statement of faith

[beewoman]

I am Catholic and was thinking about joining a Christin group that requires you to sign a statement of faith before you can join. A friend of mine said Catholics shouldn’t sign it. Here it is:

1. The Bible is the inspired and infallible Word of God and as such
   contains God’s completed and final revelation.
2. God exists in three persons: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.
3. All men are in violation of God’s law. As a result, all are under His condemnation.
4. Jesus Christ, fully God and fully man, came to pay the penalty for man’s sin through His substitutionary death.
5. Man cannot save himself from God’s condemnation by his own works, but must receive His free gift of salvation through the grace of God.

Is this in violation to Catholic teachings? Would it be unwise for a Catholic to sign this?

Thanks!

 

[Robbinson]

Hi - I few thoughts in bold italics after each statement of faith.

I am Catholic and was thinking about joining a Christin group that requires you to sign a statement of faith before you can join. A friend of mine said Catholics shouldn’t sign it. Here it is:

1. The Bible is the inspired and infallible Word of God and as such
   contains God’s completed and final revelation.

***Catholics certainly agree that the Bible is the inspired and inerrant (or infallible - I think inerrant is more accurate word here) Word of God. However, unlike Protestants who believe in and profess “scripture alone”, Catholics believe that the Deposit of Faith is comprised of both scripture (the written word of God) and Tradition (the oral teachings of the Apostles). ***

1. God exists in three persons: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.

Agreed - although the three “persons” are a unity - all of one substance - consubstantial, each divine. This probably is intended to mean the same thing.

1. All men are in violation of God’s law. As a result, all are under His condemnation.

This is true, since Adam, except for Mary who was conceived without Original Sin and, of course, except for Jesus

1. Jesus Christ, fully God and fully man, came to pay the penalty for man’s sin through His substitutionary death.

This is true - although many Protestant’s say that with Christ’s death, all the work is “finished” whereas Catholic teaching is that Jesus told us that if we want to follow him, we must take up our own cross and follow him - we suffer as he suffered and follow his commandments. We are saved through faith, but faith without works are dead and we must be obedient, which follows from faith, which is grace

1. Man cannot save himself from God’s condemnation by his own works, but must receive His free gift of salvation through the grace of God.

Agreed - although many Protestants will say that the grace is irresistable, where Catholic teaching (and Armininian Protestant teaching ) is that we have free will to accept that grace or not and thus embrace faith (made only possible through grace) or not

Is this in violation to Catholic teachings? Would it be unwise for a Catholic to sign this?

Subject to the clarifications described above

Thanks!

***Blessings,

Brian***

 

[Thais]

It seems all of these statements are like 99% true. The biggest problem being that they’re all incomplete, which can be just as dangerous as a lie, because it can very well lead to wrong conclusions, and in fact this seems to be their intention.

Besides, for some reason I get blinking “red alerts” in my conscience when I hear about having to sign a statement to join a study group. This just has “cult” written all over it.
We already have our Creed, that’s our true profession of faith. We inherited it from the Apostles and the 2 councils. I don’t see a reason for mere lay people to make up a new one, specially with so much confusion.

Also, I wanted to ask if #3 is even correct. It is definitely incomplete because it’s lacking the other side of the spectrum, where Jesus died on the cross to lift the condemnation due to original sin.
But is it even correct? I mean, yes, St. Paul cites the old testament passage that says all have sinned, etc. But then he also said there’s no condemnation in Christ Jesus, who is God.
My understanding, practically speaking, is that between baptism/confession and the next mortal sin, we are in a state of grace, and we’re not going to be under condemnation until we give Satan the power over us through sin again.

 

[JMJ_coder]

I am Catholic and was thinking about joining a Christin group that requires you to sign a statement of faith before you can join. A friend of mine said Catholics shouldn’t sign it. Here it is:

1. The Bible is the inspired and infallible Word of God and as such
   contains God’s completed and final revelation.
2. God exists in three persons: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.
3. All men are in violation of God’s law. As a result, all are under His condemnation.
4. Jesus Christ, fully God and fully man, came to pay the penalty for man’s sin through His substitutionary death.
5. Man cannot save himself from God’s condemnation by his own works, but must receive His free gift of salvation through the grace of God.

Is this in violation to Catholic teachings? Would it be unwise for a Catholic to sign this?

Thanks!

The above are subject to what they mean by the words and the wording is also suspect.

1) The Bible is the inspired and infallible Word of God and as such contains God’s completed and final revelation.

This sounds like sola scriptura - completed and final, as in no Tradition or Magisterium.

2) God exists in three persons: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.

God is one God in three divine Persons (this is vague and could lead to some to say three Gods).

3) All men are in violation of God’s law. As a result, all are under His condemnation.

This depends on the particular interpretation given it.

4) Jesus Christ, fully God and fully man, came to pay the penalty for man’s sin through His substitutionary death.

Protestants have a very contractual understanding of atonement. The ‘substitutionary’ gives it away.

5) Man cannot save himself from God’s condemnation by his own works, but must receive His free gift of salvation through the grace of God.

This smells like sola fide. While faith is a gift, we can’t say “I believe” and be done with it. Faith without works is dead.

I agree with an earlier poster - don’t sign any statement of faith except on of the approved creeds of the Church - Apostles’, Nicene, Athanasian, Tridentine. If this is a non-Catholic group asking you to make ‘their’ profession of faith, run away! Better to find or start a group at your local parish.

 

[beewoman]

Thanks everyone! I won’t be joining this group!

 

[Teflon93]

I am Catholic and was thinking about joining a Christin group that requires you to sign a statement of faith before you can join. A friend of mine said Catholics shouldn’t sign it. Here it is:

1. The Bible is the inspired and infallible Word of God and as such
   contains God’s completed and final revelation.
2. God exists in three persons: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.
3. All men are in violation of God’s law. As a result, all are under His condemnation.
4. Jesus Christ, fully God and fully man, came to pay the penalty for man’s sin through His substitutionary death.
5. Man cannot save himself from God’s condemnation by his own works, but must receive His free gift of salvation through the grace of God.

Is this in violation to Catholic teachings? Would it be unwise for a Catholic to sign this?

Thanks!

Oh my!

This is nothing more than the same old OSAS nonsense. Now they’re apparently requiring loyalty oaths.

I’d point out that the Nicene Creed is the common confession of the Christian faith and ought to be used as such.