Do I have to be a Catholic to be saved?

Question

I want to know if I have to go through the Catholic church or not. I understand the history and lineage, but it seems that the way people approach God in the Catholic church today isn't much like it was in 100 AD.

I have two scriptures to reference... 1 Tim 2:5 "For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus." and John 14:6 "...No one comes to the Father except through me."

It seems Jesus wanted us to come to God through him, not by praying to saints or by one specific church. There were many churches in 75 AD, they were people that had given their lives to Christ in different cities and they met with believers in their homes etc (Acts 2...).

Has something changed, or am I not understanding something? Do I have to come to God via the Catholic church or can I just come to God via Jesus? Are protestants going to be accepted by God? I really want to know what YOU believe.

I'm a little disappointed by the taking of sides on this question. I think Jesus would like us to have one united body of Christ and although there is a movement towards this globally, it isn't really being reflected well in most of these answers. I find it interesting, Imacatholic2, that the answer is yes you can be saved in another church, but you are really being saved by the power of the catholic church, which is kind of like saying no. I also find it interesting how many protestants think Catholics aren't saved and how many Catholics don't reflect the same opinion as their leadership.

I would have picked, "No best answer", but I think I'll just let it go to voting. A genuine "thank you and God bless" to all of you who genuinely shared their belief on this one...

Answer 1

To be saved, you first have to research that what is Truth.
you Can't understand truth by these different types of answers.

I has researched of All relidions of the world.
A brief description for you.

God Almighty sent many messangers on the earth like Adam, Noha, Moses, Jesus, Ibraheem, Solemn, Muhammad (Peace be upon all of them).
And there were many revelation Of God on the earth.

On every nation God sent Prophets. And all these prophets told to mankind one and the same thing that
"worship none but one God".

So the followers of these prophets were on truth and believed on one God(afterward they changed their religion somewhat)
but

It was the rule fron very begining that whenever a new prophet came in a nation, all previous revelations were canceled and one has to follow the new prophet(to be on right and to be saved).All these Prophets were for the time period(Till coming of next Prophet)

So Prophet Muhammad(Peace be upon him) was the last and final messanger of God. And there will be no prophet after him. He was for whole the world(As said in Holy Quran).And
And Holy Quran is the last message of God.

So one has to follow Prophet Muhammad(PBUH) and the Holy Quran to be saved.

This was Abstract of my research. For more you have to research to find truth to be saved.
.

Answer 2

no.

A crowd that had witnessed a miracle was following Jesus and asked him "What shall we do, that we might work the works of God?"

Jesus said:
"This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent." (John 6:28 and 29)

Notice they asked 'works' plural and Jesus replied 'work' singular. He said nothing about Baptism or communion or confession or alms for the poor or praying a certain prayer or living a good life.

The book of Hebrews, in fact, is a warning to Christians not to fall back into the observances of the law thinking that salvation was in works. (read it, please, especially my Catholic friends).

In Romans 7, we are taught that Christians are dead to the law.

This applies to question this way: The Catholic church teaches several musts for salvation, including you must be a member of the Catholic Church (if you know you must be a member of the Catholic Church, that is), you must be baptized, and other works conditions including somehow the pope praying for you. And there are other 'good' works or things to abstain from that while not technically required for salvation, added to the chances you'd ultimately go to heaven, such as communion, not eating meat on Fridays (since rescinded), saying the rosary prayer, visiting certain holy sites, etc.

The Catholic doctrine, despite all the good folks (like Jennyfer down there, who appears to have her faith in Christ rather than the pope.) who attend the services, is a works doctrine. There is no salvation in it.

The bible also has this to say about keeping the law for salvation:

For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God. For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth. Romans 10:3-4

Answer 3

No.

While the Catholic Church believes that she is "the highest exemplar" of the mystery that is the Church of Christ, she does not claim that non-Catholic Churches are not "saved". The Catholic Church teaches:

Furthermore, many elements of sanctification and of truth are found outside the visible confines of the Catholic Church: the written Word of God; the life of grace; faith, hope, and charity, with the other interior gifts of the Holy Spirit, as well as visible elements.

Christ's Spirit uses these Churches and ecclesial communities as means of salvation, whose power derives from the fullness of grace and truth that Christ has entrusted to the Catholic Church.

All these blessings come from Christ and lead to him.

For more information, see the Catechism of the Catholic Church, section 819: http://www.usccb.org/catechism/text/pt1sect2chpt3art9p3.htm#819

With love in Christ.

Answer 4

Being Catholic has nothing to do with being "saved." Believing in God and Jesus does just as living a good life through His teachings impacts the end result.

Answer 5

Not like it was in 100AD!?
The Catholic Church is the only place where it is anything like it was in 100 AD!
******************************
"Confess your sins in church, and do not go up to your prayer with an evil conscience. This is the way of life. . . . On the Lord’s Day gather together, break bread, and give thanks, after confessing your transgressions so that your sacrifice may be pure" (Didache 4:14, 14:1 [A.D. 70]).

Ignatius
"I have no taste for corruptible food nor for the pleasures of this life. I desire the bread of God, which is the flesh of Jesus Christ, who was of the seed of David; and for drink I desire his blood, which is love incorruptible" (Letter to the Romans 7:3 [A.D. 110]).

