The Truth: We Are Saved By Faith Alone

[twosweetgirls]

This has to be some sort of put-on. Sixtus, is that you?

I was wondering if it might not be zerinus in an alter-ego.

 

[DJgang]

Thanks be to God for Braden.

People like him just push me closer to educating myself about all faiths and I’ll be, I’ve been pushed to the Truth! (see my siggy)

 

[MrIrish]

This shows someone who clearly does not read scripture and has no idea of what they are talking about. Don’t accuse me of being ignorant to a faith I lived for decades and then not respond to garbage like this in a fashion in which it obviously deserves. You folks are hypocrites to a fault.

Very nice, very nice. In adjacent sentences you condemn another for accusing you of ignorance while simultaneously accusing them of ignorance. Then you call us hypocrites.

Begone, we don’t need your lot here. For whatever reason you fell away from the Church and now, perhaps due to guilt or self-loathing, you are striking out against Catholics. Rather than debate people on the merits of our beliefs as Catholics, you lash out with vitriol and hatred. Move on and take your venom elsewhere.

 

[djrakowski]

You should spend more time with your faith in Jesus rather than trying to paint me as ignorant of Catholic faith.

You have bought into the the propaganda that has consumed you and scripture even warns of that but you have obviously traded in much of scripture for what you think is the only institution where the sacrements are truly celebrated. … I know plenty about the CC. Probably more than 90% of the faithful that attend mass every Sunday. That is precisely why I left and thank God for it.

I would dare say that I know more about the Catholic faith than you probably know now. … The teachings of the CC have distorted what is clearly written in scripture. You are on dangerous ground. Get out before its too late. I’ll never go back… ever.

This shows someone who clearly does not read scripture and has no idea of what they are talking about. Don’t accuse me of being ignorant to a faith I lived for decades and then not respond to garbage like this in a fashion in which it obviously deserves. You folks are hypocrites to a fault.

Branden,

If the Catholic Church is as full of errors as you contend, you should be concerned with the eternal state of our souls. Do you believe that the quotes I included above make a positive impression upon us about your own faith tradition? Is language like this likely to draw us out of what you perceive as error?

Based upon the tone of the few posts I’ve read on this thread and the one comparing Episcopalians to Catholics, I’ve sensed no concern for our souls, but rather cheap attempts to score points for *yourself *and your perception of your particular version of Anglicanism. I’ve seen no love toward those of us whom you believe to have bought into error, but rather bitter, unsubstantiated attacks on the Catholic Church and the faith of individual Catholics.

Is this truly how you want to represent the faith that you perceive as being better than Catholicism?

How sad–and infuriating–that you dare to presume to know who does & who doesn’t know Jesus!!!
You are being extremely rude!!

Indeed. And, potentially in violation of a number of forum rules, as well.

Dan

 

[djrakowski]

Branden,

Eileen T posted the following:

No, just the Catholic Church that was headed by the Bishop of Rome. The term Roman Catholic wasn’t coined until after the English Church broke away.

To which you responded:

some more brainwashing. So so sad that you don’t know Jesus

Then mozart-250 (one of the most thoughtful and considerate non-Catholic members of these forums) asked:

Oh Branden, I see you are neglecting to answer my question on how you know that Eileen T. does not know Jesus. Just saying…

To which you responded:

uh, what?

I, like mozart-250, am curious how you could possibly know, on the basis of a single post in this thread, the state of Eileen T’s relationship with Jesus Christ.

Dan

 

[E.E.N.S]

I think a better scenario would be for you to prove that the Roman church did exist in the 4th century. You can’t do it, period.

Then who do these popes belong to?

1. 
   *]St. Peter (32-67)
   *]St. Linus (67-76)
   *]St. Anacletus (Cletus) (76-88)
   *]St. Clement I (88-97)
   *]St. Evaristus (97-105)
   *]St. Alexander I (105-115)
   *]St. Sixtus I (115-125) – also called Xystus I
   *]St. Telesphorus (125-136)
   *]St. Hyginus (136-140)
   *]St. Pius I (140-155)
   *]St. Anicetus (155-166)
   *]St. Soter (166-175)
   *]St. Eleutherius (175-189)
   *]St. Victor I (189-199)
   *]St. Zephyrinus (199-217)
   *]St. Callistus I (217-22)
   *]St. Urban I (222-30)
   *]St. Pontain (230-35)
   *]St. Anterus (235-36)
   *]St. Fabian (236-50)
   *]St. Cornelius (251-53)
   *]St. Lucius I (253-54)
   *]St. Stephen I (254-257)
   *]St. Sixtus II (257-258)
   *]St. Dionysius (260-268)
   *]St. Felix I (269-274)
   *]St. Eutychian (275-283)
   *]St. Caius (283-296) – also called Gaius
   *]St. Marcellinus (296-304)
   *]St. Marcellus I (308-309)
   *]St. Eusebius (309 or 310)
   *]St. Miltiades (311-14)
   *]St. Sylvester I (314-35)
   *]St. Marcus (336)
   *]St. Julius I (337-52)
   *]Liberius (352-66)
   *]St. Damasus I (366-83)
   *]St. Siricius (384-99)
   
