Protestants: why do you participate on a Catholic forum?

[GodIsGracious]

I have found the Catholic attitude toward potential converts to be fairly simliar to the Jewish attitude. They certainly don’t try to talk you out of it, but might stop just short of actively discouraging you.

Many Catholics know it can be a tough life as a Catholic. I have never discouraged anyone from converting even when I was lapsed and felt I was agnostic. In fact, I personally had envy because I wished I had the love and interest in my “faith from the cradle” that converts have.

I haven’t found this attitude that troublesome, though. Becoming Catholic is a serious commitment, involving many lifelong responsibilities. One should be doing it for God, not for “the perks”, if that makes any sense. I actually find the fact that most Mass attendees are more focused on worship than on socializing a refreshing change from the usual Protestant love fests.

BINGO!

This is why I cannot even begin to fathom why some people “complain” about how unfriendly Catholics are. I knew a woman who was a lapsed Catholic but then decided to go to a protestant church. I asked her why? They don’t have the Eucharist. She said, “Because they pay attention to me.” I’ve heard others say it’s more “fun.”

I mean really. We’re not there to socialize, although yes, I realize that socializing can be fun and is very necessary as we are “social” human beings. That’s what being active in the church community is for. But Mass… Mass is for worship. Mass is to partake in Holy Communion and to be in communion with Christ.

Honestly, “fun” with friends and family IS NOTHING compared to what I get spiritually when I receive Holy Communion. NOTHING. Even when I was lapsed I never went to a protestant church. I never understood, even then, why a Catholic would give up Communion with CHRIST for “fun” and “juice and crackers.” If they wanted that, why not hold a social event after Mass?

 

[GodIsGracious]

GETTING TO HEAVEN

Getting to heaven? Well, I'm not at all sure what heaven is like, and probably like nothing our finite minds can imagine or understand. But I expect to be there.

 Why? First off, the grace of God - the merciful, loving God. That's the principal answer. It certainly has nothing to do with my church connection. I'm sure that God is far more interested in our hearts than our theology. Theologians, despite their good intentions, are probably like ants trying to understand a piano.

  Remember when Jesus was asked how someone could enter heaven? He didn't mention a single doctrine in response. He said to love God and love our neighbor. When he was asked who is our neighbor, he told the story of the Good Samaritan, a man detested by the Jews because of Samaritan 'heresies' but who stopped to help a mugged Jew after a priest and Levite passed him by! 

 These people, whether Catholic or evangelical Protestant or Muslim, who pompously claim that their way to heaven is the only sure way may not get there. I don't know, of course, but I suspect that spiritual arrogance and holier-than-thou could be a barrier. Maybe they just have to spend more time in purgatory. Now - sorry - but I don't believe in either purgatory or hell. Certainly my God wouldn't condemn people to everlasting torture - or even burning for a little while. That would be worse than waterboarding, and I have enough trouble with that. Maybe the really 'bad people" (e. g., Hitler and Himmler) just die, and that's it!

I always find it interesting when Protestants claim God’s grace. You’re right when we say that we don’t deserve His grace, but we get it because He loves us. However, there is more we must do. As in a marriage where a husband and wife must actively love each other through words and deeds and prayer, not just a “feeeeeeeeeeeeeeling” (*bats eyelashes dreamily), we must do the same in our covenant with God.

Read this:
firstthings.com/article.php?year=2008&month=08&title_link=the-population-of-hell-23

 

[Roy5]

HELL?

 Why don't I believe in hell? The traditional way of depicting it as a place of eternal torture, probably burning forever, troubles me. Now, I believe in a God of love and mercy, and the idea that he would condemn anyone to such perpetual intense pain contradicts that.

 There are other reasons that I won't take the time to go into. Most 'bad people' have sad stories. They are subject to evil influences perhaps. None of us is fully free from such influences. I sometimes am inclined to believe that some people even have a 'bad gene' perhaps. Certainly if a father is a criminal his son could easily fall into that. Some scarcely have an opportunity to live a decent life. The world isn't fair, frankly. And we don't know what God knows.

