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Thagrastay · 03-15-2004, 08:42 AM

This is a thread about Catholicism and Christianity, is that not so?
How then does this thread then extend to the salvation aspect of Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, Wiccans, Atheists or anyone else?
The Thread is about Catholic and Christian Differences!
Look, I don't go to a Bar Mitzvah expecting to pick a fight with the Rabbi about the way he conducts his Synagogue. Why do you come to Catholic/Christain thread looking to start a conflict over the central tenet of both of these faiths? Despite what SecretMethod70 might espouse, He is not the Catholic Church and does not speak for it. in fact, his remarks that God could be either a He a She or an IT pretty much disqualify him form any serious contention in the Catholic or Christian field of serious belief. I would suggest that SecretMethod70 go back and study more and ask some serious questions since there is obviously some doubt and shaky faith there. But I digress.
The point is, According to historical, traditional CHRISTIAN teaching, and the accepted words of Jesus the Messiah Himself, there is only ONE way to get to heaven and that is through Jesus.
Anyone who is a Christian, and by that I mean a person who has made a conscious decision to follow the Messiah as their Lord, has had to search their own hearts and souls and research that aspect of the faith and face that and make that seemingly painful personal sacrifice and Choose to accept that idea and understands that to be the case- Jesus is THE way to heaven.
Where that leaves anyone else is not part of this thread.
Although, to be fair, I will say this- it leaves everyone else exactly where it left me for thirty years when I was doing my own thing- out in the cold. That may seem like a harsh thing to say, but it is the reality of the situation.
Many, many people tried to talk to me about Messiah over the course of my life and I had no interest. I dismissed them as nuts, kooks, Bible Thumpers, crazies, zealots and pains in the neck. I had my own way of seeing things and my own ideas and beliefs and that was what I wanted. I was searching for what I wanted to see and was fine doing that. I certainly didn't need any Jesus.
Until I did.
I'm grateful He was willing to take me in when I needed Him after all the times I pushed Him away. But even after all my rejection and disdain and dismissal and such, He was still there to receive me, and forgive me and save me and make me clean and make me His own.
This is available to everyone that is willing to come to Him as well. So, where does that leave the Muslims and Buddhists and Hindus and Wiccans and Pagans and everyone else? Exactly where they choose to be.
Jesus says those who are not saved will not inherit the Kingdom. That's an accepted Christian teaching. That is why Christians are so grateful to have been rescued By Jesus from Hell and so eager to tell everyone else that they too can be rescued as well. But only Jesus Saves. And the choice is a personal one.
I figure that all I can do is tell a person. That is as far as I can take it. The rest is up to them.
I pray that it takes only one time, but I remember how many people over how many years it took to get the message through to me that I could really be happy, have peace and feel love. I wish that for everyone.
Anyway, please don't get upset that in a Christian/Catholic thread we discuss Christian/Catholic things.

03-15-2004, 08:42 AM	#58 (permalink)
Thagrastay Crazy Location: Handrail, Montana	This is a thread about Catholicism and Christianity, is that not so? How then does this thread then extend to the salvation aspect of Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, Wiccans, Atheists or anyone else? The Thread is about Catholic and Christian Differences! Look, I don't go to a Bar Mitzvah expecting to pick a fight with the Rabbi about the way he conducts his Synagogue. Why do you come to Catholic/Christain thread looking to start a conflict over the central tenet of both of these faiths? Despite what SecretMethod70 might espouse, He is not the Catholic Church and does not speak for it. in fact, his remarks that God could be either a He a She or an IT pretty much disqualify him form any serious contention in the Catholic or Christian field of serious belief. I would suggest that SecretMethod70 go back and study more and ask some serious questions since there is obviously some doubt and shaky faith there. But I digress. The point is, According to historical, traditional CHRISTIAN teaching, and the accepted words of Jesus the Messiah Himself, there is only ONE way to get to heaven and that is through Jesus. Anyone who is a Christian, and by that I mean a person who has made a conscious decision to follow the Messiah as their Lord, has had to search their own hearts and souls and research that aspect of the faith and face that and make that seemingly painful personal sacrifice and Choose to accept that idea and understands that to be the case- Jesus is THE way to heaven. Where that leaves anyone else is not part of this thread. Although, to be fair, I will say this- it leaves everyone else exactly where it left me for thirty years when I was doing my own thing- out in the cold. That may seem like a harsh thing to say, but it is the reality of the situation. Many, many people tried to talk to me about Messiah over the course of my life and I had no interest. I dismissed them as nuts, kooks, Bible Thumpers, crazies, zealots and pains in the neck. I had my own way of seeing things and my own ideas and beliefs and that was what I wanted. I was searching for what I wanted to see and was fine doing that. I certainly didn't need any Jesus. Until I did. I'm grateful He was willing to take me in when I needed Him after all the times I pushed Him away. But even after all my rejection and disdain and dismissal and such, He was still there to receive me, and forgive me and save me and make me clean and make me His own. This is available to everyone that is willing to come to Him as well. So, where does that leave the Muslims and Buddhists and Hindus and Wiccans and Pagans and everyone else? Exactly where they choose to be. Jesus says those who are not saved will not inherit the Kingdom. That's an accepted Christian teaching. That is why Christians are so grateful to have been rescued By Jesus from Hell and so eager to tell everyone else that they too can be rescued as well. But only Jesus Saves. And the choice is a personal one. I figure that all I can do is tell a person. That is as far as I can take it. The rest is up to them. I pray that it takes only one time, but I remember how many people over how many years it took to get the message through to me that I could really be happy, have peace and feel love. I wish that for everyone. Anyway, please don't get upset that in a Christian/Catholic thread we discuss Christian/Catholic things. __________________ "That's it! They've got the cuffs on him, he's IN the car!"