protestant family

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I do understand there are some exceptions for the dogma of no salvation outside the church. But we must obey the churchs teaching. And yes I know that someone can be validy baptized by a non-catholic, but that dosent mean that when they attain the use of reason they cannot reject the Catholic Church. Please read this link to clear things up.

staycatholic.com/salvation_outside_the_church.htm
 
Gregorian_Apolo said:
I do understand there are some exceptions for the dogma of no salvation outside the church. But we must obey the churchs teaching. And yes I know that someone can be validy baptized by a non-catholic, but that dosent mean that when they attain the use of reason they cannot reject the Catholic Church. Please read this link to clear things up.

staycatholic.com/salvation_outside_the_church.htm
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Interesting that your article only refers to no. 16 in Lumen Gentium. If you take a closer look at no 15 and 16 you’ll notice that no 16 references those who are unaware (which could also mean those who only heard about the Catholic Church from other-than-Catholic sources and are therefore against even approaching the Catholic Church) and that no 15 indeed talks about other Christians who are not Catholic.
Lumen Gentium
  1. The Church recognizes that in many ways she is linked with those who, being baptized, are honored with the name of Christian, though they do not profess the faith in its entirety or do not preserve unity of communion with the successor of Peter. (14*) For there are many who honor Sacred Scripture, taking it as a norm of belief and a pattern of life, and who show a sincere zeal. They lovingly believe in God the Father Almighty and in Christ, the Son of God and Saviour. (15*) They are consecrated by baptism, in which they are united with Christ. They also recognize and accept other sacraments within their own Churches or ecclesiastical communities. Many of them rejoice in the episcopate, celebrate the Holy Eucharist and cultivate devotion toward the Virgin Mother of God.(16*) They also share with us in prayer and other spiritual benefits. Likewise we can say that in some real way they are joined with us in the Holy Spirit, for to them too He gives His gifts and graces whereby He is operative among them with His sanctifying power. Some indeed He has strengthened to the extent of the shedding of their blood. In all of Christ’s disciples the Spirit arouses the desire to be peacefully united, in the manner determined by Christ, as one flock under one shepherd, and He prompts them to pursue this end. (17*) Mother Church never ceases to pray, hope and work that this may come about. She exhorts her children to purification and renewal so that the sign of Christ may shine more brightly over the face of the earth.
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This clearly alludes to the Protestant and the Orthodox who are not visibly part of the Catholic Church.

In addition to that I found a nice explanation in this forum concerning whether or not Protestants can be considered heretics:
JReducation
 
Janet1983 said:
I can see that you are new here, so let me bring you up to speed…
The same argument has been presented here over and over again both by overzealous Catholics and by somewhat masochistic Protestants (who probably wanted to prove Catholics to be bigots).
Neither did succeed because according to Catholic theology the baptism of someone who is baptised outside of the Catholic Church, but with the correct formula is valid.
That means that they might not have it all correct, but that salvation is not beyond the possible. They may be saved too as they are part of the invisible Church.
“Extra Ecclesiam nulla salus” doesn’t therefore mean that everybody outside of the Catholic Church is lost. It just means that those outside the visible and invisible Church are lost, though there is always the concept of invincible ignorance that Catholic theology presents for those who never heard (Singulari Quadam, Singulari Quidem, Quanto Conficiamur Moerore) or who heard, but because of their upbringing would never even dare to believe and become Christians.
The declaration Dominus Iesus of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith also speaks of those who are outside of the Church and doesn’t assign them a place in hell.
“Ad gentes” asserts that “those cannot be saved, who, knowing that the Catholic Church was founded through Jesus Christ, by God, as something necessary, still refuse to enter it, or to remain in it.” It further states this: “So, although in ways known only to Himself, God can lead those who, through no fault of their own, are ignorant of the Gospel to that faith without which it is impossible to please Him (Hebrews 11.6), the Church nevertheless, still has the obligation and sacred right to evangelize.”

That doesn’t exclude salvation for those outside the Church that don’t know any better or don’t believe that the Church is founded by Christ.
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If you have any spare time consider applying for a position at Catholic Answers.
 
grandfather said:
If you have any spare time consider applying for a position at Catholic Answers.
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I’m neither Catholic nor do I have spare time… I’m primarily a mother.
I used to be here rather frequently but that’s not my main concern anymore… 😉
 
Janet1983 said:
I’m neither Catholic nor do I have spare time… I’m primarily a mother.
I used to be here rather frequently but that’s not my main concern anymore… 😉
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It was a compliment not a real suggestion, made realizing you are a mother and spare time is spare, and a Jew with exceptional knowledge and ability to articulate Catholic teaching.
Blessings
 
Just show them how wonderful Catholicism is! I have family who are unchurched or go to other churches, but I find it’s more effective to, often, not outright say, you’re going to a “wrong” church, come to mine! if you sincerely believe that the Catholic Church is Christ’s church and want them to believe it too, then let it show in how you act.
 
Janet1983 said:
I’m neither Catholic nor do I have spare time… I’m primarily a mother.
I used to be here rather frequently but that’s not my main concern anymore… 😉
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I believe that was his/her way of saying “very good job”
 
If it is only Catholics that only go to Heaven then how come Jesus is in Heaven because he wasn’t actaully Catholic but Jew. Think about it. 😃
 
Janet1983 said:
Wow. Thank you. 🙂
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Janet,

Please consider:

When we say we believe in the Communion of Saints, what does that mean. In any communion something is shared. The word means, with, for, through or by union. What is the thing that is shared or holds this communion of souls together, the binding force?

It is God Himself. God is love. The thing this communion shares is that. Everyone who loves is of God, part of this communion.

We are created to love and be loved, to give and receive it. It is the universal reason we all exist.

The other thing we are created to do is to know. The common activities that are proper to all spiritual beings, God, angels and men, are knowing and loving, of heart and mind.

If we are made to know there is something to be known, an object of the knowing, or knowledge. If we are created to love there is an object of the love, the thing or person that is beloved.

We can not hold God in our minds, comprehend the infinite, because our minds are finite. We can not know everything. But we are made to know God. If that is true this knowing takes place in some faculty other than our minds.

There are many things we know by experience that we can not understand. We do not understand ourselves completely, why we behave as we do. Still we experience and know life. How could we ever expect to intellectually understand the infinite?

Nevertheless when the question arises of who can be saved, achieve heaven, be with God eternally, the answer is not found in which religion a person holds. The question is does the person know love? Does the person love? The function of religion or true religion is to enable us to accomplish this purpose for which we exist.

But religion also tells us that in order to love we must have the power to love, which comes from grace, the gift of God. Experience of life tells us that there are people of every religion who love and those who fail to do so. How this works is a mystery. We do not know. Jesus said the Holy Spirit is like the wind. It blows where it will and we can not see where it comes from or goes. We can see the evidence of the presence. The wind blows off your hat or cools you on a hot day, or moves the trees. We see the evidence of grace in souls of every kind.

This is another way to say what you said in your earlier post explaining Catholic teaching from the source. God saves whomever He wills to save.

The evidence of His grace or presence in a soul is in the things the person does, the fruits of grace that are visible.

The answer to the question of whether you or I or anyone end up in heaven is whether or not we belong to the communion of souls bound together by shared divine love.

Thank you for your contributions.
 
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