   
   (I can show you the next 228 popes if you’d like - betcha can guess who they end with. )

 

[Prayer_Warrior]

I have the same nagging doubts that the OP has ever been Catholic. If he was, he was probably the most poorly catechized that I have ever seen. I say this because of his repeated statements about “works will not earn your salvation” or “Mary will not save you”, both of which are not teachings of the Catholic Church. There are other things that do not add up, including the oddity that the writing style of the OP doesn’t jive with a person old enough to have gone to the Catholic Church for “decades”.

There are other things he has posted that are particularily bothersome and very rude. First of all, to question that I have faith in Christ because I’m Catholic is a trashy insult not worthy of being posted in any forum. Do you think that it doesn’t take an extreme amount of faith to believe that Christ can take an ordinary piece of bread or some ordinary wine and actually make them become His Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity? Believe me, that takes a great deal of faith in Christ. Sadly, not everyone can trust in Jesus that much, as is demonstrated by John 6:66 (ironic verse number… or is it?) But He said it, and I believe in the Eucharist.

You asked me about the penitent thief on the cross. He was saved by the Grace of God. When you say “your are saved by faith alone” do you realize you have completely taken God out of the equation? Our faith opens up the door to more of God’s Grace, HOWEVER it is His gift of Grace that allows us to even come to Christ!!(John 6:44)

You are actually guilty of that which you falsely accuse Catholics. You believe something you do (have faith) saves you. You accuse us of believing that something we do (“works”) saves us, although that isn’t what the Church teaches. NOTHING we do merits our salvation. It is the Grace of God that gets the ball rolling, so to speak. How we respond to that Grace, does indeed have an impact on our salvation. ** Faith is an essential response to God’s Grace**. But faith alone is incomplete. In fact, the only time the word “faith” and the word “alone” are in the Bible together is in James 2:24 when the concept you believe in is rejected–“You see that a man is justified by works and not by faith alone.”

Give the Glory back to God, it is He who saves!

Praise, Honor, and Glory be to the Father, to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit forever!

 

[Gamera]

I read the Catechism, attended mass every Sunday, on holy days of obligation and many days during the week. I attended many Eucharistic adorations and went to confession once a week and also said the rosary every single day. I’ll say this with all that I am. Jesus is not there…

“For where two or three are gathered in my name, there I am in the midst of them,” Matt. 18:20.

 

[Dirk_Skene]

… Read the Bible.

It was Catholics that compiled it. The Protestants cut out parts later. We Catholics can be sure because we are the Church founded by Christ. No other was,

 

[heisenburg]

Greetings to you in Christ

For starters I would like to say welcome to the forums. You are a very spirited individual and will be a lovely addition. I would like to take a moment to remind you that even if you are right, to remain charitable. If you have concerns, ask. We are welcome to questions, however, all we or any of us ask is that you remain charitable. Starting a thread by saying the catholic church has brain washed you, we are saved by faith alone is not the correct way if you wish to remain charitable.

Suppose for a second, you asked the same question, but like this. “It is my understanding the the Catholic Church teaches salvation through works. How can this be since our works amount to nothing?”

The same message is portrayed, but no one on either side of the aisle is experiencing blood pressure issues.

Remember, do all things with the love of Christ. As scripture says, faith love and hope, of these, love is the greatest, for if you have faith enough to move mountains, but not love, your faith is worthless.

Respectfully, you make comments about how Catholics do not read the bible. However, you must be very careful with this. If you read the bible through the lens of Calvinism, the bible will sound calvinistic, if you read through the lens of Baptist, it will sound baptist, same true with mormanism, JW, SDA, Anglican, Catholic, Lutheran, etc… the list goes on and on.

The question becomes, how do you know you are reading the bible with the correct lens?

How do you know your understanding is correct?

May you be blessed in your journey to/with Christ

In Him

 

[Ilroy]

This shows someone who clearly does not read scripture and has no idea of what they are talking about. Don’t accuse me of being ignorant to a faith I lived for decades and then not respond to garbage like this in a fashion in which it obviously deserves. You folks are hypocrites to a fault.

Well, here is what I will accuse (guess) of you…you claim to have lived the Catholic faith for decades etc…I don’t buy any of that. You sound like a 16 year old who was proselytized by one of the miriad of anti-Catholic groups out there and are coming here to try “saving” us poor ignorant Catholics…You are accusing many posters here of not having read scripture or not knowing Christ when in fact their deep study of scripture is what brought so many of them into the true Church founded by Christ.

