blhowes
Puritan Board Professor
Help Me Prove I\'m Destined For Hell (according to...)
Its mind boggling how prevalent the ecumenical movement is. Protestant and evangelical churches that purport to preach and teach the doctrines of grace and salvation through faith in Christ alone, lay that aside at Easter, and a few key times during the year, and join with the catholic church in an ecumenical 'worship' service. Educated elders and pastors, some with advanced theological degrees, lead their congregations to join with father whoever and his local parish in joint worship. Can anybody tell me what's wrong with this scenario?
After listening to Greg Bahnsen's sermon The Road to Rome, I was mindful of just how different the reformed teachings, or many other evangelical churches for that matter, are from the teachings of the catholic church. Its not like we're just brothers in Christ with different opinions, but Rome has drawn a line in the sand through its decrees and dogma and declared those who don't believe as they do to be anathama. That's pretty heavy stuff there.
There are many reasons not to join or fellowship with the catholic church, but I'd like to focus on just one of them - their attitude towards me, or what their attitude should be towards me, because of my beliefs and their dogma. This may sound like a strange request, but I'd like you to help me prove, if its true, that I'm destined for hell...that is, according to the catholic church.
I dusted off a book I got from a local catholic bookstore years ago called "Dogmatic Canons and Decrees of The Council of Trent and Vatican Council I plus The Decree on the Immaculate Conception and The Syllabus of Errors of Pope Pius IX" (catchy title). Here are a couple of quotes:
I could of course have posted so many more dogmatic canons and decrees, but I think I've posted enough to officially to show that, according to the catholic church, I'm condemned and anathema.
I don't know (care) loads about the catholic church, but my understanding is that these canons and decrees are the official position of the catholic church that cannot be changed (apart from repentance, etc). Are these considered to be 'infallible' decrees? If I fit the bill for these or so many other anathamatic (that's probably not a word) dogmatic canons and decrees, am I in jeopardy of spending eternity in hell?
Some have said that the catholic church has changed and doesn't believe these things anymore. Due to the infallible nature of the decrees, do they have the option of changing?
[Edited on 3-25-2006 by blhowes]
Its mind boggling how prevalent the ecumenical movement is. Protestant and evangelical churches that purport to preach and teach the doctrines of grace and salvation through faith in Christ alone, lay that aside at Easter, and a few key times during the year, and join with the catholic church in an ecumenical 'worship' service. Educated elders and pastors, some with advanced theological degrees, lead their congregations to join with father whoever and his local parish in joint worship. Can anybody tell me what's wrong with this scenario?
After listening to Greg Bahnsen's sermon The Road to Rome, I was mindful of just how different the reformed teachings, or many other evangelical churches for that matter, are from the teachings of the catholic church. Its not like we're just brothers in Christ with different opinions, but Rome has drawn a line in the sand through its decrees and dogma and declared those who don't believe as they do to be anathama. That's pretty heavy stuff there.
There are many reasons not to join or fellowship with the catholic church, but I'd like to focus on just one of them - their attitude towards me, or what their attitude should be towards me, because of my beliefs and their dogma. This may sound like a strange request, but I'd like you to help me prove, if its true, that I'm destined for hell...that is, according to the catholic church.
I dusted off a book I got from a local catholic bookstore years ago called "Dogmatic Canons and Decrees of The Council of Trent and Vatican Council I plus The Decree on the Immaculate Conception and The Syllabus of Errors of Pope Pius IX" (catchy title). Here are a couple of quotes:
If anyone saith that a man who is born again and justified is bound of faith to believe that he is assuredly in the number of the predestinate; let him be anathema.
If anyone denieth that, in the sacrament of the most holy Eucharist, are contained truly, really, and substantially, the body and blood together with the soul and divinity of our Lord Jesus Christ, and consequently the whole Christ; but saith that He is only therein as in a sign, or in figure, or virtue; let him be anathema.
If anyone saith either that the principal fruit of the most holy Eucharist is the remission of sins, or that the effects do not result therefrom; let him be anathema.
If anyone saith that God always remits the whole punishment together with the guilt, and that the satisfaction of penitents is no other than the faith whereby they apprehend that Christ has satisfied for them; let him be anathema.
(regarding the Immaculate Conception):
...We pronounce, declare nad dfine, unto the glory of the holy and indivisible Trinity, the honour and ornament of the holy virgin, the Mother of God, for the exaltation of the Catholic Faith and the increase of the Christian religion by the authority of Our Lord Jesus Christ and the blessed Apostles Peter and Paul, and in Our own authority, that the doctrine which holds the Blessed Virgin Mary to have been, from the first moment of hier conception, by a singular grace and privilege of Almighty God, in view of the merits of Christ Jesus the Saviour of mankind, preserved free from all stain of original sin, was revealed by God, and is, therefore, to be firmly and constantly believed by all the faithful. Therefore, if some should presume to think in their hearts otherwisethan We have defined (which God forbid), they shall know and throughly understand that they are by their own judgment condemned, have made shipwreck concerning the Faith, and fallen away from the unity of the Church...
I could of course have posted so many more dogmatic canons and decrees, but I think I've posted enough to officially to show that, according to the catholic church, I'm condemned and anathema.
I don't know (care) loads about the catholic church, but my understanding is that these canons and decrees are the official position of the catholic church that cannot be changed (apart from repentance, etc). Are these considered to be 'infallible' decrees? If I fit the bill for these or so many other anathamatic (that's probably not a word) dogmatic canons and decrees, am I in jeopardy of spending eternity in hell?
Some have said that the catholic church has changed and doesn't believe these things anymore. Due to the infallible nature of the decrees, do they have the option of changing?
[Edited on 3-25-2006 by blhowes]