To Be in Heaven, You Must Be Catholic

[PRmerger]

Oh, I dunno…maybe to make the case for Catholicism just as Paul went to the synagogues to present the gospel of Jesus Christ?

 

[MJCamp]

where does it say in the bible that you have to be catholic. it doesn’t, why do the people on here have to be so vain .Romans 10:13 says, “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” Whosoever is anyone, including you. If you truly believe that you are a sinner, that the payment of your sin is Hell, that Jesus died and paid it for you, that he offers you eternal life as a free gift, and that all you have to do to receive the gift is to ask him, he will save you!

AMEN

The only time “faith alone” is used in the entire Bible is when it is condemned. (James 2:24)
James 2:24 -" Ye see then how works of a man is justified, and not by faith only."

James 2:26 - “For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also”

 

[Bergon]

1. Jesus only has one body.
2. To be in heaven, one must be a member of the body of Christ
3. The body of Christ is the Church.
4. The Church instituted by Christ has a name – the Catholic Church.

Correct statements on Church teaching. They’re not novel but some might object to No. 4.

Therefore, to be in heaven, one must be a member of the Catholic Church.

Where do you believe the Church teaches this?

 

[PRmerger]

That’s my right of conscience in action. That is Christian freedom.

You are “free” insofar as you have the right to always come to the correct conclusion.

Just like a Calculus student is “free” to study the professor’s notes and come to the same answer as the professor.

She is not “free” to come to a wrong answer.

Or, to put it more simply, a kindergartner is free to learn about shapes, but she is not free to declare: “This is a square!”

(Please Note: This uploaded content is no longer available.)

 

[PRmerger]

where does it say in the bible that you have to be catholic.

It’s right after the verse that says, “We have to find everything we believe about God in the Bible.”

 

[Randy_Carson]

where does it say in the bible that you have to be catholic. it doesn’t, why do the people on here have to be so vain .Romans 10:13 says, “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” Whosoever is anyone, including you. If you truly believe that you are a sinner, that the payment of your sin is Hell, that Jesus died and paid it for you, that he offers you eternal life as a free gift, and that all you have to do to receive the gift is to ask him, he will save you!

AMEN

Where does it say in the Bible that you have to be a Christian?

 

[Randy_Carson]

And that would seem to imply that no person (baptized or not) can be forcibly put under Roman authority. Freely accept it or freely reject it. There’s none of this, “you’re under it whether you know it or not…or whether you like it or not.”

Who established the Roman Pontiff as the head of His Church?

(I gave you a hint: the H is capitalized.)

 

[Jozefo]

You are “free” insofar as you have the right to always come to the correct conclusion.

Just like a Calculus student is “free” to study the professor’s notes and come to the same answer as the professor.

She is not “free” to come to a wrong answer.

Or, to put it more simply, a kindergartner is free to learn about shapes, but she is not free to declare: “This is a square!”

http://www.clker.com/cliparts/4/4/4/f/12422388151474571261Bronze_circle.svg.med.png

Are you sure? If someone wants to declare a circle to be a square, who is anyone to deny them that right? No one is required to believe the declaration, but certainly one is within the bounds of authority to make that conclusion.

 

[Randy_Carson]

Correct statements on Church teaching. They’re not novel but some might object to No. 4.

Where do you believe the Church teaches this?

First, it is the logical conclusion from the premises given.

Second, I might review Dominus Iesus for starters.

But look, the question has never really been about membership but rather about what type of membership one has.

1. It is normatively necessary to be in formal communion with the Catholic Church. (This is what Jesus intended when He established Peter as head of the Church.)
2. It is not absolutely necessary to be in formal communion with the Catholic Church. (The Church has acknowledged this many times.)
3. It is absolutely necessary to be in some communion with the Catholic Church. (Outside the Church, there is no salvation.)

 

[PJM]

=Alizarin;11107712]Then we’re probably all hellbound, since no one’s deeds are so good or so great as to erase the debt we rack up with sin over on the other side of the ledger.

