Who I Am........what I Believe

[GodChild]

[quote name='adt6247' post='1341297' date='Jul 27 2007, 01:14 AM']I'm only addressing the things you wrote that are in direct contradiction with Catholic dogma.
Venial, yes. Mortal, no. You can not be forgiven from mortal sin unless you either confess it to a priest, or make an act of PERFECT contrition with the intention of confessing to a priest as soon as possible.
Incorrect -- Salvation is granted through sanctifying grace. Sanctifying grace is given at baptism, and if lost by mortal sin, gained back in confession. Faith and good works are necessary to keep sanctifying grace.
"Receiving communion" every week is not what Catholics believe get you to heaven. Remaining in sanctifying grace is. If by not recieving communion weekly, you mean not attending mass weekly, then no, people that do not do so are in a state of mortal sin. It is an obligation to all Catholics to witness the sacrifice of calvary weekly in the mass. And as all men are called to be part of the universal church, this is absolutely necessary for all people who have had the Gospel witnessed to them. And no, heretic "communion services" or "Sunday services" don't count. If a person does not go to a mass or divine liturgy, and they are given the opportunity, they incur the penalty of mortal sin. If you die with mortal sin on your soul that you do not have PERFECT contrition for, you go directly to hell.
True, buy can they really love Him if they don't love His Church? The Church is the spotless bride of Christ, and the body of Christ on earth.
It's not sinful to have such opinions as to where they likely are. I think it's likely that Martin Luther is in hell. Does that mean he is? Not necessarily. He may be. So might Mother Theresa -- she could have died despising God. We cannot assume to know men's hearts. But we can speculate. It's sinful to state with certitute.

The inverse is also true -- it's sinful for a priest, at a funeral mass, to state that the person who's funeral they are saying is in heaven! We don't know that, unless they are canonized! And, it's uncharitable! What if they need our prayers for the moment of their death? What if they are in purgatory, and because everyone on earth thinks they are in heaven, no one prays for them?
There is no contradiction in Catholic dogma with married men being priests. Priests were never allowed to marry once they became priests -- they had to be married first. Priestly celibacy is mandatory because of canon law -- and it can be changed at any time. St. Paul also stated that it is preferable to be celibate so you would be more able to serve the kingdom of God. In the early church, and still in the Eastern churches, celibacy is seen as optional, but the higher, preferable calling.
The body of Christ on Earth is the Church. If you are not members of the One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic church, you are not a member of the body of Christ. Period. That is Catholic dogma. [i]Extra Ecclesia nulla salus[/i].[/quote]

Wow - THAT is Catholic faith?? Talk about hording God for yourself and slavery - thats not the catholicism i was taught at all

[adt6247]

[quote name='GodChild' post='1351894' date='Aug 7 2007, 06:14 AM']Wow - THAT is Catholic faith?? Talk about hording God for yourself and slavery - thats not the catholicism i was taught at all[/quote]
It's not what I was taught growing up, either. I was taught a watered-down Catholicism. I was taught, in Catholic school, that after Vatican II, the church allowed contraception, recognized that other non-Christian faiths were salvific, that Christ was just a nice, friendly hippie that loved you for who you were, and you didn't have to change, and if you were merely a nice person, you would go to heaven.

In recent years, the faith hasn't been taught as it always was. But the fact of the matter is, the church has ALWAYS taught that there is no salvation outside of it. Always. This teaching has never changed, and as it is part of Catholic dogma, never can. All are welcome, but if they reject Christ's own church, how much hope for salvation do they have? If they reject His holy [i]Mater Ecclesiae[/i] on Earth, why would they not also reject it in Heaven? To live in heaven is to be part of the Church Triumphant. Thus, one cannot be in heaven if one is not part of the Church.