Certain among us can't answer that question without possibly breaking the rules.
Ask yourself if they believe the true biblical gospel or not or if what
they proclaim is the other gospel the Bible warns us about. I'll say this.
I think there are probably individual Catholics who are truly Christian, but it's in spite of the religion they belong to, imho. Their way of salvation isn't the same as I see taught in Scripture.
You have to remember that all protestant denominations either split directly from the Catholic faith or split from a denomination that split from the Catholic Church, therefore all protestant denominations have their origins directly or indirectly from the Catholic Church therefore protestantism can not possibly be the correct faith, since Christ gave us a Church 1500 years prior to protestantism and promised
"the gates of hell shall not prevail against it"
So if the faith is preserved from the outset by Christ nothing can corrupt it...EVEN CORRUPT POPES
INRI2, what constitutes a saint? How are we saved? How do we repent?
A Saint is a Christian
We are saved by the sacrafice of Jesus Christ
We repent with our whole hearts and turn away from sin and towards the Gospel
"This has eveyrthing to do with faith and nothing to do with works."
Do not
merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves.
Do what it says. 23 Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror 24 and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. 25 But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, And continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but
doing it--he will be blessed in what he does.
14 What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him?
15 Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food.
16 If one of you says to him, "Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed,"
but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? 17 In the same way,
faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. 18 But someone will say,
"You have faith; I have deeds." Show me your faith without deeds, and
I will show you my faith by what I do. 19 You believe that there is one God.
Good! Even the demons believe that--and shudder. 20 You foolish man,
do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless? 21 Was not our ancestor
Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar?
22 You see that his
faith and his actions were working together, and h
is faith was made
complete by what he did. 23 And the scripture was fulfilled that says,
"Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness," and he was called
God's friend. 24 you see that
a person is justified by what he does and not by faith alone.
"the idea of needing a pope and priests to confess to"
After he said this, he showed them his hands and side.
The
apostles were overjoyed when they saw the Lord.
21 Again Jesus said, "Peace be with you!
As the Father has sent me, I am sending you." 22 And with that he breathed on them and said,
"
Receive the Holy Spirit. 23
If you forgive anyone his sins, they are forgiven;
if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven."
"praying to Mary and the "saints"
Actually its Intercession
"He is not the God of the dead but of the living."
Mk 9:4 - Jesus converses with Elijah and moses
Rev 6:9-11 Martyres under heavenly alter want earthly vidication
Lk 16:19-30 Departed rich man INTERCEEDS for his brothers.
AND MOST IMPORTANTLY
Tob 12:12 An Angel presents Tobit & sarahs prayer to God.
Jn 3:5, Mk 16:16 - baptism required for entering heaven.
1 Cor 15:21-22 - In adam all die, In Christ all made alive
Mk 10:14 - Let little Children come unto me, the Kingdom belongs to such as these.
Lk 18:25 - People were bringing even infants to him...
Col 2:11-12 - Baptism has replaced Circumsicisim
(Circumsicisim done on eight day after birth)
In 252 AD the council of cathercondemed the opinion that infants must wait until the eighth
day to be baptized as was the case with circumcision - St Cyprian of catherage, letter 64.
Mt 8:5 - servent healed because of centurians faith.
mt 15:21 - daughter healed because of cannanite womans faith.
St Hippolytus - (c 215AD) BAPTIZE FIRST THE CHILDREN; and if they can speak let them do so.
Otherwise let their parents or other reletives speak for them _ "the apostolic tradition"
"the process of determining sainthood"
No scriptual passages spring to mind, not to my knowledge at least.
I will look into it, perhaps others should do the same.
"treating writings and decisions of the church as being equal to Scripture"
1 Cor 11:2 - Hold fast to traditions I hand on to you.
2 Thess 2:15 - Hold fast to traditions, weather oral or by letter.
2 Thess 3:6 - SHUN those acting not according to tradition.
Jn 21:25 - Not everything Jesus said is recorded in scripture.
Acts 20:35 - Paul records a saying of Jesus not found in the Gospels
2 Tim 1:13 follow my sound words, guard the truth.
2 Tim 2:2 What you heard entrust to faithful men.
Rom 10:17 - faith comes from what is heard.
Mt 23: 2-3 Chair of moses, observe whatever they tell you.
St Athanasius (360 Ad) "let us note that the very Tradition, teaching and faith of The Catholic Church from the begining, which the lord gave, was preached by the apostles and was preserved by the fathers. On this was the church founded. AND IF
ANYONE DEPARTS FROM THIS, HE NEITHER IS, NOR ANY LONGER OUGHT TO BE CALLED A CHRISTIAN.
FUNDEMENTAL DOCTRINES 1 PREFACE 2 - (C 230AD)
"The teaching of the church has indeed been handed down through an order of succession from the apostles and remains in the church even to the present time. That alone is to be believed as truth which is in no way at variance with ecclisiastical and apostolic tradition.
- and the gates of hell have still not prevailed over the patriarchates that remained in communion with each other as the one, holy, catholic and apostolic church ... from which Rome split away?
