Catholics and Salvation

[curtins]

Ok let me see if I can clarify what I meant by cooperating-

God gives us the path to salvation which is in the Church etc- We can either chose that path or not. God does the saving but we chose whether or not we want to be saved.

again please do correct me.

[Aloysius]

basically that works. it's open to the attack of it being semi-pelagian, but it certainly is not. your choice involves your acceptence of the free gifts of grace and faith and your taking care of them.

you'll probably only be called a semi-pelagian with that statement by hard-core calvinists.

[curtins]

yeah by cooperating I mean accpeting God's grace and his gift of salvation and the means of salvation

[Jesuspaidtheprice]

[quote name='Laudate_Dominum' post='1047594' date='Aug 21 2006, 06:28 PM']
Many of these things are means of cultivating the spiritual life. The rosary for example is a devotional practice, not a means of salvation. As a Catholic that picture just comes off as extremely ignorant and silly. If I were to make a similar picture for protestants I might say that you are not saved by reading the Bible, or hearing sermons, or praying. But certainly protestants do not believe that they are saved by such things, nor do Catholics. This would be a pretty decent analogy.

I think because belief in an absolute assurance of salvation is not part of Catholicism, there is less of a tendency to separate being a part of Christ's fold (what some might call 'being saved') and the practices which go along with that. The devotions and sacramental life of the Church help us to grow as Christians in love for God and neighbor, as well as to overcome sinful tendencies. It is not believed that we will "earn" salvation by doing things. Ideally the works of love that are proper to the Christian life are done in response to the love that God has shown to us by sending His own Son to die for our salvation.

The decrees of the Council of Trent do a good job of explaining much of the theology behind the Catholic understanding.
[/quote]

There has recently been accusations that Catholic belief is rather 'shady' and difficult to understand, which makes it less likely to be true. I rather think that among these folks who would make such accusations it is their own lack of ability to study and research without bias.

Let's take it really slow here though and hope we can come to a common understanding of Protestant and Catholic beliefs rather than hurling around meaningless pictures from around the internet.

If Catholics don't believe in faith alone, and yet clearly reject semi-pelagianism, what is an easy way to explain "How am I saved" given that good works, or "good fruits" are clearly part of Catholic soteriology and justification for a Catholic. How can a Catholic say works matter and yet at the same time say "I cannot obligate God to repay my works with salvation as if eternal life were the wage of my labors." as a popular Catholic author maintains.

To put it another way, Protestants (reformed) insist that we are saved through a profession of faith, repentance, and trust in Jesus. I'd say Catholics believe that they are saved through an act of God's grace and mercy by being reborn, and then living out that faith through grace in cooperation with God's grace. I won't presume to speak for the Catholic faith though and will let you do that.

Please let my words be received with the charity that they are written in.