Does Matthew 25 contradict Catholicism?

[erikd]

1: Would you say that the third Commandment, keeping the Sabbath, also applies to the Lord’s Day (referencing Sunday, the day of our Lord’s Resurrection from the dead)?

Not sure what “also applies” means, but this is an OT commandment which Jesus does not emphasize in his teaching. In fact, He himself breaks the commandment.

Yes, Jesus does work on the Sabbath, as it is more Holy to do good on the Sabbath than to do evil (St. Mark 3:4, St. Luke 6:9). However, that does not eliminate the third Commandment from our list of commandments to adhere to. Perhaps you could show me where that Commandment was eliminated? I seem to recall Jesus saying that He did not “come to destroy but to fulfill” (St. Matthew 5:17). Remember that the Sabbath was the seventh day, when the Lord had completed all of His work. In the New Covenant, our Lord had risen from the dead on the first day of the week, or Sunday and therefore completed all of His work. We therefore honor the third Commandment on the first day of the week, the day our Lord rose from the dead. This is how Scripture sees it in examples such as Acts 20:7, 1 Corinthians 16:2, Colossians 2:16-17, and Revelations 1:10.

2: If your answer is yes, would you be willing to expand your list to three and not two?

I guess my answer was no, and I will stick with Jesus on this one.

I guess I will too. Not only Jesus, but the Scriptures, the Early Christians, and God’s Holy Commandments, which are called Commandments because we are commanded to adhere to them. Good answer, Chauncey.

3: If your answer is yes, would you say that one ought to keep the Lord’s day Holy?

See above, but I think one should keep some Holy time for prayer, contemplation and Communion with God. But keeping the Lord’s Word Holy by living a proper life is as, if not more, important.

Once again, one begs to ask, where exactly did our Lord abolish the third Commandment? Please show in Scriptures.

4: If your answer is yes, would you agree that the Church ought to stress that Sundays are days of worship?

The Church will do what it wants, no matter what I think.

You mean follow God’s Commandments? Yes.

5: If your answer is yes, what would you say about the God loving people who chose to work (either for an employer or around the house) without necessarily going to Church or performing some sort of worship?

Not a Yes or No question; you are breaking your own rule. Tsk, Tsk. Can’t answer that, as it is really dependent on the person and the situation. What about a doctor who spends 24 straight hours in the hospital caring for people and saving lives, and can’t get to Mass on Sunday? Is reconciliaton necessary? What if she attends Mass during the week?

In this case, I actually agree with you, Attending Sunday Mass is required, as we are created creatures made to worship our Creator. However, we also have the responsibility to support our families, in particular children, and if we do works of mercy such as a medical doctor, R.N., etc., the Church does not require that one leave his / her post and possibly put people’s lives in jeopardy. This becomes a prudential judgment. Required, yes, but within reason.

6: Do you agree that the ten Commandments needed to be interpreted, as they were by Jesus on the Sermon on the Mount?

No, not interpreted, since they are clear to begin with. Jesus did not interpret them, He distilled, clarified and prioritized them for his disciples and for us .

I’m not sure I agree with that, let’s take a look at a couple of examples from the Sermon on the Mount (St. Matthew chapter 5):

27 "You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’

This is the Commandment that was spoken of in the Old Testament

28 "But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.

This seems to be a clarification of the commandment (as you said) because the interpretation by the Jews was incorrect. They did not know that by looking at a woman, with lust, it is possible to commit adultery, only a proper interpretation of the Commandment could explain this to the audience and to the rest of us.

Continued on next post

 

[erikd]

Continued from previous post.

7: If your answer is yes, would you agree that the living breathing authority on earth that Christ Himself established should be resonsible for interpreting and correcting faulty interpretations of those who chose to interpret incorrectly?

No. First, Christ did not establish a church, people did. Actually, Jewish Christians still had the Temple. Jesus left us the Gospel, and expects every semi-intelligent person who hears it to take it to heart and to follow it. Early Christians formed communities to support and encourage each other in the Way, as Paul points out. They were not anything like the institutional churches of today.

I’m afraid the Gospels disagree with you here as well. Yes you’re right the Apostles built the Church, but Christ Himself was the architect. And Christ left His legacy behind for other to write, He Himself did not write the Gospels (as you know). Many of the Apostles preached to all hours of the night to get the word of Christ out to the faithful, and they were not reading the Gospels, they were speaking of the things they had learned while with Jesus. These are the same things that had been passed down for nearly 2000 years starting with the 12 and continuing into today with the Bishops of the Catholic Church, who are the successors of the Apostles.