  I recall - as one minor example - a story told by Kagawa, the great Japanese Christian. He was on a train in Tokyo one day when a man went beserk and began to scream and yell obscenities. Most people scattered, but Kagawa went over to him and tried to deal with him. He found out that the man had lost his wife earlier that day and his grief was overwhelming him.

  Another example. Someone goes to Iraq in the military service. He returns a different and even brutalized person and gets into crime. How much fault is his and how much lies elsewhere?  Doesn't God take such factors into consideration when it comes to eternal life.

  No, I don't believe that God inflicts eternal torture. But complete death may be an appropriate punishment. 

  In any case, I don't pretend to know, and certainly dismiss images that come from ancient times when even the church fathers thought hell was somewhere in the bowels of the earth. They had neither telescopes or microscopes, so I don't rely very heavily upon their primitive perceptions. The Noah story, for example, says that God opened the windows of heaven and sent down the rain. Hm! Not very scientific.

 

[SSTeacher]

HELL?

 Why don't I believe in hell? The traditional way of depicting it as a place of eternal torture, probably burning forever, troubles me. Now, I believe in a God of love and mercy, and the idea that he would condemn anyone to such perpetual intense pain contradicts that.

 There are other reasons that I won't take the time to go into. Most 'bad people' have sad stories. They are subject to evil influences perhaps. None of us is fully free from such influences. I sometimes am inclined to believe that some people even have a 'bad gene' perhaps. Certainly if a father is a criminal his son could easily fall into that. Some scarcely have an opportunity to live a decent life. The world isn't fair, frankly. And we don't know what God knows.

  I recall - as one minor example - a story told by Kagawa, the great Japanese Christian. He was on a train in Tokyo one day when a man went beserk and began to scream and yell obscenities. Most people scattered, but Kagawa went over to him and tried to deal with him. He found out that the man had lost his wife earlier that day and his grief was overwhelming him.

  Another example. Someone goes to Iraq in the military service. He returns a different and even brutalized person and gets into crime. How much fault is his and how much lies elsewhere?  Doesn't God take such factors into consideration when it comes to eternal life.

  No, I don't believe that God inflicts eternal torture. But complete death may be an appropriate punishment. 

  In any case, I don't pretend to know, and certainly dismiss images that come from ancient times when even the church fathers thought hell was somewhere in the bowels of the earth. They had neither telescopes or microscopes, so I don't rely very heavily upon their primitive perceptions. The Noah story, for example, says that God opened the windows of heaven and sent down the rain. Hm! Not very scientific.

Roy,

I’m confused as to how you’re reaching your conclusion. How do you understand Matthew 25:41, wherein Jesus declared:

Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.’

Cordially,
Mick

 

[GodIsGracious]

Roy,

I’m confused as to how you’re reaching your conclusion. How do you understand Matthew 25:41, wherein Jesus declared:

Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.’

Cordially,
Mick

It is because Protestants cherry pick their “sola scriptura” passages.

 

[GodIsGracious]

HELL?

 Why don't I believe in hell? The traditional way of depicting it as a place of eternal torture, probably burning forever, troubles me. **Now, I believe in a God of love and mercy, and the idea that he would condemn anyone to such perpetual intense pain contradicts that.**

 There are other reasons that I won't take the time to go into. Most 'bad people' have sad stories. They are subject to evil influences perhaps. None of us is fully free from such influences. I sometimes am inclined to believe that some people even have a 'bad gene' perhaps. Certainly if a father is a criminal his son could easily fall into that. Some scarcely have an opportunity to live a decent life. The world isn't fair, frankly. And we don't know what God knows.

  I recall - as one minor example - a story told by Kagawa, the great Japanese Christian. He was on a train in Tokyo one day when a man went beserk and began to scream and yell obscenities. Most people scattered, but Kagawa went over to him and tried to deal with him. He found out that the man had lost his wife earlier that day and his grief was overwhelming him.

