Mr Bombastic

In one of his recent threads, I disagreed with him, and quoted Scripture to back it up. Apparently, he doesn't like getting Scripture quoted to him, because it completely destroys his beliefs, which are based on Catholic traditions. That explains why he added me to his ignore list. Traditions be damned. The Bible is God's t***h to mankind. We should base our understanding on the Bible alone. Nothing else.

Mr Bombastic

Here is my last reply to him. This is why he blocked me.

That's very judgmental of you. Thanks for sharing. Maybe, you should repent now. Your problem is that you are placing Church tradition above Scripture. A common problem with Catholics. What does the Bible say about salvation?

Romans 9:9-10

9 If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.

Now, my eyes aren't that great, but I don't see baptism mentioned in these verses. Do you?

crazylibertarian Loc: Florida by way of New York & Rhode Island

I detect, in this response, hostility to Catholicism, the original Christianity. From whence comes it? It pops up in this venue from time to time.

I am Catholic & state that those verses are hardly the entirety of what the Bible says about salvation. Perhaps support for our sacraments, including Baptism, exist elsewhere. Jesus was baptized, e.g.

Further, just about every Western religion has markers for our development into adulthood and our journey through life. Baptism erases the stain of Original Sin, the imperfection of being a human being. Next comes Penance, at the age of Reason, followed by Holy Eucharist, followed by Confirmation at the time of entry into Biblical adulthood. Holy Eucharist draws from The Last Supper and Penance from "Whose sins you shall forgive, etc."

There are three others, Matrimony (we regard marriage as sacred), Holy Orders (to enter the priesthood) and Extreme Unction, the last rites before death and judgment, a final chance for absolution. Which of these seven sacraments are contradicted by Scripture?

Judaism has Circumcision and Bar Mitzvah. Lutheranism recognizes but two.

Every sacrament is supported by Scripture and are not simply tradition.

lpnmajor Loc: Arkansas

I agree with the part about the Bible being the final authority. We tend to "read" what we want and ignore the rest though, and that is a blatant sin as well. It still tickles me to see people quote OT scripture to denounce homosexuality, people who would be stoned to death for THEIR sexual misconduct, if OT law was still in play.

crazylibertarian Loc: Florida by way of New York & Rhode Island

Most of those Old Testament laws were changed by the New Covenant.

lpnmajor Loc: Arkansas

That's my point, but some still refer to OT law as justification for their bigotry - even though the New Covenant forbids such behavior.

lindajoy Loc: right here with you....

I'm not aware of anything God instructed as it relates secular belief at all..

God simply is and it is He we believe in.. What is put forth by secularism is just that and what God put forth is more than just that...

Believe in what you do, in the end the only thing important was your choice to follow him, not "how you practice your belief of him.."

Churches are called by all kinds of names: Episcopal, Baptist, Holiness, Lutheran, Presbyterian, Catholic, Methodist, Pentecostal and others. More importantly, the various churches of this world have different concepts of God... Some feel that God is a fierce autocrat who roasts sinners in an ever-burning hellfire... I do not...Others think of God as simply the "divine spark" that somehow started all life but that has very little to do with everyday events and does not care about mankind's "lifestyle." Other than choice in Him..Yet these differing churches all call themselves "Christian"....And they are, just different in concept which has created animosity, anger, and certainly certainly ambiguity of Gods word or understanding of He..

Follow in His light and love.. An agaping love, none can possible understand.. Thid is what I believe and "try" to achieve, period..
No ones choice in church is right or wrong.. All have substance and purpose but it is in and through Jesus Christ we follow our Lord, or creator or energy mass, or however you define him..

Jesus said: "If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the t***h, and the t***h shall make you free" (John 8:31–32)... Again, if you are to abide in Christ's "word," who is really making that word "come alive?" Who is continually quoting—not from the secular writings of this world—but from the inspired word of God? Who is constantly challenging you: "Prove all things; and hold fast that which is good" (1 Thessalonians 5:21, KJV)

No one has a monopoly on the T***h.... and the only t***h is in what you believe.. Church is the moral reinforcement of your very own beliefs is what I believe.. It stands in recognition and support...It gives us comfort to be amongst others who belief, but in the end it is your personal conviction and your choice in Him that is all that matters..

Mr Bombastic

No hostility. Just the t***h. I noticed that you claim that Baptism washes away our sin. That is not what Scripture teaches. The blood of Christ washes away our sin. Nothing else. To claim that Baptism is required for salvation is to say that Jesus shed blood was not enough to save us. That something else is required of us. Again. that is not what Scripture teaches.

Mr Bombastic

God never changes. Homosexuality, in the Old Testament, was an a*********n. It still is. And it's not Old Testament law. It's Jewish law. Laws for the Jewish people.

crazylibertarian Loc: Florida by way of New York & Rhode Island

Baptism washes away the stain of Original Sin, which is the sin of being human, less than perfect and descendants of Adam & Eve who commited the first, or Original, sin by eating The Fruit of The Tree of Knowledge of Good & Evil. The blood of Christ washes away our personal sins. Sorry, it is consistent with Scripture.

The t***h is that you should be understanding of our theology. I will leave it to others of much greater understanding than I, and I submit even greater than someone as illustrious as you, to hash out the differences but understanding it is crucial.

Please see my response below.

crazylibertarian Loc: Florida by way of New York & Rhode Island

OK, so Mr Bombastic, if you are so sold on Scripture, then you MUST, you have no choice, advocate the stoning of adulterers and homsoexuals.

Mr Bombastic

Once again, that was Jewish law. It was for a certain people, at a certain point in history. I'm not Jewish, and those laws are no longer valid. God gave us ten commandments to follow, as well as the Golden Rule. Aside from accepting Christ as our Lord and Savior, that's all we need.

Mr Bombastic

Romans 9:9-10

9 If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.

crazylibertarian Loc: Florida by way of New York & Rhode Island

Oh NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! Hog wash. Nice try at evasion but if you're going to rely on indulgence in interpreting Scripture, you have to indulge Catholic interpretation.

What's sauce for the goose, is sauce for the gander.

I now invite everyone to weigh in on this dispute.

kenvrla Loc: East Tx Piney Woods

OK...Mr. B is correct. But I guess I am not a "good" Catholic, as the Old Testament AND the New Testament are both a part of my beliefs. My belief in God just "is". No justification needed. All one has to do is listen. The path is shown every day.