Hi, AB. I didn't actually see your posts; so really all I have is
hearsay. The thing about Catholics is that here (on this MB), we deal with INDIVIDUALS, and not with the VATICAN. Posting "official church doctrine" isn't really useful, in my humble opinion,
because most people (in any denomination) do not hold to every "official position". I think, with a little patience, you'll find that the Catholics here believe:
1. God is INFINITE, eternal, one ENTITY; existing in THREE PERSONS; Father, Holy Spirit, and Jesus the Creator --- without beginning, without end; became Human ("Emmanual GOD-WITH-US"); crucified, buried; arose on the third day (dead 1.5 days), and ascended into Heaven.
2.. Salvation by grace through faith, and not by works
(not "faith + works + sacraments").
3. They do NOT pray to saints as MEDIATORS, because they understand there is only ONE mediator between God and man, JESUS; they pray to saints as INTERCESSORS (just as you would ask your LIVING friends and relatives to pray for you). While you and I (being Protestant) may view this as
useless, is there anything about it that is CONDEMNABLE? I haven't found anything.
4. They have images in church as REMINDERS, but they DO NOT WORSHIP THEM.
5. They very much believe in being SPIRIT-FILLED.
6. They accept the Nicene Creed.
Catholics (or any other persons) who hold to the above points,
are indistinguishable from myself --- I believe the same. Thus I am constrained to call them "Christian brothers and sisters". Specific complaints about doctrine can be handled specifically, one-on-one; for instance, many Catholics will say "salvation is a PROCESS"; this is pretty easy to refute with passages such as 1Jn5:11-13. Salvation is NOT a process, it is CHRIST-IN-YOU. Maturity and growth are processes. Salvation is INSTANT.
(Of course, you will object to a view that Catholics and I share,
that salvation can be forfeit.)
On this board we deal with Methodists, Baptists, AOG, Presbyterians, CoC, Charismatic, Catholic, and then Mormons and Jehovay's Witness and Preterists and even wiccans and atheists to name but a few (I don't think I've conversed with any "ascended masters"), purty much all types. As the saying goes, "You catch more flies with honey than with vinegar". The rules simply say "you cannot put-dowh whole denominations"; but you're perfectly free to speak of specific ISSUES (like the "salvation by grace through faith and not by faith + works + sacraments" thing). So rather than making a general statement
(like, "According to the Council of Trent in year such-and-such, the CATHOLIC CHURCH BELIEVES...." ), it would be better to ASK:
"Do you Catholics believe suich-and-such?"
I hope you will reconsider staying. We have quite a few Calvinists here, and I think you have value to add (you should see the intense discussions! ON one thread I am up against a scholar, seemingly fluent in Greek! I think my response to him will be fairly uncontradictable; but we will see...)
But whatever you decide, my prayers go with you; perhaps I'll see you on the new board.
God bless you, AB!
