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Originally Posted by
bfg9000
I read the articles and find them amusing... according to the 1st article you posted, anyone who does good, even though he worships another God(s) i.e. Socrates (who was used in the article as an example) still goes to Heaven, Roman Catholic version?
You should have read the whole article. Â*In Hebrews 10:16, it says that the laws of God are written in the hearts of men and not just of Christians. Â*Romans 2:13-16 ("
For it is not those who hear the law who are just in the sight of God; rather, those who observe the law will be justified. For when the Gentiles who do not have the law by nature observe the prescriptions of the law, they are a law for themselves even though they do not have the law. They show that the demands of the law are written in their hearts, while their conscience also bears witness and their conflicting thoughts accuse or even defend them on the day when, according to my gospel, God will judge people's hidden works through Christ Jesus.") states that their individual conscience will defend or accuse them in the day of judgement according to their response since the laws of God is imprinted in their hearts to be their guide. Â*They surely can differentiate right from wrong. Â*By following his properly formed conscience and heart, Socrates becomes a member of the Church
substantially but not
formally. Â*Let me quote a portion of that text:
He could not know the Church. So he was saved, not by his false religious beliefs but in spite of them. He was saved by faith, and similarly protestants and others who do not formally join the Church today are saved not as members of e. g. , the Baptist church, which some seem to think is an integral part of the one Church of Christ -- no, they are saved as individuals, who make use of the means of sanctification they are able to find even outside the visible confines of the Catholic Church.
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Originally Posted by
bfg9000
What about the commandment that "though shall have no other Gods..."? Ok ra diay to break the commandments AND the teachings of the Catholic Church as long as you do good? So when someone who devoutly prayed to Zeus/Buddha/Vishnu/Mithra/etc. dies, he meets Jesus? Wouldn't he die again of shock? (Who are YOU?!!! I want Buddha!)
![grin](images/smilies/grin.gif)
All those people who lived and died before Christ was incarnated and actually proclaimed the Kingdom - at least, to you - would all have gone to hell. Â*They have not heard of Christ nor knew of the God Christ proclaimed. Â*Okay, let us exempt the Jews on that. Â*So, how many are condemned to hell because they had not known of Christ?
The Catholic Church teaches (as she had always taught) that those who fit the description in Romans 2:13-16 would be dealth justly in the day of judgement. Â*Additionally, such a belief will not fit the mindset of a Protestant.
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Originally Posted by
bfg9000
As for the second article... it was very long and I just skimmed thorugh it since most of it didn't seem to pertain to my previous question. But it does clearly state:
Three conditions are requisite for a man to be a member of the Church.
Â* 1. In the first place, he must profess the true Faith, and have received the Sacrament of Baptism.
Just from that first condition... wouldn't that exclude everyone who hadn't had baptism?
Again, if you have just read through the whole article, probably you would understand. Â*Probably ...
As to your quoted text, it pertains to a formal member of the Church --- those who already know Christ and have accepted the truth of His gospel. Â*Baptism is a necessary part of the formal membership into the Church founded by Christ.