I've officially left the Church

[Tietjen]

If you want to pray, then go ahead…not for public display however. Jesus warned against such displays.

Really?! Does your minister lead a his congragation in prayer?

 

[onetimeposter]

Back this up with examples please. I’m tired of you lies. “Get thee behind me Satan.”

In all fairness…the RCC clearly mis-interprets 2 Cor 5:17-20, in fact, it is so mis-interpreted…I couldn’t believe my eyes.

The RCC actually teaches that 2 Cor 5:17-20, is justification for their ministry of reconciliation.

A barely literate person can clearly see that the scripture is only talking about spreading the gospel and not about confessions.

 

[thecoach]

Back this up with examples please. I’m tired of you lies. “Get thee behind me Satan.”

 

[jmcrae]

In all fairness…the RCC clearly mis-interprets 2 Cor 5:17-20, in fact, it is so mis-interpreted…I couldn’t believe my eyes.

The RCC actually teaches that 2 Cor 5:17-20, is justification for their ministry of reconciliation.

Actually, the Catholic interpretation brings that passage into focus, for me, since it makes sense of why the Apostles have a different ministry of reconciliation than just regular evangelists. Without that understanding, the passage just seemed to me to be a lot of unnecessary repetition - I was thinking to myself, “Why can’t St. Paul just get to the point and say what he wants to say?” Until I realized that he is actually talking about two different but related things (Sacramental Reconciliation and Evangelism), and showing how they relate to each other in the context of the ministry of the whole Church.

A barely literate person can clearly see that the scripture is only talking about spreading the gospel and not about confessions.

It’s talking about both, and comparing/contrasting the ministry of the Apostles regarding reconciliation, and the ministry of regular evangelists.

 

[Tietjen]

Because as a former Catholic, I probably studied ten times as much about it as you, especially when I used to defend the faith.Want to ask snide questions, you will get snide answers.

LOL. Well Mr. “fomer Catholic” perhaps your’d like to speak to me on this. You and I have apparently had similar backgrounds (leaving the church over what we thought was Church doctrine); the difference being that I have come full-circle and have returned. I would consider it an honor if God used me to assist you in returning to the Church. What say you? Let’s have a discussion (one topic at a time please) and see if I might be able to help you better understand. Of course we’ll need to start new threads so feel free and then PM me as to where I should look. God bless.

 

[jmcrae]

If he was ever baptised…and if he fulfills Pauls’s stated requirements for salvation, then YES. His excommunication is only from a body with no real authority, so its effect on his soul is nill.

If the Church has no authority to excommunicate, then why did Jesus give it Matthew 18:15-20?

What is the purpose of these commandments, if they have no real effect?

It is Christ alone that saves. We are baptized in the Body of Christ, not into the magesterium.

The Magisterium is the teaching authority of the Body of Christ. The Magisterium receives its authority directly from Christ, by means of the laying on of hands, with an unbroken pedigree that goes back to the Apostles themselves.

 

[Peter_J]

onetimeposter,

First I want to say May God guide you in your ongoing journey, and may He lead you to the true church. (I think you know my views on “the true church”, so I won’t subject you to them again. At least for the moment. )

Posting a small blurb about leaving the Catholic Church is making a big deal about it? Nope, it is not.

Holding a big party to mark the occasion and taking an advertisement out in a local paper, now that is making a big deal about it.

The only people making a big deal about it are the Catholics who are throwing stones at me.

Anyway, I think my post takes people out of their Catholic comfort zones and that is why they lash out that I must be an ignoramus for leaving.

Let’s be honest: you must have had a pretty good idea what kind of response you would get? (Whether that response is what it ought to be is another issue of course.) Although I have to admit that 263 replies in less than 24 hours is surprising … and kinda bizarre as a matter of fact.

 

[Peter_J]

Your post is the type that really validates a decision like his…what condecension! What arrogance!

Well then let me ask you this: If what you just quoted had been said by one Methodist (for example) to another Methodist, would that “validate” the second Methodist deciding not to be a Methodist anymore?

 

[Peter_J]

Maybe better wording is need on my part…this from catholic.org:

Q: Are some of these dimensions – sacrifice, memorial, banquet – more important than others?

Father Flores: These three dimensions of the Eucharist are inseparable. The sacrifice perpetuates the sacrificial death of Christ on the cross.

Why the need to perpetuate a once for all sacrifice? Makes no logical sense.

I think this is one of those cases where you read something on the internet and need to take a grain of salt with it.

 

[Tietjen]

Do you realize that the Catholic Church was around BEFORE Scripture was? Jesus founded the Church in 33 AD; Scripture wasn’t written for several decades later. The fact is that Scripture was written FOR the Church; the Church did not come about as a result of the Scripture.

So actually, placing Scripture before the Church puts you in a bit of danger…

Actually buckr02, you make a good point although, your amount of time is off a bit. The canon of the Bible wasn’t established by Christ’s Church (the Catholic Church) until until the councils of Hippo in 393 AD and Carthage in 397 AD. So, rather than decades, one should say centuries. Hmmm… rather inconsistant with the concept of sola scriptura if you ask me. Because if it truly were “the Bible alone” that would mean that no one during those first 400 years could have been saved. tsk tsk… another thread however.