Also, I already mentioned to you the writings of St Clement. The letter to the Corinthians is a good example of the authority the Church exercised over the faithful. And you’re right, there were very few Catholic Churches, though they were already being built. Take a look at the following website, which lists many of the diocese that were started within the first century in Italy and France. It is quite eye-opening. catholic-hierarchy.org/events/

In reference to your comment that the Churches are not anything like the Churches today, I would advise you to read the historical writings of the Church Fathers, who would disagree with this statement. There is no doubt that the Church has grown in 2000 years, and that growth can be witnessed in some of these writings. Catholic Answers has a great tract on this at the following link: catholic.com/library/Sacrifice_of_the_Mass.asp

Just like the Jews misinterpreted the Law of Moses, and Jesus corrected them, so Christians today misinterpret the law of faith, at which point the Church, established by God Himself, has a duty to correct or to make known the errors. The Church does this through councils and / or conferences, and lets the faithful know the way of God more accurately, just as Aquilla and Priscilla did in Acts 18:26.

Much of what Christians “mis-interpret” is not essential to our salvation and not important to following Jesus. WE, as flawed humans, added so much unnecessary stuff as to obscure the basic truths that Jesus gave us. The Church is unfortunately one of the prime causes of that.

I’m not so sure of that. How do you interpret John 6:53: “I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you.” Some people who believe in Sola Scriptura, take this literally, others, who also believe in Sola Scriptura take it symbolically. Why would your understanding of this be more correct than someone else who only uses the Bible and only calls on the Holy Spirit for guidance? Please explain.

You see, this could go a really long way.

I agree. And I still have some Christmas shopping, cookie baking and present wrapping to take care of.The Church gives us rules to follow because they are worthwhile for our daily lives.

Or maybe because they are prescribed by God?

For instance, the Church tells you to go to confession, not only because it is so prescribed within the Holy Scriptures, but also because it is the first remedy to cutting all attachment from sin within your life. Most non-Catholics will claim that confession is nowhere to be found within the Bible, yet I have still to meet the one person that Scripturally convinces me of this fact.

Okay, I’ve asked you to prove many things in our short time of acquaintance , and outside of the polling stats you provided (with absolutely no references) you are reference free once again. Can you point me to the Church teaching that states, as you so eloquently pointed out, that there are people who “would not have a chance of attaining salvation” from the Catechism, Church council, Papal Bull, etc.

Thanks for the compliment, but this is not about any Church teaching. It is from the Gospels, from the many instances where Jesus spotlights those who come to him in faith: sinners, Centurions, lepers the blind (all representative of NON-CHOSEN people), and who are "saved" or are "close to the kingdom". No councils or Papal Bull necessary.

I’m sorry, but you’re avoiding the question. In post #62 you claimed the following:

Sinners who, based on the teachings of the Catholic church today, would not have a chance of attaining salvation, but Jesus says again and again, that they are saved

The question was where in the Catholic teaching this is found, since this would clearly be in defiance of the Scriptures, and you have not addressed this as of yet.

 

[erikd]

Too bad that the Holy Spirit didn’t step in a little more often when really needed. Would have prevented a lot of pain and grief. Seems that the Spirit has some very strange priorities.

If God didn’t intend for us to go through hard times as some points in our lives, life lessons would be hard to attain. For instance, can you think of one child in your life (whether you yourself or someone else) who was not scolded by their parents, though they may not have completely understood or agreed with the scolding? Pain is necessary for us to learn. I can be more specific but I’m answering your post which was not specific at all.

 

[chaunceygardner]

If God didn’t intend for us to go through hard times as some points in our lives, life lessons would be hard to attain. For instance, can you think of one child in your life (whether you yourself or someone else) who was not scolded by their parents, though they may not have completely understood or agreed with the scolding? Pain is necessary for us to learn. I can be more specific but I’m answering your post which was not specific at all.

Thanks for the responses and your thourghtful comments. I also appreciate your even tempered approach. I REALLY do have much to do before Christmas and relatives to entertain, etc., so I will not be able to give you a full reponse to your three (3) posts for a few days. Plus I will need some time to give what you wrote proper consideration.

One minor point. You inadvertently, I am sure, included part of your post in a quote of mine:

Originally Posted by chaunceygardner:

I agree. And I still have some Christmas shopping, cookie baking and present wrapping to take care of. (Your comment: The Church gives us rules to follow because they are worthwhile for our daily lives.)

