… Is anyone who truly abides by the true message of Christ not a member of His church, no matter what the label is?
Sometimes, the more time I spend on this site, the less Catholic I feel myself to be.
And, what is the “true message of Christ” you speak of? And how, may I ask, does it differ from the message of the Catholic Church? Are you saying that one label as good as another? If you believe so, I can understand why you feel less Catholic.
If you don’t mind me answering my own question, there is but one message of Christ, and the Catholic Church speaks it without distortion, bent or twist. Catholics may not always live up to it, may not always fully appreciate it, may be negligent in implementing it, may not even resemble what it teaches them to be, but I can say without reservation that it has the true message in all its completeness unlike any of the others. Can we learn from others? I should hope so! Protestants and Orthodox, Jews and Muslims, I might add even Buddhists and Hindu, don’t all embrace the fullness of what Catholicism teaches, but in various aspects some adherents of each of these religions may be an example that all of us should emulate. We can all learn from people who show extraordinary gifts of love, compassion, courage, and holy living.
Does that mean that religion doesn’t matter? Certainly not! Even among Christians it matters greatly what is taught and what is believed. If it is difficult for a Catholic to work out his salvation, and I contend that it is (it was for Paul, and I doubt any of us can compare with his holiness), and if this is so with all the graces that the Catholic Church provides, the Holy Eucharist (unless you eat my body and drink my blood you cannot have life eternal); the sacrament of reconciliation allowing forgiveness with no more than imperfect contrition; the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, the most perfect prayer; the rosary, the next most powerful prayer; Benedictions; Expositions; Novenas; clear and unequivocal guidance of a catechism, papal encyclicals, Church Council documents, and other Church documents; then don’t you think that those outside the Church are even more hard pressed to work out their salvation without all these extra helps?
I wish that all people were Catholic, because then everyone would have the same benefits that I have. I wish that all people were Catholic, because then they would not find it as easy to believe they are close to God when in reality they may be closer to the pit of hell. Even as a Catholic I have made that large an error in judgment. Christianity is no kid’s game. The stakes are life and death, and it has nothing to do with being a nice guy. Believe me, some of my atheist friends are nicer than I am, and is some ways, I think I should emulate their virtues. But I wouldn’t trade places with them for all the riches in the world. At least I feel I have a fighting chance to win the prize; for them, it is only up to the mercy of God, and those who are praying for them.
I do not like the idea that some people I talk with each day do not seem from outward appearances like they will make it to heaven. I do not like it that poor doctrine is leading some people away from heaven. I do not like it that heaven cries out for souls and I, thus far in my life, have done little to bring souls into the Kingdom. If you catch me fighting for my Catholic beliefs, it’s because I want everyone to have the best chance of attaining their eternal reward.
It’s not the early days of Christianity anymore. The devil has not sat idly by all these centuries. The seeds of confusion have been sown everywhere and the message has been trampled on, distorted, misrepresented, and maligned.
My sheep hear my voice. It is my heartfelt conviction that His message is best carried over the worldwide loudspeaker system that we call the Catholic Church.
+Peace, et Deus tecum.
