Blissful silence is only a day away! But till then...help me, O Lord,...I asked a commenter this question yesterday: "IF I were to decide to 'leave the RCC,' what church should I go to? What church is the 'right' one?"
Well, Garret answered post-haste and he told me to go here. However, he offered no 'explanation' as to why. He's not yet answered my honest question(s) regarding why the GBC is 'the one' and not the other two churches I mentioned where some friends of mine go, who also left the Interdenom Church we'd all attended for years. The line in 'The Natural' comes to mind: "They come and they go, Hobbs, they come and they go."
Maybe he didn't have time to answer it, in his last comment. Ok. I'll wait. GBC - the only place to be! Maybe they should call me for that "tag line?" I'd not charge them too much... ha ha
Today, with questions regarding the sacrament of baptism, or "ordinance" as they call it, I happened upon this rather ascerbic (in places) Baptist website. I was floored and stunned by their "What We Believe" link! It got me to wondering if the FBC and GBC agree on every jot and tittle of "Baptist" doctrine? It's doubtful, for if they did, they'd be the "SAME" church wouldn't they? If GBC is the "one" "true" "church" then why is there an FBC at all? Wouldn't the GBC be so big it would need ... oh ... I don't know ... maybe ... parishes???!!!
And which came first? The FBC of the GBC? If they do disagree on ANY point or tenet, isn't that a kick in the gut? I don't mean this in any way to be disrespectful of those trying to save my near-hopeless, pathetically Catholic soul in all honesty, but excuse me while I LMAO for a moment. Illogical stuff really gets to sounding pretty darn funny! God love all those trying to save me/us Catholics from the ROMAN WHORE'S slimy clutches and her evil potion-laden, adulterous wine.
I've had a lot of fun with you, Garret. I've respected you, and am glad you came by and left a few comments. But when one is not willing to attempt to find out what Catholics really believe and what the RCC TRULY teaches, but can only beat Her with a 2x4 every chance he gets...it's probably past time to 'shake the dust' off my "e-sandals" and move on down the road. I don't see that you're going to offer me any validation for my own "journey Home" to Rome, as it's not anywhere on your radar to acknowledge that reality of my faith. Either I'm back home in the One True Church, or I'm depending on the GBC to get me out and save me, because NO OTHER 'church' out there among the "thousands" is true or right. None. Only the GBC can be if the RCC is not. Logic dictates that.
It matters in the end where we go, and do belong and what we believe, even about the "basics" of Christianity after all. The "church" with ALL TRUTH is either the GBC, or it is the RCC.
I will live for and I hope I would die for (with God's grace I pray, should it ever come to that) my belief that it is the RCC that Jesus established as HIS Church, built on Peter, Garret. But thank you. I don't know if you'll go to the links I gave you in my last comment, or not, but I hope you will.
IF I persevere to the end of the race and remain IN Christ, (as conditioned by Jesus in St. John 15:4 and other places) I'll one day 'be saved' and of that I AM confident and DO have such great and blessed HOPE. One wouldn't have to be told to "remain" in Jesus, if he's never in any danger of "not" remaining, would he? But the warnings don't refer to 'retention' of salvation, or so I've been told. We didn't earn it and "by golly" we can't lose it! THAT makes not one WHIT of sense!! To "remain" sounds like there's a little bit of willingness on our part that needs to be there. We need to "obey" the Lord and His Will for us, WITH our 'cooperation' (via God's generous initiative of mercy/grace assisting us, of course) because that is what is required of us, so we can one day be in Paradise and enjoy the Beatific Vision for all eternity. Otherwise, why have any laws, rules at all? Seriously. God's constantly running to us, even while a long way down the road toward [Home] but we "do have to get up and walk" to get to those waiting arms, not far, but at least 'one step' which is a 'work' or 'evidence' of our faith. Then hopefully we'll finally arrive in Heaven, with a new glorified body and perfected soul, to rest in our being 100% saved without a chance of sinning and being lost.
"I was saved." "I'm being saved." AND.... "I hope to be saved." That's the Catholic way. That's God's way, not man's.
Yeah...Color me ready!
And that my friend is all I've got.
Yours,
A~ JOYFUL ~ little "papist"
2 comments:
Hi Joyful Catholic-
Have a great retreat, I'll read those links, and reply at some point.
I do, and have made an effort to learn the RC doctrine, and will continue to do so.
Just so you know, I've been to many masses, including a few masses at the Vatican. I've talked to liberal priests and conservative ones, I've read many articles, many complete books of the Church Fathers, many entries in the CC, etc- so I am not coming from a place where I feel at liberty to just make stuff up without seeing what your side of the river teaches and believes.
Part of the problem is, for instance- if you learn about purgatory from Roman Catholics from 100-200 years ago, you will run into being told that you don't understand purgatory today- it happened to James White in his debate, see the link I gave on my blog to the debate and post debate reply. James was blown off as an ignorant protestant, but is quoting popes and RC scholars of the last 200 years who were clearly teaching the stance he portrayed! For instance, the modern notion that Purgatory is not temporal, versus the older version that clearly teaches that you will suffer for decades or even centuries while purgation happens. So which pope do I believe, the one who says purgation is NOT temporal, or the one who says you will suffer for decades without respite? Different topic -Which of the several accepted but incompatible views on free will do I accept in the RCC- Augustinian, Thomist or Molinism? Your Church allows for many different views under one roof, so the objection about different denominations and their theological differences is meaningless, as the RCC has theological chaos and confusion in its halls as well.
God bless,
Garret
There are 22 different 'rites' in the RCC, too. That's what's cool, the real cultural "diversity" with out being a PC diversity for the sake of PCness, like many Protestant denoms. (though there are those "leftists" who long for "hope and change" to "transform the Church." Not gonna happen. My former Methodist Church, though, bought into the PC madness to the max... I don't even recognize it anymore! See my comment above under the JMT's, Only In God. Blessings. JOYful
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