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straw said:
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Young Catholic said:
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Believing in the primary tennets of Christianity is no gaurantee of anything; for there are many fine religious people who believe everything written in their particular catechism or creed but they have not 'saving faith.' Saving faith is different from believing in the primary tennets of Christianity and is the only kind of faith that saves.

If you believe such things- then you have faith, it logically follows. Faith is believing and trusting- no matter what.

Oh I wish it was so easy. Saving faith, is the type of faith one has when the Spirit of Christ is in you. If you do not have the Spirit of Christ you are none of His. Pure mental ascent to Creeds, Confessions and Catechisms with the intent of developing faith is sweet but it is as foolish as a scholar's parrot attempting to speak Greek. It looks great on the outside but there has been no change on the inside of the person. "What good would it do to change my way of living, if everything inside me stayed the same."
(Barry McGuire)

I strongly disagree- if you turely accept Him, you are Justified and if you are Justified- you are one of His lambs and will not suffer eternal damnation.

As to, what I believe is an allusion to the fact that one should not have a purely "text-book" relationship with God, I offer the excellent analogy by CS Lewis (one of my favorite Theologians).


Analogy of the Man in the Desert.

Just in case you aren't familiar with it. CS Lewis was talking once about theology and an old R.A.F officer stood up and said "`I’ve no use for all that stuff. But, mind you, I’m a religious man too. I know there’s a God. I’ve felt Him out alone in the desert at night: the tremendous mystery. And that’s just why I don’t believe all your neat little dogmas and formulas about Him. To anyone who’s met the real thing they all seem so petty and pedantic and unreal!’

Lewis responded and included this in "Mere Christianity" (I think it was MC). He said this- Personal experiences of faith and Doctrines are both important- if one looks at faith too much through a "textbook" point of view- you will be missing something from your religion. Yet, on the other hand- if you rely solely on remembering when the Spirit spoke to you and have your faith based on experiences- you will be missing something as well.

Last edited by Young Catholic; Fri Jun 22, 2007 9:01 PM.
Gloria Patri et Filii et Spiritu Sancti, Amen!

"For I know the thoughts that I think towards you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of affliction, to give you an end and patience. "