[Apologetics] Purgatory is key issue

[Stephen Korsman]

Hi

> They could reasonably claim that I am mis-representing the Catholic 
> position (and I have gotten that on occasion - those Catholics are tricky, 
> they pretend to use words in a different way just to deceive you!).

That's something I've had a lot of.  Especially with purgatory, and 
worshipping Mary.  It's because of that that I've been accused of being a 
Jesuit spy, and other laughable things.  Often they'll find a website that 
uses the word "worship" or claims that we atone for our sins, and won't 
acknowledge that the use of the words "worship" and "atone" are not used in 
their way.

God bless,
Stephen

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Stuart D. Gathman" <stuart at gathman.org>
To: <apologetics at gathman.org>
Sent: Thursday, April 10, 2008 4:57 PM
Subject: [Apologetics] Purgatory is key issue


>I think the purgatory issue is the key to ending the Catholic and 
>Evangelical straw-man massacre.  Evangelicals will repeat the doctrine of 
>purgatory over and over again in their own words, but continue to denounce 
>the Catholic doctrine - even when presented with the same vocabulary! There 
>really is a suspension of reason.  They could reasonably claim that I am 
>mis-representing the Catholic position (and I have gotten that on 
>occasion - those Catholics are tricky, they pretend to use words in a 
>different way just to deceive you!).  But instead there is a cognitive 
>dissonance with affirming a doctrine when attributed to Evangelicals, but 
>denouncing the same doctrine with same words and same scriptures when 
>attributed to Catholics.  Amazing.  They really believe that "all Catholic 
>doctrines are unbiblical - even the ones I agree with".  Pressing on the 
>contradiction tends to make them prefer heresy (God never disciplines true 
>believers) to admitting that they might agree with Catholics on just a few 
>points.
>
> Sugarman just hit me a slow high return just asking for a slam dunk:
> "The bottom line is if no doctrine can be back up by scripture then its 
> not true."  Boy could I have fun with that.  But I'll restrain myself. 
> I'll just lament with the Professor in Narnia: "Logic!  What do they teach 
> in schools these days?"  It may be that apologetics is useless without an 
> introductory logic course first.  It may be better to just quote a few 
> scriptures and leave it alone.
>
> -- 
>        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
> a Microsoft sponsored "Where do you want to go from here?" commercial.
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