Catholics, is this what you personally believe?

Question

I just saw this:

"The only way to be saved and go to heaven and not eternal hell is by BELIEVING that Jesus, who is God, died for our sins on the cross and rose again."

In an answer to this: http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=Aj_A_EE2isYnEmoEdegT7KLsy6IX;_ylv=3?qid=20071220084251AAvFEU4

I was very glad to see it because it's exactly what I believe -- with my whole heart, mind and soul.

So ... do you believe this, too?

I just thought some people -- including our friend with the Galatians quote -- might be interested to see how many individual Catholics do, in fact, meet this criterion.

And by the way, this is a sincere question.

But Chris ... this is a matter of personal belief. With all due respect, you said so yourself. I'm sorry if you think I'm lying but you couldn't be more wrong.

Answer 1

No. This statement is incomplete: "The only way to be saved and go to heaven and not eternal hell is by BELIEVING that Jesus, who is God, died for our sins on the cross and rose again."

James 2:19 reminds us that demons believe in God—and shudder. They know that Jesus is God, that he died for our sins on the cross, and that he rose again. And they oppose all that he stands for.

Jesus teaches that more than belief is required for eternal life in heaven. Salvation requires baptism (Mark 16:16; John 3:5), self-renunciation (e.g., Matt 5:3, 10), repentance to obtain forgiveness (Matt 3:2; 4:17; Luke 1:77, 24:47), obedience to God, doing what is right and just (e.g., Luke 10:25-28; John 12:50), adopting the humility of a child (Matt 18:3-4; 19:14), eating the bread of life (John 6:51, 53-54), and endurance to the end (Matt 10:22, 24:13; Mark 13:13, Luke 21:16-18).

Cheers,
Bruce

Answer 2

< Ah, the July 1895 issue of Catholic National - a favorite amongst anti-Catholics. You're not taking a few obvious clues into consideration. The Catholic National is a publication, like a magazine. While it's Catholic, it is by no means an Authority on Teaching Church Dogma. ONLY the Church itself has the Authority to Teach Dogma. If you want to impress Catholics, first come up with something more recent than 1895! Second, quote a REAL source of Church Dogma, not some article in a magazine publication! Now it's common sense time. You know as well as I that the pope isn't Christ. You are also very well aware of the literary device called HYPERBOLE, although, ironically, you are not so good at recognizing it all the time. An example of hyperbole is your claim that you cam provide "thousands" of Bible verses proving whatever. No you can't, not literally. You only said that to make a point, and point taken. Another example of hyperbole, to verbalize the Authority of the pope over the Church was saying, "he (the pope) is Jesus Christ Himself." Obvious hyperbole. Citing actual Church Dogma itself, a much better and far more accurate phrase is used. It's "in persona Christi" - a Latin phrase meaning "in the person of Christ". And no, "in persona christi" does not mean "the pope is Christ Himself" If you're going to suggest that, then please justify your literal interpretation of the Catholic National and your figurative interpretation of Dogma. Too convenient if you ask me. I am always amused by non-Catholics who think they know Catholicism better than Catholics themselves.

Answer 3

i was raised catholic. i have a very hard time believing anything these days. with the way the world is today, it is almost impossible for me to believe any of the stories told to me as a child because it doesn't make sense to me that any of it can be possible. Maybe its because of the lack of knowledge my ccd teacher had but we were made to believe it was all so magical. where is the magic now, when the world needs it the most? how can anyone prove any of this? and if that statement suggest that only those who believe will go to heaven, i thought we were all gods children?!? I'm so confused. realistically, do you actually believe in all of this and how can you? i don't mean to start something here, I'm not being ignorant...I'm serious. knowing all the knowledge that you know now, a week before 2008 - how can you believe? its like believing in Santa, if you believe then he is real...well...what's the difference. and please again, if i offended anyone i am sorry - do not take it personal and please don't write mean messages back - it wont do any good.

Answer 4

Chris, you are the liar.

The Catholic Church teaches this:

Salvation is only by the grace of God through the work of God. (Ephesians 2:8-9, John 3:5,16).

Salvation is through Christ alone (Acts 4:12).

During the Protestant Reformation in the early 1500s, a familiar term regarding salvation was "sola fide," Latin for "by faith alone."

If we take a concordance and look up every occurrence of the word "faith," we come up with an undeniable fact the only time the phrase "faith alone" is used in the entire Bible is when it is condemned (James 2:24). The epistle of James only mentions it in the negative sense.