I can understand how that could happen, since I embedded my responses into your original post. But I didn’t want to confuse anyone. I would agree with what was appended, except for the word “because”. Many of the Church’s rules are worthwhile in our daily lives, but I would not agree that ALL of them are, or that they are all included BECAUSE they benefit us.

A very Merry and Blessed Christmas to you and to all.

 

[erikd]

Thanks for the responses and your thourghtful comments. I also appreciate your even tempered approach. I REALLY do have much to do before Christmas and relatives to entertain, etc., so I will not be able to give you a full reponse to your three (3) posts for a few days. Plus I will need some time to give what you wrote proper consideration.

Chauncey, I appreciate our thoughtful and civil exchange of ideas, sorry the responses are so long but I am trying to give them the justice they deserve. Have a Merry Christmas and a Blessed New Year.

Your Brother In Christ

Erik D.

 

[bryan123459]

Matthew 25 has always been one of my favorite chapters in the Bible–so much so, that I named a Catholic jail ministry that I started, “Matthew 25.”

Of course there is nothing contradictory about Matthew 25 and being Catholic. If anything, the Catholic Church’s emphasis on the importance of the corporal works of mercy is rooted in Matthew 25. Some of our brothers/sisters in other Christian denominations seem hung-up about the place of “works” in salvation, but that is a different matter. We are saved by grace, freely given. The fruit of faith is well-expressed by Jesus in Matthew 25 and in the Letter of James (faith without works is dead).

 

[Monte1945]

OK, but the Bible passage in question Matthew 25, doesn’t mention other things like if you eat meat on a day of abstinence then you will go to hell, or if you do good works on Sunday, such as mentioned in the passage, but do not attend Mass on that Sunday, then you will go to hell. It says more or less the contrary, that if you do the good works as mentioned there, then you will attain salvation. It says if you don;t do these good works, then you will go to hell.

I think the issue can be better understood… if one would think of it, as Jesus
explained in matt. 7:17-20

Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit.
A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.
Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.
Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them. (unquote)

Once a person receives the Grace of God through Baptism and receives the
Holy Spirit… one’s nature can become good through God’s Grace fromthe Sacraments of the Church. Then one’s fruit can become good by one being a new creature from partaking of the Devine Nature gradually from God’s Grace.

2 Peter 4:28 “are we not partakers of the devine nature”

and which CCC 460 states states/teaches…

 

[Earnest_Bunbury]

In St. Faustina’s diary, Christ spoke to her about the importance of mercy - not just celebrating the feast (Feast of Divine Mercy), but living God’s Mercy in our lives…

"My daughter, if I demand through you that people revere My mercy, you should be the first to distinguish yourself by this confidence in My mercy. I demand from you deeds of mercy, which are to arise out of love for Me. You are to show mercy to your neighbors always and everywhere. You must not shrink from this or try to excuse or absolve yourself from it.

I am giving you three ways of exercising mercy toward your neighbor: the first - by deed, the second - by word, the third - by prayer. In these three degrees is contained the fullness of mercy, and it is an unquestionable proof of love for Me. By this means a soul glorifies and pays reverence to My mercy. Yes, the first Sunday after Easter is the Feast of Mercy, but there must also be acts of mercy, and I demand the worship of My mercy through the solemn celebration of the Feast and through the veneration of the image which is painted. By means of this image I shall grant many graces to souls. It is to be a reminder of the demands of My mercy, because even the strongest faith is of no avail without works." (Diary, 742)

But it wasn’t just in honor of the Feast that Christ spoke about His desire for acts of mercy…

"October 1, 1937. Daughter, I need sacrifice lovingly accomplished, because that alone has meaning for Me. Enormous indeed are the debts of the world which are due to Me; pure souls can pay them by their sacrifice, exercising mercy in spirit.

I understand Your words, Lord, and the magnitude of the mercy that ought to shine in my soul. Jesus: I know, My daughter, that you understand it and that you do everything within your power. But write this for the many souls who are often worried because they do not have the material means with which to carry out an act of mercy. Yet spiritual mercy, which requires neither permissions nor storehouses, is much more meritorious and is within the grasp of every soul. If a soul does not exercise mercy somehow or other, it will not obtain My mercy on the day of judgment. Oh, if only souls knew how to gather eternal treasure for themselves, they would not be judged, for they would forestall My judgment with their mercy." (Diary, 1316-7)
saint-faustina.com/Works.php

 

[peary1]

In reading Matthew 25:31 - 46, we see that those who have given drink to the thirsty, food to the hungry, visited prisoners, will possess the kingdom of heaven. But I don’t see where there is any mention that you have to belong to the Catholic Church in order to be saved. Is this a contradiction to Catholic teaching that there is no salvation outside the Catholic Church?