 

[thecoach]

LOL. Well Mr. “fomer Catholic” perhaps your’d like to speak to me on this. You and I have apparently had similar backgrounds (leaving the church over what we thought was Church doctrine); the difference being that I have come full-circle and have returned. I would consider it an honor if God used me to assist you in returning to the Church. What say you? Let’s have a discussion (one topic at a time please) and see if I might be able to help you better understand. Of course we’ll need to start new threads so feel free and then PM me as to where I should look. God bless.

No thanks…I know from experience such discussions are not possible. Beside, when you start your post off with disrespect, do you really think I want to deal with you?

 

[GailMac]

Dear Onetime -

Gonna miss you bud - don’t die out there! We’ll hold the door open for when you’ve had enough church hopping. PLEEEEEEEZE don’t turn into one of those horrid Catholic Bashing EX-CATHOLICS who falsely claim to know everything we teach (if that were even humanly possible) and reject it all in favor of some freaky belief system, etc.

One question though - have you removed your children from Church as well? I hope not. But then again I’m not even sure you have children. That would be an awful thing to do to them. I’m assuming that since your wife supports your decision, she’s not Catholic.

Know you will be in the prayers of many while you continue your faith journey. I hope you find the Love you’re looking for. I know if you look back you will see Him, but you don’t see Him know, so what can I say? You’ll have to walk awhile in the darkness to see what a marvelous Light you left behind. In the meantime, we’ll keep a light on for ya!

Peace,

Gail

 

[jmcrae]

Why the need to perpetuate a once for all sacrifice? Makes no logical sense.

So that we may partake of it, and be saved from our sins by it.

Remember, the Israelites were not saved until after they ate the lamb of sacrifice. It was not enough merely to sacrifice it. Jesus on the Cross is the fulfillment of the Passover Sacrifice, but it is not completed in us until we have partaken of it at Mass.

 

[SwizzleStick]

Colossians 3:12-17
Because you are God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, clothe yourselves with heartfelt mercy, with kindness, humility, meekness, and patience. Bear with one another; forgive whatever grievances you have against one another. Forgive as the Lord has forgiven you. Over all these virtures put on love, which binds the rest together and makes them perfect. Christ’s peace must reign in your hearts, since as members of one body you have been called to that peace. Dedicate yourselves to thankfulness. Let the word of Christ, rich as it is, dwell in you. In wisdom made perfect, instruct and admonish one another. Sing gratefully to God from your hearts in psalms, hymns, and inspired songs. Whatever you do, whether in speech or in action, do it in the name of the Lord Jesus. Give thanks to God the Father through.

I’m signing off for the day now. Peace to all.

 

[1holycatholic]

Your statement was strightforward that ALL BELIEVERS are the Body of Christ. What I want to know from you is: 1) He believes, 2) He disobeys the Church, and 3) He is excommunicated (but he still believes). The question is: is he still a member of the Body of Christ? If no, then not ALL believers are the Body of Christ; If yes, what then is the meaning of Matt 18:17?

If you have a child that runs away from home to become a drug dealer and prostitute they are still your child. Telling them they are welcome back home when they stop drugs and prostitution is what parents do. This is what excommunication is. Excommunication is a corrective action not a punitive one.

 

[buckr02]

Remember, the Israelites were not saved until after they ate the lamb of sacrifice. It was not enough merely to sacrifice it. Jesus on the Cross is the fulfillment of the Passover Sacrifice, but it is not completed in us until we have partaken of it at Mass.

Is that true? I had never known that, but it makes the Eucharist make even more sense than before. Could you provide some proof? Thanks!

 

[placido]

If you have a child that runs away from home to become a drug dealer and prostitute they are still your child. Telling them they are welcome back home when they stop drugs and prostitution is what parents do. This is what excommunication is. Excommunication is a corrective action not a punitive one.

I agree, but what if he rejects correction?

 

[Tietjen]

actually your misperceptions put you in danger…Im just fine thanks. And I am not sending anyone to hell…I thought your church taught not to say that?

Notice, if you will, that thecoach never actually responds to the poster with evidence to the contray. Instead, he simply critizes the poster by saying he’s “just fine thanks” and points out that the Church doesn’t approve of saying anyone is going to hell. While the later is certainly true, I find it rather funny that the first sentence within thecoach’s response is exactly the same sin. Furthermore, Catholics are not permitted to determine the final destination of an individual’s soul as that is for God alone. However, we ARE told that we should admonish our brothers and sisters if they do wrong in the hope that they will turn from their evil ways and come to Christ. It was however, an artful attempt thecoach.

 

[reteeks21]

If you have a child that runs away from home to become a drug dealer and prostitute they are still your child. Telling them they are welcome back home when they stop drugs and prostitution is what parents do. This is what excommunication is. Excommunication is a corrective action not a punitive one.

I don’t recall the father telling his prodigal son that. In fact, didn’t he wait for him at the end of “drive” waiting, longing for him to come home. In fact, the son wanted to earn his way back into his good graces, but the father brushed that aside and said welcome home, now let’s have a party. Is that not what happened, or am I interpteting it wrong, or should I not be trying to interpret it at all?

 

[thecoach]

So that we may partake of it, and be saved from our sins by it.

Remember, the Israelites were not saved until after they ate the lamb of sacrifice. It was not enough merely to sacrifice it. Jesus on the Cross is the fulfillment of the Passover Sacrifice, but it is not completed in us until we have partaken of it at Mass.

But in the OT, the sacrifice was intented to be done over and over, as a foreshadowing of the once for all sacrifice,. Hebrews is quite clear on this differentiation.