What IS the True Church?

[tGette]

This is great! This partially is to address what ‘elvisman’ and ‘Namesake’ had discussed in this thread.
It seems God was calling today at church concerning this issue.
The second scripture reading today (January 26th, 2008) at Mass should help bring light to our concern of dissension and unity:

1 Corinthians 1:10-13, 17

I urge you, brothers and sisters, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,
that all of you agree in what you say,
and that there be no divisions among you,
but that you be united in the same mind and in the same purpose.
For it has been reported to me about you, my brothers and sisters,
by Chloe’s people, that there are rivalries among you.
I mean that each of you is saying,
“I belong to Paul,” or “I belong to Apollos,”
or “I belong to Cephas,” or “I belong to Christ.”
Is Christ divided?
Was Paul crucified for you?
Or were you baptized in the name of Paul?
For Christ did not send me to baptize but to preach the gospel,
and not with the wisdom of human eloquence,
so that the cross of Christ might not be emptied of its meaning.

 

[EmergencyOps]

That’s very good that you don’t judge the Church by many of it’s rather bad members! Excellent.

But I’d like to know of a dogma of the Church which “contradict your faith”. Please show us some examples!

A few of them include:
-Immaculate Conception
-Mary’s Assumption
-Infant baptism

I know the basics of what Catholics and Sola Scriptura protestants believe, so it boils down to scripture vs. Tradition. Thanks for inquiring. Any evidence is of help. Thanks

-Mark

 

[markomalley]

I will ask AGAIN!
WHAT IS THE TRUE CHURCH?!?

If Catholicism is wrong then not every other denomination can be right. So then what is the TRUTH? Protestantism is not Truth because they all teach something different. To generically call yourself Protestant implies you are making of Christianity whatever you deem fitting.

Jesus Christ came to us so EVERYONE could follow. He did not intend for His Church to be understood by only intelligent theologians. Approaching Christ is meant to be simple.

Let me focus on the Eucharist. “THIS IS MY BODY!” What did Christ mean by this? Was it just a one time deal for His Apostles then all we got was some bread generations later? Early Christians were being condemned because of claims that they were cannibals. Must have been because they were claiming they were literally eating the flesh of Jesus Christ in the Most Blessed Sacrament of the Holy Communion.

John 6:22-71
Even people at the time of Christ did not believe what Jesus Christ was teaching. It is understandable that if people AT THE TIME OF CHRIST could not wrap their heads around this idea, then it is fitting that people 2000 years later would have a hard time agreeing with the concept.

Again, the Bible. If the Bible is sole authority, then what did early Christians use as authority? There was no Bible so then how did they know how to live their faith? It was the TRADITION passed to them by the Apostles!

I agree there should be respect for each other but, to be able to get a point across one must put someone to the point of discomfort. And with that being said:

The Catholic Church is the church of Jesus Christ. Like John the Baptist, I am not here to make friends I am here to tell you the TRUTH!

DO NOT REJECT JESUS CHRIST IF YOU TRULY BELIEVE IN HIM! BY REJECTING HIS CHURCH, YOU REJECT HIM!

Christ would not just trust anyone to pass His Church through the ages. He did not say “to you Martin Luther I give the keys to Heaven.”

Jesus Christ died in vain if the Reformation proves the Catholic Church wrong.

It’s not a matter of there being the “true” Church vice the “false” Church. It’s just that simple. There is “one” Church. That’s all there is too it. That one Church is universal (katholikos). Anybody, Protestant or Catholic, trying to draw an analogy between the Church and a Protestant group is denying the truth, brought by Our Lord and preached by St. Paul (such as the second reading for today’s Mass)

Whether the people who represent that Church are good, bad, or indifferent, it does not change that reality.