I'd rather be Gnostic

[But_for_Grace]

I have been thinking lately that if I lost my Catholic faith (which I in no way see as happening, but hypothetically stated) I would be forced to reject everything Catholic as false, in doing so I would be rejecting the Canon, the Councils, and even the writtings of the saints (e.g. Ireneaus - Against Heresies). In fact I see no way that I could espouse a protestant worldview as it still hold the Bible in high esteam (the Canon of Scripture is Catholic) and it still holds much of the Creed as valid. Therefore the only way that I could still believe in Christ is in a Gnostic manner and without the pronouncements against Gnosticism (all by early Catholic authors) would have to be held as invalid.

So all of you prostestant here visiting on these boards, why, if you convince me of not being Catholic, should I not be Gnostic?

 

[sandusky]

But for Grace:

I have been thinking lately that if I lost my Catholic faith (which I in no way see as happening, but hypothetically stated)

You are the first Catholic I have seen who believes in OSAS

 

[But_for_Grace]

sandusky:

You are the first Catholic I have seen who believes in OSAS

Please, do explain why you say that.

 

[st.jerome]

Maybe you can correct me on this, but from what I know of Gnosticism, its a religious philosophy without actually being a religion. Since there is no ritual or practice, it might leave you “high and dry.”

 

[El_Catolico]

Sandusky:

You are the first Catholic I have seen who believes in OSAS

Umm, no, he didn’t. People often say that they are sure something won’t happen. This person just has a particular love for the Catholic faith, and he doesn’t consider it likely that that love will change. That is far and away from saying that Christ will save a person even if he commits apostasy (OSAS).

 

[But_for_Grace]

It is the surety of the Catholic faith that keeps me from falling, but if I were to find that the Catholic faith was inheirently false, how could I hold to any protestant view?

 

[bengal_fan]

But for Grace:

…
So all of you prostestant here visiting on these boards, why, if you convince me of not being Catholic, should I not be Gnostic?

i am not a protestant trying to convince you but…

because as a gnostic, you cannot be saved. Jesus actually didn’t die in gnosticism as he didn’t really have a body. if there is no death, there is no resurrection and therefore no victory over sin. that is why it is better to be protestant that gnostic (but i believe the fullness lies in the catholic church).

 

[Roman_Army]

But for Grace:

I have been thinking lately that if I lost my Catholic faith (which I in no way see as happening, but hypothetically stated) I would be forced to reject everything Catholic as false, in doing so I would be rejecting the Canon, the Councils, and even the writtings of the saints (e.g. Ireneaus - Against Heresies). In fact I see no way that I could espouse a protestant worldview as it still hold the Bible in high esteam (the Canon of Scripture is Catholic) and it still holds much of the Creed as valid. Therefore the only way that I could still believe in Christ is in a Gnostic manner and without the pronouncements against Gnosticism (all by early Catholic authors) would have to be held as invalid.

So all of you prostestant here visiting on these boards, why, if you convince me of not being Catholic, should I not be Gnostic?

**I get what you mean. However, this type of talk wouldn’t work in trying to convince protestants to be more Catholic, lol. **

Let me play protestant advocate, lol…

Protestantism does not say that the Catholic Church is false. It says that there are certain things that are false in it. The Church prior to the invention and accepting of Saints, idolatry, eucharist, purgatory, Pope, indulgences, priestly celibacy, Immaculate conception, alcohol, etc. was pure and valid but then became corrupt.

 

[But_for_Grace]

Roman_Army - and when would one suggest that was? before Justin Martyr (speaks of Eucharist as Body and Blood), alcohol (I recall Paul mentioning something about it being good for one’s health if not over indulged in), etc.

To remove all the objections you would have to go back before the writting of the bible. What then is left if the bible is taken away?

 

[Kristina_P]

But for Grace:

It is the surety of the Catholic faith that keeps me from falling, but if I were to find that the Catholic faith was inheirently false, how could I hold to any protestant view?

The key words here are “inherently false.” It’s my opinion that the reformers considered the Catholic faith to be true, but they chose to reject what they considered to be either departures from the true faith or extra doctrines that weren’t necessary to salvation. You seem to have more of an all-or-nothing view on it, though, which probably would have seemed extreme to them. Also, you have to remember that most Protestants today know very little about what the Catholic church actually teaches and so think that their faith is as different from Catholicism as it is from Gnosticism.

 

[reen12]

Good points, Kristina P.

quote: Kristina P.

The key words here are “inherently false.” It’s my opinion that the reformers considered the Catholic faith to be true, but they chose to reject what they considered to be either departures from the true faith or extra doctrines that weren’t necessary to salvation. You seem to have more of an all-or-nothing view on it, though, which probably would have seemed extreme to them. Also, you have to remember that most Protestants today know very little about what the Catholic church actually teaches and so think that their faith is as different from Catholicism as it is from Gnosticism.

reen12