Can Catholicism and Protestantism get along? (Jehovah, beliefs, rituals, sinners)
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Do you really search for truth, or are you just repeating the falsehoods you been taught?
What part of the following do you dispute?
"In faith we together hold the conviction that justification is the work of the triune God. The Father sent his Son into the world to save sinners. The foundation and presupposition of justification is the incarnation, death, and resurrection of Christ. Justification thus means that Christ himself is our righteousness, in which we share through the Holy Spirit in accord with the will of the Father. Together we confess: By grace alone, in faith in Christ's saving work and not because of any merit on our part, we are accepted by God and receive the Holy Spirit, who renews our hearts while equipping and calling us to good works"
Just add Sola Fide (justification by faith alone) to that statement and then see how many Roman Catholics will agree to it.
What do we mean by "get along" and "Protestantism."
If you mean can Catholic and Protestant churches work together than yes. If we mean they can avoid condemning each other than generally yes. If we mean can they agree on major points of doctrine than in many areas no.
Catholicism can't and shouldn't accept certain heretical ideas created by sixteenth century scholars that have virtually no basis in Pre-Reformation Christian *history. Nor can the faith abandon elements of Christian tradition because of some notions developed among Protestants. So Catholics will/must retain reverence for Mary, prayers for the dead, the seven sacraments, the deutero-canonical books of the Bible, and other things you can find in virtually all pre-Reformation Christianity. Pretty much anything that gets us closer to Protestantism and further from Orthodoxy is to me deeply wrong.
Still just because the foundations of Protestantism are heresy doesn't mean Protestants are phony or bad or anything like that. Whatever its origin Protestants have produced many great Christians. In America the Protestants often have a stronger faith than Catholics. We share a great many values and people can't be blamed for their ancestors religious rebellion. Also some of the Protestant devotions to Jesus and to simplicity are quite beautiful. And the majority black churches I think have some beautiful songs to express the sorrowful and joyous elements of Christianity.
*If Protestants here are going to do the "heresy" thing than I'm not going to pussyfoot either.
The only Sola or Solus that matters to ANY Christian is "Solus Christus!!! The rest are divisive . . . and divisiveness is "heresy."
Tsk tsk.
There you go again, presenting New Age doctrine as Christian Truth.
The notion that "evil is that which causes separation" (or "divisiveness" as you call it) is one of the primary principles of the occult:
Characteristics of salvation according to proponents of the New Age.
* It is the unfolding of one's consciousness to the point where the true self, the divine nature, is realized. As a flower unfolds petal by petal, so too does spiritual evolution unfold, revealing the deeper realms of God-consciousness.
*It is the gaining of enlightenment. It is a state of consciousness where the person's separation from other humans is transcended and unity is achieved.
let us get rid of the heresy word too--it prevents positive communication
Oh I suppose so. In general I only use it jokingly or historically. There are some early Medieval groups we only know as "the heresy of blah blah yakety-schmakety."
Oh I suppose so. In general I only use it jokingly or historically. There are some early Medieval groups we only know as "the heresy of blah blah yakety-schmakety."
I've been involved in interfaith dialogue for many years, and to be honest, I've never seen a Catholic use this term as a "first strike."
Rather, it's nearly always used only AFTER some Protestant starts up with antiCatholic rhetoric/Catholic-baiting/distortions of the Catholic faith like you see here on a regular basis from posters like enow and Cazuchin (sp?).
I will use the term jokingly when I am speaking exclusively to other Catholics, but I never use it in the company of Protestants unless that Protestant has really provoked me first with Catholic-baiting.
Thomas, you did state clearly that "they started it":
*If Protestants here are going to do the "heresy" thing than I'm not going to pussyfoot either.
(quote JP2) 'To you, Mother of human family and of the nations,
we confidently entrust the whole of humanity,
with its hopes and fears.
Do not let it lack the light of true wisdom.
Guide its steps in the ways of peace.
Enable all to meet Christ,
the Way, the Truth, and the Life.
Sustain us, O Virgin Mary, on our journey of faith
and obtain for us the grace of eternal salvation.
O clement, O loving, O sweet Mother of God
and our Mother, Mary! [SIZE=2]-- John Paul II [/SIZE
How beautiful. I miss John Paul
REPLY: How sad though as 'Vicar of Christ on Earth' he repeatedly demotes Christs , elevated Mary to the level of Godhood , and confused the means of eternal salvation .... as indicated in his prayer above ; but alas, Pope-ism is more important than Gods Word describing the simple Gospel that really saves .
This thread reminds me of the local Catholic priest who lamented to the minister of small Charismatic church about all the young people he was losing. They start out strong in the Catholic traditions only to go away to college and vanish from sight. Then come to find out it's because they're going to another church filled with "YOU people!"
Officially the twain may never meet but that doesn't mean the regular folks can't get together. Aren't we getting along in this forum?
We agree to disagree when necessary.
The worry is when discussing someone's eternal state. There's nothing more frustrating than have someone end a discussion about religion by simply saying,
"I'm Catholic" or "I'm Jewish" and drop the subject.
"DOH!"
Are they saying "My mind's made up, don't bug me?"
or is it, "I don't have to talk about religion I'm already one of God's favorites."
Or could it be, "It's an RC thing you wouldn't understand."
If only "I'm Catholic," were the conversation opener instead of the closer.
As in "I'm Catholic, and I take great comfort in this because . . ."
That could be the start of some real bridge building.
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