  Another example. Someone goes to Iraq in the military service. He returns a different and even brutalized person and gets into crime. How much fault is his and how much lies elsewhere?  Doesn't God take such factors into consideration when it comes to eternal life.

  No, I don't believe that God inflicts eternal torture. But complete death may be an appropriate punishment. 

  In any case, I don't pretend to know, and certainly dismiss images that come from ancient times when even the church fathers thought hell was somewhere in the bowels of the earth. They had neither telescopes or microscopes, so I don't rely very heavily upon their primitive perceptions. The Noah story, for example, says that God opened the windows of heaven and sent down the rain. Hm! Not very scientific.

[Bolded red emphasis mine]

And that’s what just amazes me about the “Jesus loves me!” crowd. I said in another post that I find this to be a very sophomoric view of God and Jesus Christ. In a marriage, you don’t just say, “he loves me!” and then leave it at that, going about your business. You continue to actively participate (hopefully!) in your marriage to continue to make your marriage “work.”

Same with our relationship with God.

Again, I suggest you read this article:

firstthings.com/article.php?year=2008&month=08&title_link=the-population-of-hell-23

It’s not just conjecture, it is a reasoned approach to hell with references to SCRIPTURE. So the sola scriptura crowd cannot simply say that what’s being said is made up.

 

[Roy5]

JESUS SPOKE IN PARABLES
No, I do not take the Bible literally. I don't believe, for example, that Jesus is a door or a gate, except, of course, in a symbolic sense. Christ spoke in parables and metaphors and similes, and used many images that are not to be taken literally. I suspect that hell is one of them. I am definitely not a 'sola scriptura' Protestant, but part of that large mainstream who worship God, revere Christ, yer ready to live without the notion that any church or book contains absolute truth. I don't need this, since I am content to walk by faith and not by knowledge.

 

[SSTeacher]

JESUS SPOKE IN PARABLES

No, I do not take the Bible literally. I don't believe, for example, that Jesus is a door or a gate, except, of course, in a symbolic sense. Christ spoke in parables and metaphors and similes, and used many images that are not to be taken literally. I suspect that hell is one of them. I am definitely not a 'sola scriptura' Protestant, but part of that large mainstream who worship God, revere Christ, yer ready to live without the notion that any church or book contains absolute truth. I don't need this, since I am content to walk by faith and not by knowledge.

OK, now I get it. I wish you well on your spiritual journey.

Peace,
Mick

 

[jmtowle]

On the one hand as a RC I feel free to traverse CAF anywhere I please but also feel a bit like a voyeur wandering in to this section.

I have a friend and neighbor who was born Catholic and is an Evangelical Protestant. We have had a number of lengthy discussions and have exchanged some literature. We now simply agree to disagree.

It is clear to me that we both are in love with Christ and are receiving Grace from the Holy Spirit. I suspect that we both wonder to ourselves how the other can’t fully grasp the Truth as we know it and I personally chalk that up to a mystery that will only be revealed to me upon my entering into the full Presence of God.

Non Catholics who participate in this section are doing what they have been invited to do, that is self evident. The reasons for participation are the point of interest and by explanation, can shed some light on non Catholic beliefs and possibly expose some non factual misconceptions regarding Catholic belief.

And so maybe we come away from these offerings feeling a bit more secure in our beliefs
or maybe we have some doubts that need to be reconciled. What is clear to me is that we are seeking the Face of God rather than doing that which has no true or eternal value.

As a Catholic, I offer prayers of gratitude for all of the blessings that are mine when I participate in the Sacramental life of the Church. That is not so say that the Protestant Church is lacking in blessings to it’s members but only to say that I personally feel blessed to be where I am.

When one of our Lord’s followers came to him complaining that there were those who weren’t of their group that were expelling demons in His name, He basically said that if they weren’t against us they were with us. This, IMO summarizes the essence of being a disciple of Christ.

That said, if one suspects that the Catholic Church may have been founded by Christ Himself, then one would be wise to make the effort to dispel or confirm that suspicion.
I can’t help but think that that is the motivation for some if not many of the participants here.