If you are a nonCatholic (or even a nonChristian, for that matter) and sincerely practice the spiritual and corporal works of mercy in your own life, it is possible that you can share in the grace and works of the Catholic Church and, by such a grace, may gain salvation. It isn’t a contradiction to Catholic teaching.

 

[fdesales]

In reading Matthew 25:31 - 46, we see that those who have given drink to the thirsty, food to the hungry, visited prisoners, will possess the kingdom of heaven. But I don’t see where there is any mention that you have to belong to the Catholic Church in order to be saved. Is this a contradiction to Catholic teaching that there is no salvation outside the Catholic Church?

The passage is not all inclusive…

Not a word is mentioned about murdering or committing actual evil acts.

Yet elsewhere, the Bible clearly speaks of those acts as denying entrance into the Kingdom of Heaven.

One should consider reading Scriptures as a whole before making your statements.

Regards

 

[PJM]

=sidbrown;6053770]In reading Matthew 25:31 - 46, we see that those who have given drink to the thirsty, food to the hungry, visited prisoners, will possess the kingdom of heaven. But I don’t see where there is any mention that you have to belong to the Catholic Church in order to be saved. Is this a contradiction to Catholic teaching that there is no salvation outside the Catholic Church?

***No

Friend you have an incomplete understanding of both these verses and the balance of the Bible.

Keep in mind, that according to 2 Tim.3:16, understanding comes from the COMPLETE BIBLE.

Therefore the verses you have chosen speak NOT of Salvation in and of these acts, but as PART od God’s TOTAL plan for our Salvation.

Add to your verses the following passages for a fuller, more complete [still not the complete instruction] understanding of the CORRECT MESSAGE.

Mt. 16: 15-19, Mt. 18:18, Mt. 28:20, 1 John 1: 8-10, 1 John 5: 16-17, John 20:19-23, Jn. 6:40-69, Mt. 26:26-28, Mk. 14: 22-24, Lk. 22: 19-21, 1 Cor. 11: 23-29

and this Eph. 2:19 19* So then you are no longer strangers and sojourners, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, [singular] built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole structure is joined together and grows into a holy temple in the Lord; [singular] in whom you also are built into it for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.**

Love and prayers,

Pat

 

[Earnest_Bunbury]

Friend you have an incomplete understanding of both these verses and the balance of the Bible.

We all do. We should in prayerful union with God, attain to the understanding as it applies to us, as well as to all the possibilities as to what it generally means and to what is doesn’t mean, as well as the positive and negative aspects as in what it tells us to do and what to avoid. The Magisterial documents teach us the true depth of meaning.

The good works of Matt. 25 are not transparent as this thread would make it appear. One can give a drink to a drunk and call it “good”, or spoil a child with a permissive love. It takes the Truth of Christ to know and understand this. From Veritatis Splendor:

The human act, good according to its object, is also capable of being ordered to its ultimate end. That same act then attains its ultimate and decisive perfection when the will actually does order it to God through charity. As the Patron of moral theologians and confessors (St Alphonsus Ligouri, founder of the Redemptorist order) teaches: “It is not enough to do good works; they need to be done well. For our works to be good and perfect, they must be done for the sole purpose of pleasing God”

This pleasing of God manifests itself in obedience to the precepts of the Church, not because of the Church, but because of the love for God and the Love from God. The person who misses Mass obstinately not only doesn’t have love for God, he fails to accept the Love that comes FROM God. This comes from faith, acquires a morality from God’s revealed divine Law and from the natural law, and is given, as it receives from God.

Faith also possesses a moral content…Through the moral life, faith becomes “confession”, not only before God but also before men: it becomes witness. “You are the light of the world”, said Jesus; “a city set on a hill cannot be hid. Nor do men light a lamp and put it under a bushel, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven” (Mt 5:14-16). These works are above all those of charity (cf. Mt 25:31-46) and of the authentic freedom which is manifested and lived in the gift of self, even to the total gift of self, like that of Jesus, who on the Cross “loved the Church and gave himself up for her” (Eph 5:25).

This grace cooperated with is Sanctifying Grace and is not given to make us better but to make us perfect. The end of grace is our perfection. “Be perfect as your heavenly Father is Perfect”. Not mere aphorism but a command coming from God.