If you are in fact a bit older than 16 then I apologize, but you are sure coming across that way and your lack of knowledge of the real teaching of the Church implies that you didn’t live the Faith for decades.

 

[Grateful4mercy]

Well, here is what I will accuse (guess) of you…you claim to have lived the Catholic faith for decades etc…I don’t buy any of that. You sound like a 16 year old who was proselytized by one of the miriad of anti-Catholic groups out there and are coming here to try “saving” us poor ignorant Catholics…You are accusing many posters here of not having read scripture or not knowing Christ when in fact their deep study of scripture is what brought so many of them into the true Church founded by Christ.

If you are in fact a bit older than 16 then I apologize, but you are sure coming across that way and your lack of knowledge of the real teaching of the Church implies that you didn’t live the Faith for decades.

[SIGN]I second that![/SIGN]

 

[twosweetgirls]

. . . still waiting for Branden to produce proof of his Crucifixion and Resurrection so he can proclaim what’s in my heart and soul as a Catholic . . .

 

[Ilroy]

. . . still waiting for Branden to produce proof of his Crucifixion and Resurrection so he can proclaim what’s in my heart and soul as a Catholic . . .

Guess I better answer you for brandon since he obviously doesn’t want to…
uh…huh???

 

[mercygate]

Guess I better answer you for brandon since he obviously doesn’t want to…
uh…huh???

Hey, Guys, let’s not be so hard on Branden.

We don’t know all the baggage he is carrying around or what possible problems he might have encountered in the Church – if he really ever was Catholic.

He came on like gangbusters with all kinds of anti-Catholic nonsense, but we’ve heard it all before, and it’s nothing we can’t handle. I would hope we could respond without returning like for like (mea culpa here – I nearly blammed him with the heavy artillery on the “Episcopal/Catholic” thread when he said he did not believe I had been trained as an Episcopal Priest!).

 

[twosweetgirls]

Yes, I know. It’s just so frustrating to have someone–who knows NOT my relationship with our Matchless Saviour Jesus–confront me and “tell” me what I believe.

Perhaps if Branden had not come here with his guns cocked and ready, he might have been spared our harshness.

 

[LittleDeb]

Everyone here is doing a great job of addressing a new poster out on “mission.” My purpose is to point out a few things in Branden Rush’s writing patterns that will help all of us to pray for him in the most charitable ways.

Mr. Rush has come here proclaiming that “faith alone” is the answer. If we look at his postings it is clear that he is responding to his world in extremes. His attendance at Mass “every week” his “daily rosaries” and his “weekly confessions” show focus. But, since he did not do any of these things *with faith *too, it shows the ‘all or nothing’ attitude prevalent in some of our separated Christian brethren. Many here make weekly confession. Why? Because frequent reception of the Sacraments strengthens our faith. No one does it to ‘work their way to heaven.’ Mr Rush has swung from one extreme of a ‘works alone’ attitude to a ‘faith alone’ attitude. This too shall pass. After much heartache he might finally balance into faith + works.

His assertion that Jesus is NOT in the Sacraments of the Church is another example of this extreme-only type of thinking. When we as Catholics speak with separated brethren we speak of a lack of fullness. We don’t say they have a complete absence of Jesus. His language patterns using extreme words applying to others yet not to himself show a struggle with empathy.

I mention these things because I have encountered all of the above in people who suffer OCD, or struggle with scruples. (Both Catholic and non-Catholic) A friend with Asperger’s uses much of the same extreme speech.

I agree with the above posters who say we must respond in charity and try not to be too hard on him. Yet at the same time I agree with the posters who say that coming here with guns blazing, rude, uncharitable remarks demands serious correction.

I am trying to charitably pray that he will find the balance he seeks. With God all things are possible!

 

[twosweetgirls]

^Might I disagree with the word “little” in your username? Because your words are plenty mighty.

 

[teachccd]

The canon of scripture was finally defined at the Synod of Hippo in 393, the issue might still be up for debate to this day had not the entire Church agreed both in belief and practice that it was so. That is, of course, until a group of disgruntled and rebellious folks began disputing it some 1000 years later.

Peace,
+N

I know this. This was for our OP Brandonrush…

 

[mom2three]

You should spend more time with your faith in Jesus rather than trying to paint me as ignorant of Catholic faith. If everything you said here is the truth, then why did jesus tell the man dying next to him on the cross that he would be with Jesus today in paradise. This does not correspond at all with your conception of salvation. Sorry.

God is not bound by the sacraments… nothing about the man dying on the cross is contradictory to accurate Church teaching… only to your misunderstanding of that teaching…

Truly, if you want to argue against Catholicism, be sure that what you’re arguing against actually IS Catholicism. Otherwise, it’s just a straw man and waste of everyone’s time.