What any of us think about eternal life in no way alters or effects those realities. If heaven, hell and purgatory do exist as the Catholic Church teaches they do, denying those truths in this life will have no effect whatever in the next. If purgatory doesn’t exist, then wonderful, but if it does, having been prepared will be of great value. The value in being prepared for Purgatory is that your separation from God may become less painful or of a shorter duration due to the prayers of the Church militant, those of us on earth who are not yet triumphant. I am saddened to think that there may very well be souls in Purgatory who have no one praying for them because they and their friends and family denied the existence of the condition they presently reside in and thereby caused a degree or length of suffering that might have been avoided.

We are all free to trust and believe in those who guide and nourish us on our faith journey.
I suspect that some will fare better than others based on the amount of Truth they possessed in this life and what they did regarding the practical application of that Truth.

May the Peace of Christ be with us all, always.

JT

 

[Kakieanne]

In response to JT’s last post where you said “We are all free to trust and believe in those who guide and nourish us on our faith journey.” I enjoy reading Christian books, but I want to learn from someone who not only writes it, but also lives it. The 2 of the greatest Christians who have lived during my lifetime are Pope John Paul II and Mother Teresa. They had a faith that I want.

That’s why I participate on a Catholic forum.

Kakieanne

 

[PA650]

Hey Jon.
You are right… not all lutherans are Liberal… but… I just haven’t really met any real lutherans till this day, well maybe one or two. The ones who were most conservative were still liberal in my eyes to some extent and more importantly, did not really live according to Luthers teachings. The Lutheran church in Denmark is an absolute joke… some pastors even bless homosexual “marriages” in their churches, many many think abortion is totally okay, some happily remarry people as many times as they want etc. especially the pastors who are most in the media are totally ridiculous… they say anything to tickle the ears, there was one pastor who is even a proclaimed atheist… agh… its a depressing situation.

As for Bible believing… I have always thought it was somewhat an offence when evangelicals call themselves “Bible believing Christians”. Because if you are a Christian you are Bible believing per se. So, with the word you say that many Christians dont believe in the Bible, but thats nonsense. I believe its yet another term that has been made to put a vegde between some evangelicals and the rest of the Christian traditional churches.

For me growing up I believed that the Bible was only source of truth, but I read it as a person who did not have any desire to follow truth… actually I did not know Truth personally, and He had not yet revealed His Personal invitation for me to become His intimate friend.
When I started reading the Bible with seriousness I had been met by Christ and I found that the Catholic Church is the only one that deals with all Scriture verses and not selects a few and leaves the rest. The Catholic Church was the only one to explain certain Scripture and make sense out of it… everything from covenant history to the verses about Peter…
Now as I read the Bible I find the Sola Scriptura principle inconsistent with logic ( a person who describes the reasons for this in a most brilliant fashion is former evangelical Mark Shea in “By what Authority?”). Like Tertullian, Irenaeus and Vincent of Lerins said about holy Scripture: “The same statements are interpreted in one way by one person and in another way by some someone else, with the result that there seems to be as many opinions as there are people… therefore on the account of of the number and variety of errors there is a need for someone to lay down a rule of interpretation of the prophets and apostles in such a way that is directed by the Catholic Church”.

Anyway… this is getting long…

Sadly, liberalism has enter into many churches or “faith communities” in recent years. There is certainly liberal clergy within the Catholic Church, but their presence is not as evident.

Q. for you. How does a person come to know that he/she will be in heaven upon death?

Does not scripture entail the necessary means for an individual to enter into heaven?

 

[racing59]

On the one hand as a RC I feel free to traverse CAF anywhere I please but also feel a bit like a voyeur wandering in to this section.

I have a friend and neighbor who was born Catholic and is an Evangelical Protestant. We have had a number of lengthy discussions and have exchanged some literature. We now simply agree to disagree.

It is clear to me that we both are in love with Christ and are receiving Grace from the Holy Spirit. I suspect that we both wonder to ourselves how the other can’t fully grasp the Truth as we know it and I personally chalk that up to a mystery that will only be revealed to me upon my entering into the full Presence of God.

