[quote]Tiribulus wrote:
[quote]Brother Chris wrote:<<< Now, does this mean we get to bash our Mormon friends? No, how about make fun of them? >>>[/quote]How about lovingly declare their pagan false god/s, false savior and false gospel what they are and call them to repentance unto salvation in the one true and living God and His Christ? That ring a biblical bell down in there somewhere? No huh?
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You done with the straw man argument, Tirib? Just wondering, I make a statement that their baptism is invalid and then you go on to try to show us how lacking we are because I didn’t go into full detail of what we have said to the Mormons.
Have you even read what the two recent Popes have said to the various religions around the world? Pope John Paul the Great has some great words for them. Maybe you should learn what they have said and what the Church says before you tell me (incorrectly) what we say, believe, do not believe, and do not do or say.
And, Tirib – I guess I need to make myself theologically clear…when I said we are all children of God, I was not speaking of the supernatural children of God (those with the entitlement to pray the Our Father), I was speaking in the fact that he along with our parents co-created us in his Image.
But, yes I understand the difference between the children of God and the children of Satan when John speaks of it: baptism. Though, that does bring up an interesting point; Calvinists don’t believe that baptism saves you, that it does not regenerate. I guess Peter was talking out the side of his neck, that old Catholic. He was mistaken/misspoke/wrong when he said baptism saves you now.
But I have to ask then. What is the real difference between children of God and children of Satan then? They took a bath while someone said meaningless words?
But, all that doesn’t matter. My point leads up to this fact, our enemy is not flesh and blood. Christians are called to act in faith, hope, and charity (charity being 1st among the three as the other two disappear once in Heaven). Now, if you want to discuss what those terms actually mean…that is for another time.
- I think you broke out the whole John 1:12-13, which you know, I didn’t see coming before I even responded to your request. But, I’d like to point out a few things in case you did, and if you didn’t – when you do.
“But as many as received him, he gave them power to be made the sons of God, to them that believe in his name. Who are born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.”
This verse is very telling, “as many as receive him,” is a little ambiguous though. I had my definition of it back in the day, when I attended a Calvinist community. Meant that some Jewish boy said the same words all my friends did, “I accept Jesus into my life.” Though I do find it a little repugnant to the nostrils that a Calvinist would think he could “accept” Jesus, as if he had a choice, ha!
Later during my stay at the Calvinist community, I came up with this definition: those who live their lives as though they are another Christ, as though they are Christians. Well, that definition left some serious room to be had. What does it even mean to be a Christian. I knew what I couldn’t do, 10 commandments. Couldn’t worship false gods, don’t take the Lord’s name in vain, don’t steal, murder, cheat, lust, &c. But, what did Christians do, they couldn’t be people that just didn’t do anything. It’s a little difficult to identify people by what they don’t do, people don’t do a lot of things.
So, I looked, I found out that Jesus told us that, “Not all those who say ‘Lord, Lord’, but only those who do the will of my Father will join me in heaven.”
What really surprised me though, was that Jesus told us that if we did something we’d be rewarded. That concept was kept from me, even though it was in the Bible. Because we were only saved by faith! Though there was wiggle room to get up higher on the food chain if you had big faith compared to little faith.
My grandma, that ol’ superstitious woman – used to tell me not to use needles for black magic and stuff (I guess she believed in evil, demons, possessions, or something), crazy Catholic lady – sat me down to read the Bible with her (I know you’re thinking, but she was a tough woman and the Catholic authorities would have had a hell of time trying to take her Bible away from her). I had no idea at the time, but the Sunday she came to visit was the Sunday that the reading of the beatitudes were being read during the Holy Mass. Guess what I found out, “Blessed are the peace-makers, for they shall be called Children of God.”
Peace-makers…I thought Christians were Children of God? Thought you had to say some ritualistic words in order to receive him and become sons of God…now Jesus is telling me I have to do something, I have to do the will of God, I have to be a peace-maker, too?
Jesus was guilty of preaching salvation by works, in my book! Thankfully, though, I stopped relying on my weak human intellect and allowed the Church, which is the bulwark and pillar of Truth, guide me and help me form my conscience and help me form my faith, instead of relying on the wisdom of men and relied on the Wisdom of God, which is Jesus and his final Revelation given to the Church, which he protects by endowing it with the Holy Ghost forever, because the Holy Ghost can neither deceive, nor be deceived.
Glad I don’t have to put on the Pope hat every time I read the Bible to figure out what I read, now I can just sit at the feet of the Lord like Mary and let him and his Bride, Our Mother, form my Faith to the Faith and my will to the Will of the Father.