Christ has redeemed us! This means that he has given us the possibility of realizing the entire truth of our being; he has set our freedom free from the domination of concupiscence. And if redeemed man still sins, this is not due to an imperfection of Christ’s redemptive act, but to man’s will not to avail himself of the grace which flows from that act…Instead, we should take to heart the message of the Gospel parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector (cf. Lk 18:9-14)…The tax collector represents a “repentant” conscience, fully aware of the frailty of its own nature and seeing in its own failings, whatever their subjective justifications, a confirmation of its need for redemption. The Pharisee represents a “self-satisfied” conscience, under the illusion that it is able to observe the law without the help of grace and convinced that it does not need mercy. …All people must take great care not to allow themselves to be tainted by the attitude of the Pharisee, which would seek to eliminate awareness of one’s own limits and of one’s own sin. In our own day this attitude is expressed particularly in the attempt to adapt the moral norm to one’s own capacities and personal interests, and even in the rejection of the very idea of a norm. Accepting, on the other hand, the “disproportion” between the law and human ability (that is, the capacity of the moral forces of man left to himself) kindles the desire for grace and prepares one to receive it. “Who will deliver me from this body of death?” asks the Apostle Paul. And in an outburst of joy and gratitude he replies: "Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! " (Rom 7:24-25)

The words of JP II shows the Magisterial Teaching leading to God, not merely human ideas stemming from personal interpretation of Sacred Texts that can be rejected or dismissed. Hell is not a punishment for one misdeed but a separation from God that stems from us and ultimately from God due to our willingness to be separated from Him.

 

[PJM]

=Earnest Bunbury;6090227]We all do. We should in prayerful union with God, attain to the understanding as it applies to us, as well as to all the possibilities as to what it generally means and to what is doesn’t mean, as well as the positive and negative aspects as in what it tells us to do and what to avoid. The Magisterial documents teach us the true depth of meaning.

The good works of Matt. 25 are not transparent as this thread would make it appear. One can give a drink to a drunk and call it “good”, or spoil a child with a permissive love. It takes the Truth of Christ to know and understand this. From Veritatis Splendor:

This pleasing of God manifests itself in obedience to the precepts of the Church, not because of the Church, but because of the love for God and the Love from God. The person who misses Mass obstinately not only doesn’t have love for God, he fails to accept the Love that comes FROM God. This comes from faith, acquires a morality from God’s revealed divine Law and from the natural law, and is given, as it receives from God.

This grace cooperated with is Sanctifying Grace and is not given to make us better but to make us perfect. The end of grace is our perfection. “Be perfect as your heavenly Father is Perfect”. Not mere aphorism but a command coming from God.

The words of JP II shows the Magisterial Teaching leading to God, not merely human ideas stemming from personal interpretation of Sacred Texts that can be rejected or dismissed. Hell is not a punishment for one misdeed but a separation from God that stems from us and ultimately from God due to our willingness to be separated from Him.

***Very good reply

Thanks and a HOLY Christmas ***

 

[JohnMPhilomena]

The Catholic church does not teach that one must be a member of the Catholic church to be saved.

Peace,
John Marie Philomena

 

[Nita]

In reading Matthew 25:31 - 46, we see that those who have given drink to the thirsty, food to the hungry, visited prisoners, will possess the kingdom of heaven. But I don’t see where there is any mention that you have to belong to the Catholic Church in order to be saved. Is this a contradiction to Catholic teaching that there is no salvation outside the Catholic Church?

This passage shows that everyone, even those inside the Catholic Church, will have their deeds involving other humans judged. In other words, Love of Neighbor. It doesn’t address the judgement of how we fulfilled the first and greatest part of the Great Commandment - Love of God.

Keep in mind, at the time Jesus spoke, the Catholic Church did not yet exist. The Church is said to have been “born” at Pentecost - 50 days after Jesus death.

 

[Earnest_Bunbury]

The Catholic church does not teach that one must be a member of the Catholic church to be saved.

Peace,
John Marie Philomena

It does teach, though, that it is the sole authority to authentically interpret the Word of God. This authentic interpretation has as its end the salvation of souls. God is, of course, not bound to act according to the dictates of the Church, but the Church is bound to act according to the dictates of God.