Non Catholics who participate in this section are doing what they have been invited to do, that is self evident. The reasons for participation are the point of interest and by explanation, can shed some light on non Catholic beliefs and possibly expose some non factual misconceptions regarding Catholic belief.

And so maybe we come away from these offerings feeling a bit more secure in our beliefs
or maybe we have some doubts that need to be reconciled. What is clear to me is that we are seeking the Face of God rather than doing that which has no true or eternal value.

As a Catholic, I offer prayers of gratitude for all of the blessings that are mine when I participate in the Sacramental life of the Church. That is not so say that the Protestant Church is lacking in blessings to it’s members but only to say that I personally feel blessed to be where I am.

When one of our Lord’s followers came to him complaining that there were those who weren’t of their group that were expelling demons in His name, He basically said that if they weren’t against us they were with us. This, IMO summarizes the essence of being a disciple of Christ.

That said, if one suspects that the Catholic Church may have been founded by Christ Himself, then one would be wise to make the effort to dispel or confirm that suspicion.
I can’t help but think that that is the motivation for some if not many of the participants here.

What any of us think about eternal life in no way alters or effects those realities. If heaven, hell and purgatory do exist as the Catholic Church teaches they do, denying those truths in this life will have no effect whatever in the next. If purgatory doesn’t exist, then wonderful, but if it does, having been prepared will be of great value. The value in being prepared for Purgatory is that your separation from God may become less painful or of a shorter duration due to the prayers of the Church militant, those of us on earth who are not yet triumphant. I am saddened to think that there may very well be souls in Purgatory who have no one praying for them because they and their friends and family denied the existence of the condition they presently reside in and thereby caused a degree or length of suffering that might have been avoided.

We are all free to trust and believe in those who guide and nourish us on our faith journey.
I suspect that some will fare better than others based on the amount of Truth they possessed in this life and what they did regarding the practical application of that Truth.

May the Peace of Christ be with us all, always.

JT

I was gone all weekend so I’m just trying to get caught up on all the threads. I wanted to comment on this post being one of the best from RC member. It is done with love. Just because I haven’t ecepted RCC as my Church does not mean I don’t understand or believe it’s teachings. I believe in the Eucharist and it is this fact why I would not be willing to recieve it right now. It is out of respect and not challenging RCC. To recieve the Eucharist I need to be in full communion with RCC and all it’s teachings. I’m not their yet, I still have a lot of questions.Some,I’m affraid to ask for fear it would come across as anti-RCC ,I would never do that, because there are to many RC members and Protestants attacking each other on these threads. It is sad though ,some of uscome her to learn,and ask questions, but because of a few Anti-Catholics we get lumped in and some times bashed over the head with one posters rhetoric.I’m reading the Early Fathers,the CCC,and Sacred Scripture. It gets so confusing because of language, interpretation,and what was being said,and to whom.I have seen so many different interpretations on these threads for all three,it almost makes a guy through up his arms and say,Judism makes more since.Please remeber there are those on a Journey and need prayers when debates get heated.

 

[StrawberryJam]

What drew you to participate on a Catholic forum instead of one from your own denomination, or of another denomination, like Mormon, Buddhist, Muslim, etc.??

Common interests?

 

[RedSoxWife]

Well we are not welcome to your church! I served in a Catholic Church and I never felt so unwelcomed in my life. I have 5 Children and they were forbidden to go to the youth. I couldn’t get people to smile at me. I started coming to this site while I was attending a Catholic Church. And then I seen Catholics bashing Protestants on this site and wondered
'How can people say they have the real presence of Jesus and be so mean?" Jesus said you will know them by the fruit they bear. Well I’m still waiting. People are nice as long as you agree, but as soon as you don’t they let you have it. So I went back to my Protestant Church with lots of Hugs and Kisses. I really don’t know how long I will be on this site.

I’m so sorry you had such a negative experience at your parish. Are there any other parishes in your area? Children should be cherished and welcomed into Churches because they truly are the future of the Church. I know that most people at our parish light up when they see kids!

