Are you inferring that the Catholic Church teaches that you must add something of yourself to be saved? That CAtholics don’t believe in the unmerited favor of Christ, who died for us while we were yet sinners? That Catholics think their righteousness comes from somewhere besided Jesus?
The United States!
My apologies. Conversion back to Catholicism. Yes, Jesus saves. He does this through His Church.
I"ll repost what I said to you in post #4.
Apparently Initial Justification is not earned, but maintaining a state of grace demands cooporation and merit. That appears to be what Trent states.
Can you tell me what the saving gospel according to the RCC is?
Unfortunately, I do believe the RCC does add dogmatic faith to the mix and not just Faith in Jesus. The RCC declares that faith alone does not save as I have heard many times on this board from other Catholics. I do not believe the RC gospel can save.
But then, that is just your non-infallible opinion…based primarily upon what you want to be true.
Maybe the Church as an Institutiion did not, but Catholics are definitely let down my individuals within the church. I just read some depositions by persons who were sexuallly abused by priests. But, even when circumstances are not so extreme, one can be let down my faithless teachers, and faithless parents. Growing up in an alcoholic and violent home, what was demonstrated to me was the opposite of what I was being taught in CCD. The whole of it seemed hypocritical to me. I am not trying to place blame here, just trying to point out that it is not any more right to blame the people who left the church, and finding an authentic faith experience elsewhere.
That God sent his only son, born of a woman, to die on the cross to redeem us of our sins. That, by believing in Him, we can have eternal life. That the Church, which He established as His Body on earth, provides and preserves the portals of grace through which we encounter our living Lord in the sacraments.
I think it is just a matter of semantics, kaycee. Catholics believe that we are saved by grace, through faith, by the blood of Jesus shed on the cross for remission of sins. It is just that our understanding of saving faith includes the notion of discipleship, which some “sola fide” practices do not. In the great commission, Jesus said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, to the close of the age.” Matt 28:17-20
I absolutely agree! Poor example and poor catechesis are two things that I hear people my age (40) say all of the time. My point is at what point do you take responsibility for your own ignorance. You can’t keep blaming the Church or your parents. When KC decided to take his faith seriously he fell in love with Jesus. Same for me. It was all there from the start but I didn’t make it active in my life. It’s my life, not my parents, or Godparents, or teachers, or priest. My life. If my dad didn’t teach me how to drive a car would I just sit around and blame him for not teaching me? No, I’d find a way. Yet so many of my peers will blame everyone but themselves for their own ignorance. The bible is the most published book in the world yet so many never read it. And how many of those same people point a finger at the Church as the reason why they didn’t know their faith. Heck, all they’d have to do is pay attention to the readings at Mass! Sooner or later adults must take responsibility for their own ignorance and stop being lazy.
You say the US was Christianized by Protestants. Protestants certainly had influence, but so did the Catholics
Yes you’re right. The CC declares that faith alone does not save. It teaches this because this is what the Bible teaches and what Jesus himself says.
Oh I certainlydo not detract from any such contributions. But Catholicism as a whole was frowned upon here, and there were not Catholics accepted among the framers, who were all Protestants and Deists. In fact discrimmination against Catholicism has persisted for 200 years!
psst…Off topic.
426;Compendium (2006-2010) (2025-2027) ( Catechism)
, by the good works which he performs through the grace of God and the merit of Jesus Christ, whose living member he is, does not truly merit increase of grace, eternal life, and the attainment of that eternal life— if so be, however, that he depart in grace,—and also an increase of glory: let him be anathemaTrent agrees with the New Testament, while Sola Fide does not, therefore the statements of these Cannons is correct and you are not.
Once again, you present the case with clarity and simplicity. Kudos!
Glory Be To God!