The Bible tells us we must have faith in order to be saved (Hebrews 11:6). Yet is faith nothing more than believing and trusting? Searching the Scriptures, we see faith also involves assent to God's truth (1 Thessalonians 2:13), obedience to Him (Romans 1:5, 16:26), and it must be working in love (Galatians 5:6). These points appeared to be missed by the reformers, yet they are just as crucial as believing and trusting. (1 Corinthians 13:1-3) should be heeded by all it's certainly an attention grabber.

Paul speaks of faith as a life-long process, never as a one-time experience (Philippians 2:12). He never assumes he has nothing to worry about. If he did, his words in (1 Corinthians 9:24-27) would be nonsensical. He reiterates the same point again in his second letter to Corinth (2 Corinthians 13:5). He takes nothing for granted, yet all would agree if anyone was "born again" it certainly was Paul. Our Lord and Savior spoke of the same thing by "remaining in Him" (John 15:1-11).

Paul tells us our faith is living and can go through many stages. It never stays permanently fixed after a single conversion experience no matter how genuine or sincere. Our faith can be shipwrecked (1 Timothy 1:19), departed from (1 Timothy 4:1), disowned (1 Timothy 5:8) wandered from (1 Timothy 6:10), and missed (1 Timothy 6:21). Christians do not have a "waiver" that exempts them from these verses.

Do our works mean anything? According to Jesus they do (Matthew 25:31-46). The people rewarded and punished are done so by their actions. And our thoughts (Matthew 15:18-20) and words (James 3:6-12) are accountable as well. These verses are just as much part of the Bible as Romans 10:8-13 and John 3:3-5.

The Catholic Church has never taught we "earn" our salvation. It is an inheritance (Galatians 5:21), freely given to anyone who becomes a child of God (1 John 3:1), so long as they remain that way (John 15:1-11). You can't earn it but you can lose the free gift given from the Father (James 1:17).

The reformer's position cannot be reconciled with the Bible. That is why the Catholic Church has taught otherwise for over 1,960 years.




LOL! We hardly 'follow' you around Chris my boy. We just see you jumping over every question that contains the word Catholic, which means you must sit here all day waiting for them to pop up. Silly boy.

Answer 5

Yes. Catholics who truly understand their faith, know that we are saved by the sacrifice of Christ and nothing else. Catholicism does not teach salvation by works, never has, never will. The misunderstanding of many non-Catholics and even some Catholics is a shame...but if they refuse to seek the truth there is nothing that can be done to help them.

Some people make a religion out of hating another religion. Going around making false claims about Catholicism is a form of "salvation by works" in itself. They believe they save themselves by making others wrong...they believe they are saved by their own works. A rather dangerous practice.

Catholics know and teach salvation comes through Christ. We state it in the creed at every Mass. By believing in him, his death, resurrection and the second coming...we are redeemed.

Answer 6

Chris said:
The catholic catechism doesn't believe that. It teaches works for "grace", sacraments for "grace". True grace is a free gift, and you can't buy it with works or "sacraments" (most of which aren't in the Bible anyway).

I respond:
Hum, did you actually read the Catechism? Because that is not what it says on 'Grace'.

Par 1999 says:
Our justification [or salvation] comes from the grace of God. Grace is favor, the FREE UNDESERVED HELP that God gives us to respond to his call to become children of God, adoptive sons, partakers of the divine nature and of eternal life.

God Bless
Robin

Answer 7

It takes more than simply believing in God, and believing Jesus was the Messiah. That is only the FIRST step in being a true Christian. After all, Satan believes in God and Jesus but he is still condemned by God. It takes living a good and moral life, and all that it implies, including following the Ten Commandments.

Answer 8

If someone is Catholic and understands what the Church teaches, then they know that the only means of salvation is through Christ's sacrifice on the Cross. His Precious Blood satisfied the Law's requirement because He was true God and true sinless man. Anyone who accepts His atoning death for their sins has been saved through His substitutional death. We keep our faith alive by our obedience to God in caring for others, and we will ultimately be saved through His mercy and the gift of final perserverance.

Anyone who says that Catholics aren't Christian and aren't saved is either ignorant (in the sense of not knowing something) of what the Church teaches or else chooses not to believe us out of hatred and bigotry.

Answer 9

Yes! This just about sums it up . . . You hit top-dead-center. The guy, Chris, as you spoke of him, takes one line out of context and jumps all over it like a hungry spider on a sick fly. There are many Protestants who do that every Sunday; teaching that their little one-room Church is the only way to the Savior. If he hates someone . . . It probably should be his parents . . . After all, they are the ones who lied to him from the very beginning.

Answer 10

clearly its not catholic as it does not tell us to worshi mary or the saints.


All Kidding Asside, I believe in htat as well as it is through Jesus's devine mercy which flows like a fount, through which we are saved.