I do pray that in your search for the truth you give the Church that Jesus founded a second chance. While I grew up in a Protestant Tradition and know plenty of wonderful people who are still close friends, I couldn’t give up the actual presence of Jesus in the Eucharist once I found it.

Peace.
RedSoxWife

 

[RedSoxWife]

I grew up in the Catholic Church and can certainly understand what you are saying. Some people are very friendly and welcoming but you’ll find that in any church. We live out in the country and the nearest Catholic church is about 12 miles away. When we do go it’s like we don’t even exist so we don’t go very often. It’s not comforting at all. We prefer a church where the Word of God is spoken, where children are valued from conception on (a pro-life church) and where everyone is welcomed and made to feel at home. I did not have that feeling in Catholic churches in big cities or small towns. In fact, when I lived in a different country and didn’t know the language I was told by a priest that it didn’t matter if I understood anything or not but my body had to be in Church every Sunday! That was a huge turn-off for me!

I think what the priest was probably trying to communicate was that being at Mass to receive the Eucharist on Sunday’s is an obligation for Catholics (and a great one at that! ). When I’ve been at Church’s where I haven’t known anyone I focus on the fact that I’m there to receive the Eucharist and celebrating Christ’s resurrection! I didn’t get that when I was Baptist, although there were plenty of wonderful people who I love dearly, who are still a part of my life. While every church has it’s struggles and ups and downs (we are all human) only the Catholic Church has apostolic succession and the Eucharist. that knowledge has helped keep me in the pew when I’m not feeling great.

Peace,

RedSoxWife

 

[racing59]

I was gone all weekend so I’m just trying to get caught up on all the threads. I wanted to comment on this post being one of the best from RC member. It is done with love. Just because I haven’t accepted RCC as my Church does not mean I don’t understand or believe it’s teachings. I believe in the Eucharist and it is this fact why I would not be willing to receive it right now. It is out of respect and not challenging RCC. To receive the Eucharist I need to be in full communion with RCC and all it’s teachings. I’m not their yet, I still have a lot of questions.Some,I’m afraid to ask for fear it would come across as anti-RCC ,I would never do that, because there are to many RC members and Protestants attacking each other on these threads. It is sad though ,some of us ,come her to learn,and ask questions, but because of a few Anti-Catholics we get lumped in and some times bashed over the head with one posters rhetoric.I’m reading the Early Fathers,the CCC,and Sacred Scripture. It gets so confusing because of language, interpretation,and what was being said,and to whom.I have seen so many different interpretations on these threads for all three,it almost makes a guy through up his arms and say,Jewish makes more since.Please remember there are those on a Journey and need prayers when debates get heated.

Sorry had to fix some of my spelling. I know some people get upset when you forget to use spell checker!:bigyikes:
Peace be with you

 

[jmtowle]

We have a retired navy chaplain who helps out at our parish by saying mass and teaching scripture classes. Fr. Bill on more than one occasion has made it clear during his homily that our Protestant brothers and sisters are to be respected and recognized as true brothers and sisters in Christ. He has made the statement that " they do more with less ". That is in no way a derogatory remark, he means it.

In the Catholic Church we have the Sacred Scriptures and so very much more. There is the Sacramental life, the devotional practices, the recorded lives of the Triumphant Saints and their intercession, the intercession of the Mother of God, of her spouse St. Joseph and all the prayers being said back and forth between militant saints and the Saints Triumphant. But most importantly we have the Physical Presence of our Lord Jesus Christ in every Tabernacle in every church throughout the world.

With the exception of Good Friday, Catholics all over the world are lifting their voices and hearts in prayer and taking into their physical beings, the Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Christ The King and it is being done every day. He literally subsides in these tabernacles the world over and those who receive Him.

