What does it mean that outside the church there is no salvation?
For some, saying that outside the church there is no salvation is self-evident to the point of being redundant. If all those who are saved or will be saved make up the true church—the Body of Christ—then of course those who are outside the church are not saved. Saying, “excluded from the church” is simply…
What is the Old Catholic Church?
The Old Catholic Church is a group of independent Catholic churches who seek to maintain the doctrine and traditions of the undivided church, that is, the church prior to the Great Schism of 1054. The Old Catholic Church has about 18 million members worldwide. The various groups within the Old Catholic Church emerged at various…
What are the differences between Catholics and Protestants?
There are several important differences between Catholics and Protestants. While there have been many attempts in recent years to find common ground between the two groups, the fact is that the differences remain, and they are just as important today as they were at the beginning of the Protestant Reformation. The following is brief summary…
Are Catholics saved?
The question “are Catholics saved?” cannot be answered with a universal “yes” or “no.” In the same way, neither can the questions “are Baptists saved?” or “are Presbyterians saved?” or “are Methodists saved?” be answered in a universal sense. One is not saved by being Catholic, Baptist, Presbyterian, or Methodist. Salvation is by grace alone…
What is the Catholic view of “invincible ignorance”?
As defined by moral theology, ignorance is a lack of knowledge or instruction that a person ought to have. In the theology of the Roman Catholic Church, ignorance is divided into a couple categories. Invincible ignorance is the Catholic term used to excuse a person’s culpability or guilt for sin based on the condition of…
I am a Catholic. Why should I consider becoming a Christian?
First, please understand that we intend no offense in the wording of this question. We genuinely receive questions, from Catholics, along the lines of “What is the difference between Catholics and Christians?” In face-to-face conversations with Catholics, we have literally heard, “I am not a Christian, I am Catholic.” To many Catholics, the terms “Christian”…
How are Catholics able to perform exorcisms if many of their beliefs are unbiblical?
In movies such as The Exorcist and The Exorcism of Emily Rose—both of which are loosely based on actual events—the demons are cast out by Catholic priests. This has caused some to wonder, if such exorcisms are true, how they could be performed by Catholics, since Catholics are not Christians. First of all, the statement…
What is Roman Catholicism?
The Roman Catholic Church portrays itself as the one legitimate heir to New Testament Christianity, and the pope as the successor to Peter, the first bishop of Rome. While those details are debatable, there is no question that Roman church history reaches back to ancient times. The apostle Paul wrote his letter to the Romans…
What is the church militant?
“The church militant” is a reference, primarily, but not exclusively, used by Roman Catholics, to the body of believers alive and in the world at any given time in history. The designation emphasizes the struggle of the church in all ages to advance God’s kingdom and defeat Satan’s forces. The words of the 1865 hymn…