Ignatius
"Take note of those who hold heterodox opinions on the grace of Jesus Christ which has come to us, and see how contrary their opinions are to the mind of God. . . . They abstain from the Eucharist and from prayer because they do not confess that the Eucharist is the flesh of our Savior Jesus Christ, flesh which suffered for our sins and which that Father, in his goodness, raised up again. They who deny the gift of God are perishing in their disputes" (Letter to the Smyrnaeans 6:2–7:1 [A.D. 110]).

Ignatius
"Take care to do all things in harmony with God, with the bishop presiding in the place of God, and with the presbyters in the place of the council of the apostles, and with the deacons, who are most dear to me, entrusted with the business of Jesus Christ, who was with the Father from the beginning and is at last made manifest" (Letter to the Magnesians, 6:1).

Hermas
But you, [Hermas,] having been strengthened by the holy angel [you saw], and having obtained from him such intercession (The Shepherd 3:5:4 [A.D. 80])

Pope Clement I
Our apostles knew through our Lord Jesus Christ that there would be strife for the office of bishop. For this reason, therefore, having received perfect foreknowledge, they appointed those who have already been mentioned and afterwards added the further provision that, if they should die, other approved men should succeed to their ministry" (Letter to the Corinthians 42:4–5, 44:1–3 [A.D. 80]).

Hermas
"Therefore shall you [Hermas] write two little books and send one to Clement [Bishop of Rome] and one to Grapte. Clement shall then send it to the cities abroad, because that is his duty" (The Shepherd 2:4:3 [A.D. 80]).

Answer 6

You seem to already know the answer to this one. Jesus is the only mediator between God and us. If you accept Him as your risen savior, accept that He is the Son of God and that we all fall short and sin, but Jesus died for our sins, then you have salvation.

It comes not through any specific church.

Answer 7

No. you can go directly to God in Jesus name. God via Jesus.

Jesus was the last sacrificial act and the final atonement for sin. There are no more sacrifices as Jesus said, it is finished.
He was the final sacrifice.

You don't need to go to a church to confess, or to be closer with God. You can do it in the privacy of your own priesthood.

Answer 8

“It seems Jesus wanted us to come to God through him, not by praying to saints or by one specific church. There were many churches in 75 AD, they were people that had given their lives to Christ in different cities and they met with believers in their homes etc (Acts 2...).”

Prayer to the saints is not a requirement for salvation; it is simply an aid. The Church believes in the communion of saints, which - if I understand it correctly - means that we are all one big family, and our job is to help each other get to heaven. The saints are simply our family members who are already residing in the glory of God. We ask them to pray for us so that we can receive more graces to make us stronger so that we will make it to heaven, too. It simple intercession (not worship, as the protestants falsely state).

Also, the Protestants cite the fact that there are many different churches stated in the bible, which is evidence that there was not one central church but many. This is simply twisting the original Church to match the protestant model.

Yes, there were many churches, just like you’d have different locations for a store or business, but the churches were all of one faith, one belief, and one interpretation, just like the different store locations are belong to the same business and the same corporation.

The protestant twist is that they’re trying to say that each church was separate and on its own, all believing in the same Jesus, but each governing itself and making their own doctrines and decisions, the same as the protestant model today. Scripture and history shows us, however, that this is totally wrong.

Jesus taught the apostles one faith. He set down one church. To say that after the apostles spread the faith and everyone did their own thing would mean that they took the faith the apostles gave them, kept what they liked, threw out the rest, and went from there, miraculously - however - all confessing the same belief in Jesus. This does not match what Jesus set down. He gave them one faith, and set down one Church. His teachings were not optional or multi-choice. There were many locations, like stores, but they all confessed the same faith and answered to the same authority that Jesus vested in Peter.

“Has something changed, or am I not understanding something? Do I have to come to God via the Catholic church or can I just come to God via Jesus? Are protestants going to be accepted by God? I really want to know what YOU believe.”

All people who accept Jesus and follow His commands are Christian - Catholic or not. The Church teaches that Protestants are our brothers and sisters in Christ, but they simply lack the full unity that Jesus gave us in His Church.

Now, salvation is through Jesus Christ, and He gave us a Church by which we are guided to that salvation, who faithfully preserves, teaches, and protects His truth.

Here’s a good answer to the question: “However, for those who knowingly and deliberately (that is, not out of innocent ignorance) commit the sins of heresy (rejecting divinely revealed doctrine) or schism (separating from the Catholic Church and/or joining a schismatic church), no salvation would be possible until they repented and returned to live in Catholic unity.”

http://catholic.com/library/Salvation_Outside_the_Church.asp

Hope this helps. God bless.

Answer 9

You are right in saying that Jesus the Christ taught us to ONLY pray to the LORD God (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit). Read His words about what it takes to be granted salvation.

Answer 10

Salvation is a gift from God. He gives you the Holy Spirit by which you believe that Christ is God, that he resurrected from the dead (and is alive today) and was born of a virgin (establishing his sinless nature). No particular organisation is sole mediator in this matter.

Answer 11

No, I'm catholic, but a lot of times i go to baptist churches because they are fun and not as boring, but you do not have to be Catholic to be saved. You don't have to be anything to actually be saved. Once you accept Jesus Christ as your Savior, then you're saved, of course you have to believe in his word and live as a Christian. Christians can be Baptist, Apostolic, Catholic, etc.