In particular, as the Council affirms, “the task of authentically interpreting the word of God, whether in its written form or in that of Tradition, has been entrusted only to those charged with the Church’s living Magisterium, whose authority is exercised in the name of Jesus Christ”. The Church, in her life and teaching, is thus revealed as “the pillar and bulwark of the truth” ( 1 Tim 3:15), including the truth regarding moral action. Indeed, “the Church has the right always and everywhere to proclaim moral principles, even in respect of the social order, and to make judgments about any human matter in so far as this is required by fundamental human rights or the salvation of souls”.

These dictates of God are increasingly denied in and out of the Catholic Church:

Today, however, it seems necessary to reflect on the whole of the Church’s moral teaching, with the precise goal of recalling certain fundamental truths of Catholic doctrine which, in the present circumstances, risk being distorted or denied. In fact, a new situation has come about within the Christian community itself, which has experienced the spread of numerous doubts and objections of a human and psychological, social and cultural, religious and even properly theological nature, with regard to the Church’s moral teachings. It is no longer a matter of limited and occasional dissent, but of an overall and systematic calling into question of traditional moral doctrine, on the basis of certain anthropological and ethical presuppositions. At the root of these presuppositions is the more or less obvious influence of currents of thought which end by detaching human freedom from its essential and constitutive relationship to truth. Thus the traditional doctrine regarding the natural law, and the universality and the permanent validity of its precepts, is rejected; certain of the Church’s moral teachings are found simply unacceptable; and the Magisterium itself is considered capable of intervening in matters of morality only in order to “exhort consciences” and to “propose values”, in the light of which each individual will independently make his or her decisions and life choices.

This has a profound effect on the status of ones salvation, calling sin “virtue”, as some do, even dissenting members of the Catholic Church, is analogous to cooperation in the sin of another by council. The safe harbor is the Catholic Church.

 

[Monte1945]

In reading Matthew 25:31 - 46, we see that those who have given drink to the thirsty, food to the hungry, visited prisoners, will possess the kingdom of heaven. But I don’t see where there is any mention that you have to belong to the Catholic Church in order to be saved. Is this a contradiction to Catholic teaching that there is no salvation outside the Catholic Church?

There is a work which the God/Holy Ghost wants to be done here by christians.
feed the hungry, cloth the naked, etc… The charity of the mystical body of
Jesus is the “kingdome of Heaven” is also here, within each of the christians…
doing the works of the spirit…

The Kingdom of Heaven is not only in Heaven… it is the working church here on
earth… and any person who calls upon the Lord is given the Holy Ghost to
live within him/her to do the beatitudes which Jesus taught become a member
of the mystical body of Christ… regardless of what christian denomination one
is a part of…

The Catholic Chrurch accepts all other christian demoninations as brothers
and sisters…

Can’t you do the same?

 

[sidbrown]

There is a work which the God/Holy Ghost wants to be done here by christians.
feed the hungry, cloth the naked, etc… The charity of the mystical body of
Jesus is the “kingdome of Heaven” is also here, within each of the christians…
doing the works of the spirit…

The Kingdom of Heaven is not only in Heaven… it is the working church here on
earth… and any person who calls upon the Lord is given the Holy Ghost to
live within him/her to do the beatitudes which Jesus taught become a member
of the mystical body of Christ… regardless of what christian denomination one
is a part of…

The Catholic Chrurch accepts all other christian demoninations as brothers
and sisters…

Can’t you do the same?

Yes it does today, but has the Church changed its teaching from the past when people were burned alive or tortured for heresy?

 

[erikd]

Yes it does today, but has the Church changed its teaching from the past when people were burned alive or tortured for heresy?

I believe you’re thinking of the Anglicans. Remember that King Henry killed two Catholics, one a Bishop, because they did not agree with his proposed divorce. King Henry hung their decapitated heads off the London Bridge and commanded himself the head of the Church of England. To this day, the royal family holds this title.

If, however, you believe that the Catholic Church had Her share of physical battles and even kills, well you’d be absolutely right. The Catholic Church has always put up a strong defense against Muslim extremists, as early as the 9th century, when Christians were being killed in the name of Allah. I believe that defense of life, as in a war which this clearly was (and still is), justifies the killing of hostile extremists. As a matter of fact, I would go so far as to say that all Christians worldwide, whether Catholic or not, have the Catholic Church to thank for defending with blood the right of all people to be Christian. That certainly is a worthy act, don’t you agree? I believe that Jesus would agree (Mt. 16:25, 19:29, John 4:36, 15:13).

 

[sidbrown]

The Catholic Chrurch accepts all other christian demoninations as brothers
and sisters…

this is true today, but it was not true during the time of the Spainsh Inquisition or the Protestant Reformation.