A very good question… Very good question indeed. makes the case for not evangelizing at all, doesn’t it?

There is dear friend Only ONE unforgiveable sin: Denial of God!

The Catholic Sacrament of Confession is one of the TRULY Great evidences of God’s Merciful Love for us:

1John.1 Verses 8 to 10 If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just, and will forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us."

1John.5 Verses 16 to 17 "If any one sees his brother committing what is not a mortal sin, he will ask, and God will give him life for those whose sin is not mortal. There is sin which is mortal; I do not say that one is to pray for that. All wrongdoing is sin, but there is sin which is not mortal.

John.20 Verses 20 to 23" When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I send you.” And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained”

 

[JustaServant]

I don’t know why so many Catholics repeat that line, though I admit I did the same thing back in the day. If someone questioned something, it must be because of a personal way of life, I.e., some besetting sin, that they don’t want to give up. It was never a true problem with theology or philosophy.

It’s an easy way to shut down a debate, I see that.

Hi Alizarin,
I heard the same as a fundamentalist years ago.
On the other hand, isn’t it true that our personal way of life, opinions, ect. display what we clearly believe? I mean, can we truly separate the two? Belief and actions?

BTW guys, great discussion.

 

[PRmerger]

Are you sure? If someone wants to declare a circle to be a square, who is anyone to deny them that right? No one is required to believe the declaration, but certainly one is within the bounds of authority to make that conclusion.

Let me ask you this: if your daughter came home from school and said that she believed that the above was a square, would you tell her, “Who am I to deny you that right? You are not required to believe that it is a circle”?

 

[JonNC]

What exactly do you think I am twisting? Feel free to report me. I have reached the conclusion that it’s impossible to have a discussion on any religious topic without offending someone.

Maybe, but most of the time things seem to go ok for me around here.

Jon

 

[Lotharson]

As an apostate non-denominational Christian, I won’t be in heaven

Is there a chance I’ll reach a purgatory ?

Lovely greetings from Germany
Liebe Grüße aus Deutschland

Lothars Sohn - Lothar’s son
lotharlorraine.wordpress.com

 

[MaryT777]

As an apostate non-denominational Christian, I won’t be in heaven

Is there a chance I’ll reach a purgatory ?

Lovely greetings from Germany
Liebe Grüße aus Deutschland

Lothars Sohn - Lothar’s son
lotharlorraine.wordpress.com

Catholics don’t teach we know for sure who is in heaven or not.
Mary.

 

[SteveVH]

I don’t know why so many Catholics repeat that line, though I admit I did the same thing back in the day. If someone questioned something, it must be because of a personal way of life, I.e., some besetting sin, that they don’t want to give up. It was never a true problem with theology or philosophy.

It’s an easy way to shut down a debate, I see that.

The last thing I have in mind is shutting down a debate. If one has a theological or philosophical problem with the Catholic Church which they cannot reconcile, then so be it. There are many, including me, who are happy to discuss these differences. You also must consider my comments in the context of the post to which I was responding.

 

[SteveVH]

Catholics don’t teach we know for sure who is in heaven or not.
Mary.

We do teach that we know at least some who are in heaven. We call them “saints”. What we don’t teach is that we know for certain who is in hell.

 

[JonNC]

As an apostate non-denominational Christian, I won’t be in heaven

Is there a chance I’ll reach a purgatory ?

Lovely greetings from Germany
Liebe Grüße aus Deutschland

Lothars Sohn - Lothar’s son
lotharlorraine.wordpress.com

Catholicism teaches that if you reach Purgatory, you will reach Heaven.

Jon

 

[Randy_Carson]

Catholicism teaches that if you reach Purgatory, you will reach Heaven.

Jon

Ninja Catholic.

 

[Deep_Roots]

I hope, as did my patron saint, Gregory of Nyssa, that eventually all will enter into Heaven. Perhaps even the devil (if indeed the devil is an actual and singular entity) and his demons might eventually be saved as well.