To my way of thinking the question is not whether a non Catholic will receive eternal salvation but how much Grace and Peace and Communion with God non Catholics miss out on over the course of their earthly journey back to their Creator. Two people may travel from the exact same points, but one, if he or she knows the lay of the land, can traverse it much easier and much more direct than one who is less certain of the correct paths or roads to navigate. Both may reach their destination but the trips may vary widely in their degree of difficulty.

One thing about Catholic teaching that strikes a cord of Truth with me personally is the matter of salvation. I think that the emphasis is placed on the lifting up of the entire Mystical Body of Christ and trusting that in that effort to bolster others your personal salvation must happen because our Lord suffered, died and resurrected so that all of His Mystical Body would reside in the Full Presence of His Father, forever. In the selfless act
of bolstering this Body one is incorporated into all that the Body is and will be.

Kakieanne made a very keen observation! Few people on this earth have been as selfless as Mother Teresa and Pope John Paul ll. When they transitioned from this life into the next, there would have been no need to ask them when they fed our Lord when He was hungry or when they helped clothe Him when He was naked or when they went to visit Him while He was imprisoned. If they were shown the mercy that they showed to others, what a wonderful moment was theirs. And if they were judged in the same manner as they judged while on earth, what a blessing that moment was. Having faithfully lived out the beatitudes, what great rewards awaited them at that moment when they were face to Face with their Beloved.

This may seem unfair but when I hear of someone stating that once a person has accepted Jesus Christ as his or her personal savior, their salvation is confirmed, with the understanding that the Blood of Christ is the primary and only cause. It makes me think of the story of the two sons who were asked to do something for their father. One said yes right away but never got around to doing anything and the other protested and procrastinated but eventually he did what his father asked of him. So what does the Father ask of us in Sacred Scripture? Lip service or action? Both would be ideal but lip service amounts to nothing if not backed up.

The Catholic Church teaches that the maintaining and lifting up of the entire Body requires much work. If not, why are there so many references in the Bible to the difficulty of realizing the salvation that Our Lord earned and made possible for all who believe?
Why the parable of the virgins remaining vigilant? Why the parables of the laborers? Why the parable of the sower and the seeds?

My understanding is that a large part of Protestantism believes that Catholics attempt to work their way into heaven which is a waste because only our Lord’s death and resurrection have any salvific merit. It’s true that salvation comes only Through Him, With Him and In Him but that is not to say that He does not require of us some degree of appreciation and obedience. Yes, Christ made it possible but He also made it clear that those who don’t Love as He Loved will be strangers upon leaving this life and He certainly did much more than make a verbal statement that He Loved all of us.

The Catholic Church draws ALL OF IT’S STRENGTH from the Eucharist, the Physical Presence of our Lord in the tabernacles and in the physical beings of those who receive worthily. If the Catholic Church had nothing else, it still has Everything. This is what Fr. Bill was suggesting when he compliments faithful Protestants for their love of Christ and each other.

I have one last thought that I think I heard in Catholic circles and it goes along the lines of not wanting a single soul to be condemned to hell, for it means a victory for satan; why would any Christian want that? We are all in this together, and the spiritual war rages on and if we are united and strong we may see to it that we all are triumphant, but if we only concern ourselves with our personal rewards I suspect we become easy pickens for the one who would have us be separated from God forever.

May the Peace of Christ be with us all, always

JT

 

[SSTeacher]

While every church has its struggles and ups and downs (we are all human) only the Catholic Church has apostolic succession and the Eucharist.

Peace,

RedSoxWife

Don’t forget the Orthodox.

Helpfully,
Mick

 

[RedSoxWife]

Don’t forget the Orthodox.

Helpfully,
Mick

I thought about that right after I posted! Thanks for adding it!

 

[Christian55]

What drew you to participate on a Catholic forum instead of one from your own denomination, or of another denomination, like Mormon, Buddhist, Muslim, etc.??

I searched the Internet for a Christian Forum, which led me to this website. This Forum welcomes Non-Catholics. I think it is important for Catholics, Protestants, and other Religions to enter into a dialogue with one another. I think we can all learn something from each other. Once I joined the Forum, I found the discussions very interesting, and I found that I can express my ideas freely.