here. Sure I am positive that every denomination has had someone in their realm from one time or another be involved in child sexual abuse but I am speaking of a scandal, a huge billion dollar plus scandal that the Catholic church attempted to cover up for years and years. It has been proven to be so. And FYI, they are called priests in the Episcopal church.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top