Why do people keep saying the Catholic Church teaches salvation by works?

Question

I know that Fundamentalists do not like to be bothered with actual "facts", but every once in a while I have to throw a few out there when I see posts full of errors.

Here is what the church teaches regarding grace, justification, and works:

CCC 1996: "Our justification comes from the grace of God. Grace is favor, the free and undeserved help that God gives us..."

CCC 2010: "Since the initiative belongs to God in the order of grace, no one can merit the initial grace of forgiveness and justification..."

CCC 1992: "Justification has been merited for us by the Passion of Christ who offered himself on the cross as a living victim, holy and pleasing to God, and whose blood has become the instrument of atonement for the sins of all men."

Catholics do NOT believe in justification by works apart from Christ. As usual, the Catechism (CCC) is out there for all to see, but people would rather parrot anti-Catholic rhetoric then bother to actually read what the Church teaches - and I don't mean read what the Church teaches according to Jimmy Swaggart or Jack Chick, I mean. mean read what the Church teaches according to the Church.

I hope this clears things up a little. Comments are welcome. Email me more questions if you have them. You might want to read this link to:
http://www.catholic.com/thisrock/1999/9911fea1.asp

God bless. Let's see some comments....

*side note: When Paul speaks about "law", the Jewish word for that is "Torah". So what he is really saying is that works of the Torah will not save you. But, works done by the grace of God do have a redemptive value and are meritorious, although they too, alone, cannot save you.

To "sissy": It is Jesus who sais "do this in memory of me". We are just doing what he told us to do

Answer 1

I think it is because we work so hard to make the world a better place they "think" we believe in salvation by works.

Answer 2

All the rhetoric aside, God is sovereign and all powerful.

Nobody can force God to save them, by any means, so salvation will ALWAYS remain a free gift.

That said, works are required to keep God's law of love, for faith without works is not only "dead" ... it is also decidely NOT Christian.

Catholics have ALWAYS understood this.

Protestants make an issue of it in a vain attempt to gain some sort of advantage over Catholics, or to portray the Catholic church in a bad light ... but in the end, it just makes protestants appear to be ignorant.

Perhaps those who choose to believe lies, really are.

Answer 3

each and all of the rhetoric aside, God is sovereign and all effectual. no one can tension God to maintain them, by utilising any skill, so salvation will consistently proceed to be a loose present. That reported, works are required to maintain God's regulation of affection, for faith devoid of works isn't in common terms "lifeless" ... it is likewise decidely no longer Christian. Catholics have consistently understood this. Protestants make a controversy of it in a ineffective attempt to learn some sort of benefit over Catholics, or to portray the Catholic church in a foul easy ... yet interior the tip, it basically makes protestants seem to be ignorant. possibly people who elect to have faith lies, extremely are.

Answer 4

The Catholic Church teaches salvation by works because they have the SOLE AUTHORITY to do so!

It has the authority because it has the successor of Peter, the Pope, it has 2000 years of tradition and most of all, it is the One True Church established by Jesus.

My question to our protestant friends out there is "Who gave the authority to their pastors to interpret scriptures?" The reason for the growing number of denominations (I believe it has reached over 33,000) is people kept on giving their own interpretation of scriptures. And this has caused division and chaos to Christians.

For any well-ordered governments, there is a constitution and there is also a governing body who interprets it. Like here in the US, the body who interprets it is the Supreme Court. Just imagine the chaos if every citizen here just gave their own interpretation of the constitution.

I hope and pray that our Protestant brothers and sisters would just humble themselves and go back to Church history.

"To be deep in history is to cease to be Protestant."
- Cardinal Newman

Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam

Answer 5

This should be interesting.

Although I disagree with your belief in religion, I do agree that Catholicism is as close to Christianity as Protestantism.

Midge give a perfect glimpse into the mind of a true believer in her response, as you often do with yours.

At the end of the day, arguing about religious doctrine is much the same as arguing over which color is the best. There are no 'right' answers because the bible is purely open to personal interpretation, which clearly varies greatly.

Answer 6

Oh boy there you go giving people the correct information let's see how those mean little fundies respond. Not that it takes to much imagination or vocabulary to figure that out.

Answer 7

Works can't save us. Repenting of sins to other people won't save us.

The only thing that will save us is if we receive the atonement for our sins. Jesus said, "It is finished!" on the cross. He paid the price for the worlds sins, once & for all. We could never be good enouph. All have sinned & come short of Gods glory.

So? We are saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ, the Son of the Living God. By being born again, born of His Spirit, cleansed by His blood, joint heirs with King Jesus & part of the family of God.

Because once one is born of His Spirit, is spiritual & is made the righteousness of Christ. To Father God, the baby Christian is just as righteous as the mature Christian of 20 years. Because both are made the rigteousness of Christ. We can't do or not do anything to change that.

It is true that we save for ourselves eternal rewards, depending on what we build on the Rock foundation, Jesus Christ. For our house will be tested by fire, & what is perishable will fry & what is everlasting is eternal rewards. But what ever happens, even if the whole house burns down, the person is still on the Rock foundation & still a child of the living God. Jesus knows this child & this child will go to heaven.

But then also we save our souls from conscequences of wrong decisions today. To be in health & prosper as our soul prospers. We need to choose to die to lust of the flesh (not reacting by cussing, yelling, etc.) but to make the soul choice to follow after the Spirit (faith, hope, love, joy, peace, patience, etc..) The Holy Spirit won't force us. We have to chose to.

Answer 8

protestants want to show catholics are damned to hell by differences in doctrine. protestants believe they can sit on their butts and go to heaven cuz they believe it's done by faith and catholics actually get out there and do the lords' work. the lazy protestants claim the hard working catholics are going to hell for working their faith.

Answer 9

it doesn't matter what you say they will believe what they want to believe because they have something like "scales" wrapped around their eyes. What has scales other than fish?---serpents

Answer 10

Because they carnally assume acts which are not even mention of the Bible. And they pray to saint, which is not faithing in God, it's faithing in saints. And then they try to come after Protestants like we are unofficial, and like they are 'official.'

The tendency to promote Catholicism instead of the Gospel is the reason why I think that they might have some things right, but they allow too many ( one is too many as well ) ways for fellow Roman Catholics to be misled into thinking that there is 'love' that is the way and not Jesus Christ.