[Apologetics] Q about Catholicism

[Stuart D. Gathman]

On Mon, 9 May 2005, Dianne Dawson wrote:

> You are dead wrong in your explanation of the Catholic doctrine of salvation.

Thank you for some actual criticism, but I am not clear from your post
what it is I got wrong.

> Contrary to your statement " but to a Catholic, we are saved "by works, and
> not by faith alone" (James)" Catholic doctrine says that we are saved by

Last I checked, the book of James was a Catholic document, "Therefore
a man is justified by works, and *not* by faith alone."  There is also
a lot of emphasis on James' perspective in Catholic apologetics.

> God's grace through faith in Jesus Christ.  It is that faith that spurs us to
> action (works).  Specifically, from the JOINT DECLARATION  ON THE DOCTRINE OF

Yes, I quoted Ephesians which says exactly that next, "We are saved by
Grace, through faith, *not* of works, lest any man should boast."
There is more emphasis on Paul's perspective in Protestant apologetics.

I did not mean to imply that Ephesians was a Protestant book and James
was a Catholic book (yes, I know they are both Catholic books), but rather that
there is not actually any disagreement on that particular issue, any more than
there is a contradiction between James and Paul.

> I think it's great that you can use Protestant "speak" to explain Catholic
> doctrine to Protestants but please get your facts straight on the doctrine
> first.  Otherwise you do more harm than good.

What fact did I get wrong?  Are you claiming that Catholics have
repudiated the Biblical statement, "a man is justified by works,
and not by faith alone?"  Or are we getting into the meaning of
"saved/justified"?

Remember, this is a protestant audience, so the distinction between
"saved" and "justified" is not the same as with Catholics.  The terms
are pretty much equivalent (for Protestans, more so for Calvinists than for
Armenians).

> Next up, the meaning of "saved". :-) Is it time for another class?

-- 
	      Stuart D. Gathman <stuart at bmsi.com>
    Business Management Systems Inc.  Phone: 703 591-0911 Fax: 703 591-6154
"Confutatis maledictis, flamis acribus addictis" - background song for
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