Something like a guarded warmth (Would it matter in the end?)

I'm constantly amazed at how similar both sides of the Reformation sound when talking about the other.

It's not a mirror image, of course, and it's not the particulars that intrigue me, but the tone, and something like a guarded warmth. Some things can appear to be very different but be much alike (a Kindle Reader and a paperback book), or the reverse (the atom and the solar system).

I think Protestants and Catholics, despite stark visual and ceremonial differences, are indistinguishable on the essential Christian doctrines (eg, the Apostle's Creed).

Read this post, and see if you don't agree. Ignore the details. Consider the logic. It's a response to this question: "Why would it matter if you lived your life as a Protestant or a Catholic as far as your eternal destiny?... Why the fuss?"

Jan 12, '15, 11:01 am OraLabora Regular Member

Thread: Would it matter in the END?? Join Date: February 28, 2007 Posts: 5,871 Religion: Roman Catholic, Benedictine Oblate

Both Catholics and Protestants receive the gift of Grace through baptism. What one does with that Grace is another matter. Some Protestants take that Grace and run with it and truly go through inner conversion to Christ and through God's mercy are probably saved. Some Catholics receive that Grace and reject it or ignore it and set themselves well down the road to eternal damnation. By virtue of the Church holding the entire deposit of Truth, it should theoretically be easier for a Catholic to sustain his or her inner conversion, but the sad reality of our fallen nature often means we don't. Yet some Protestants even with the adversity of being in a ecclesial community that only possesses a part of the Truth, manage against all odds to conform their lives to Christ. They are saved through the Church though, because those bits of the Truth that their ecclesial communities possess came from the Church that Christ founded. So it isn't entirely an issue of being Catholic or being Protestant. It's a matter of finding God's plan for you and sticking with it, sustained by Grace. Being Catholic isn't automatic salvation, and being Protestant isn't automatic damnation. Think of it like this. Two people are driving alone through the desert and the fan belt breaks on each one's jeep. The Catholic is prepared and possesses a full tool kit that includes a spare fan belt. He repairs his jeep and can drive off at normal speed, confident he can make it safely to his destination. The Protestant has a few tools, but no spare fan belt. He manages to rig up a temporary solution with a piece of rope he found. He can still make it out of the desert IF he's careful, doesn't drive too fast, stops often to check the repair and tighten the rope... and prays a lot. The Catholic's tool kit includes the sanctifying grace distributed through worthy partaking of all 7 of the sacraments. The Protestant's tool kit includes maybe one or two sacraments, but is missing the rest. (S)he faces a much tougher task. Now take a Catholic and a Protestant again in the same situation, but the Catholic left his toolbox at home (i.e. he's ignored or rejected the gift of Grace). The Protestant, with his incomplete tool kit may, if extremely careful, be able to make it. The Catholic will die of thirst. Ultimately all will depend on God's mercy. The doomed Catholic may get a second chance (someone else drives by to rescue him or in real life will have a really good health scare), and hopefully will learn to not leave the tools at home next time. The Protestant's rope may break and fall off further down the road if he doesn't stop to check and tighten it frequently, and end up in the same predicament as the Catholic who left his tools at home, and may or may not get a second chance. Because we may not get a second chance with the gift we've been given, it behooves us, Catholic or Protestant, to do the best with what we've been given. __________________ U.I.O.G.D. Source >

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