How can we justify our faith?

[Raynner]

hi,
i came across a site which was written by a former catholic(if im not mistaken),he condemned the practices of the roman catholic church.Being not so knowledgable myself i feel intimidated by his arguments.is there anyone here can clarify me and defend our faith?

the link is jude23.wordpress.com/

if possible try post something to his website.thank you.God bless.

 

[FightingFat]

What bit in particular worried you?

The stuff about the pope is inaccurate. He was conscripted into the army and deserted, his father was a staunch anti-nazi. The comments he made in his Regensberg lecture were a warning about fideism and the divorce of reason from belief. The good he did in having the courage to visit Turkey after all the threats that were made against him after Regensberg is not arguable.

 

[Dispector]

This almost made me want to vomit. I can’t believe the misinformation and seeming contradiction in his statements. I’ll present a few things but I’m not sure how much of this I can stomach.

Here is his anti Islamic gaff! He said, I quote, ‘Show me just what Muhammad brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached,’ ” Benedict quoted the emperor as saying.

I’m pretty sure that’s what Muhammad preached and how he spread Islam during it’s early days. Truth hurts.

I guess he has a selective memory as to the sordid bloody violent past of his own religion?

I’m not sure how pointing out the bloody roots of another religion would automatically show that the Pope has forgotten the abuses of the Catholic faith by people in power. Believe me, we all fully aware of the mistakes Catholics have made in the past and we do not deny that. For one to accept Truth one must also accept reality.

Anyway, this past week he managed to nail the Roman Catholic colours to the mast once again in his latest document. It came in the form of a paper that had five questions and answers. The part that was of most concern to protestant Christianity was that the Pope said that protestant denominations “were not true churches but merely ecclesial communities and therefore did not have the means of salvation.”

This is true. However, I’m not exactly sure why he’s so offended by this statement. I’m pretty sure that’s what the Catholic church has been saying for the past 400 to 500 years in regards to Protestantism. In response, Protestants have been deeply upset that we don’t accept their teachings. It’s just more of the same here.

The theology for this statement comes from the Romanist belief that salvation stems from the church itself. Obviously if the church is the organism that can either impart or withhold salvation then it is perfect logic that one must be in good standing with the true church in order to inherit salvation.

Salvation comes from God and Jesus Christ. The Church provides the guiding light for us to find Him. At the end of the day it is not our priest, or our bishop, or the pope that determines our salvation, but rather, it is God. I don’t think I’ve ever heard a teaching otherwise.

Thankfully the Holy Scriptures tell a different story! The bible says

Acts 4:11-12 This Jesus is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone. 12 And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”

John 14:6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me

John 3:36 Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.

Rom 10:9 because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

I am very thankful to God that my salvation is not determined by any ecclesiastical system but rests singularly upon my faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and His shed blood upon the cross.

I can never understand why they think we don’t believe our Salvation is only found through Jesus Christ and his sacrifice to us. Every Mass is a celebration of his sacrifice and His gift we gave to us. He should learn about the Eucharist and how the receiving of Christ’s body is the central part of our Mass.

 

[Dispector]

As Paul the apostle puts it.

Eph 2:8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast.

We understand that no matter how hard we may try the final decision for our salvation is a gift from God. All of us are completely unworthy of salvation yet he still gives us this gift.

However, by his interpretation of this quote he would be implying that faith alone is necessary for salvation. Well that’s good… so as long as I believe I’m saved. Now I can go on living my life as I was before… but the faith was there… that’s all that matters.

I’m really tired so I think I’m going to head to bed. That rant is so full of misrepresentation it’s hard to be completely thorough. I’m sure I’ll have other friends come in here to back that up, too.

Respectfully,
Mark

 

[Raynner]

Thanks for all the replies.i really learn something here.Godbless everyone!