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In fairness I think there is a logic in people being "bothered" by Catholicism. Catholicism is the largest Christian denomination. As Sunni Islam is, in many respects, disorganized Catholicism is also the largest organized religion.
Yeah, I'll have to agree with you. When you're this large and organzied, you become very visible for everyone. And because you're so visible, you become an easy target to be picked on.
What good does it do the Pope to preach about hell, when he also preaches the false gospel of purgatory, which is helping send people straight to hell?
You have to understand, Purgatory is defined doctrine of the Catholic faith. You, as a protestant, be it a Baptist or whatever, also have defined doctrine as outlined by the Southern BapTist Convention (SBC), the National Baptist Convention (NBC) or whoever it may be.
Just as you Protestants have your Statements of Faith, a declaration of those things which are most surely believed among you, we Catholics have ours. Just as Sola scripture defines you as a Protestant, Purgatory defines us Catholics.
Just as you Protestants use 2nd Timothy 3:16-17 and Matthew 4:3-4 to justify YOUR docrine of Sola scriptura, we Catholics use 1 Corinthians 3:14–15 to justify OUR docrtine of Purgatory.
FYI... 1 Corinthians 3:14–15 reads: "If the work which any man has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward. If any man’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire."
You see, the Latinate word purgatory means a purgation or burning by fire. Paul in these verses refers to a purgation process whereby a man is saved even though his works are burned away. This is precisely what the Catholic Church teaches. A person at death who still has personal faults is prevented from entering into heaven because he is not completely purified. He must go through a period of purgation in order to be made clean, for nothing unclean will enter heaven (cf. Rev. 21:27).
For Purgatory, we can also turn to the book of Maccabee, which isn't typically found in the Protestant Bibles due tot he fact they were seen, by Luther and other reformers, as not really inspired books to be retained in the Bible. And may I also point out that the Bible talks about how the book isn't to be added to or subtracted from, which is exactly what happened at the time of the Protestant Reformation. The things the early Protestants didn't agree with were removed and the things that jived with what they believed in were kept.
Catholics existed LONG BEFORE Protestants. The Bible is a Catholic book whether you want to accept it or not.
You have to understand, Purgatory is defined doctrine of the Catholic faith. You, as a protestant, be it a Baptist or whatever, also have defined doctrine as outlined by the Southern BapTist Convention (SBC), the National Baptist Convention (NBC) or whoever it may be.
Just as you Protestants have your Statements of Faith, a declaration of those things which are most surely believed among you, we Catholics have ours. Just as Sola scripture defines you as a Protestant, Purgatory defines us Catholics.
Just as you Protestants use 2nd Timothy 3:16-17 and Matthew 4:3-4 to justify YOUR docrine of Sola scriptura, we Catholics use 1 Corinthians 3:14–15 to justify OUR docrtine of Purgatory.
FYI... 1 Corinthians 3:14–15 reads: "If the work which any man has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward. If any man’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire."
You see, the Latinate word purgatory means a purgation or burning by fire. Paul in these verses refers to a purgation process whereby a man is saved even though his works are burned away. This is precisely what the Catholic Church teaches. A person at death who still has personal faults is prevented from entering into heaven because he is not completely purified. He must go through a period of purgation in order to be made clean, for nothing unclean will enter heaven (cf. Rev. 21:27).
For Purgatory, we can also turn to the book of Maccabee, which isn't typically found in the Protestant Bibles due tot he fact they were seen, by Luther and other reformers, as not really inspired books to be retained in the Bible. And may I also point out that the Bible talks about how the book isn't to be added to or subtracted from, which is exactly what happened at the time of the Protestant Reformation. The things the early Protestants didn't agree with were removed and the things that jived with what they believed in were kept.
Catholics existed LONG BEFORE Protestants. The Bible is a Catholic book whether you want to accept it or not.
The purgeing you are speaking of must take place while we are here in the world. Read the message to the seven Churches in Asia in the book of Revelation. Our LORD here was working to purge the churches while they were in the world. These scriptures are for our learning.
S.gal, I read in the New Testament about a falling away in the end times. I do not think the Catholics, being 1 billion in number, are perfect in doctrine. If they were, there would not be the falling away like is described in the prophetic scriptures.
In all honesty, those whom you call protestants, are not perfect in doctrine, though I see more correct doctrine to a point with them, in some cases. But if the protestants were perfect in doctrine, then we would not have the falling away, which again, is described in the New Testament.
So there is an enormous problem in the world today, the falling away. It has and is effecting all people everywhere in the world.
While I prefer non-Catholic Church groups, it's true, yet some of what I see happening in non-Catholic groups is very bad! There needs to be a great awakening among all who are calling upon the name of the LORD.
I want to see souls saved. Jesus came to save sinners. But we must listen to Him.
How do you know Catholicism is a lie? You don't know it's a lie anymore than I know Protestantism is a lie.
And if you knew anything at all about Catholicism, you'd know that's simply NOT true!
The pope is NOT the ultimate voice of AUTHORITY, God is........ So don't wait on the Pope to "come forward", open the bible and read what God Himself have to say on ANY given subject, not just hell. Just saying.........
The pope is NOT the ultimate voice of AUTHORITY, God is........ So don't wait on the Pope to "come forward", open the bible and read what God Himself have to say on ANY given subject, not just hell. Just saying.........
You are Simon the Rock and on this rock I shall build my church.
Now you can kick the rock off your standing place, Betsey, and you can still call out to God
ROME — Hell is a place where sinners really do burn in an everlasting fire, and not just a religious symbol designed to galvanize the faithful, the Pope said.
Addressing a parish gathering in a northern suburb of Rome, Pope Benedict XVI said that in the modern world many people, including some believers, had forgotten that if they failed to "admit blame and promise to sin no more," they risked "eternal damnation — the Inferno."
Nobody really listens to the pope anyway, he has lost his credibility, but I guess he feels the need to crack the whip to try to keep the peasants in line.
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. So don't wait on the Pope to "come forward", open the bible and read what God Himself have to say on ANY given subject, not just hell. Just saying.........
