Catholic Faith Crisis

I'm not writing this to condemn all Catholics as hypocrites living illicit lifestyles. Some Catholics are humanly speaking, good citizens, who try to live a good life as possible. I'm talking about some people who are active in their respective Catholic parishes, carry their Rosary around, attend processions, and they're living life like they've got a license to sin. It really became an issue when some Catholics end up renouncing such behavior. I'm glad there are some Catholics who renounce such bad behavior among their parishioners. However, I do still feel or hear the lousy excuse something like, "At least the person is still religious! He may be having another woman but he's active in the parish!" Sadly, such actions won't help that person living in sin. It's common to see many people in jail who are religious. I'm not saying that every person praying the Rosary or doing other prayer rituals in jail is automatically a criminal. There are...

  Roman Catholics may ask, "Can a person be saved and be a criminal?" I remembered one article from Just for Catholics was called, " The Believing Murderer! " to talk about that. Also, I was once asked to ask my pastor on who is better between a Buddhist living a decent life and a Christian who is a rapist. Christian? Hmmm... maybe Roman Catholic though I don't want to deny that the late Jack Hyles' group was actually mired with sex scandals too. I don't want to deny the existence of the late Tony Alamo's sexual immoralities. I do believe that a murderer can be saved if he or she believes strongly enough but that person will depart from that lifestyle. The Apostle Paul was indeed a murder yet he got saved after Jesus called him to repentance on the way to Damascus. Paul put his trust in Jesus and got saved. So, yes I believe that a murderer can be saved but there will be a major change after that. A rapitst can be saved but can't remain a rapist....

One of the many damning false accusations by some Roman Catholics is that Sola Fide leads to Antinomianism. However, Martin Luther the Reformer had affirmed one biblical truth that while salvation is by faith alone but it's not by a faith that is alone.  My friends the Antinomians preach exceedingly well - and I cannot but believe that they do so with great earnestness -  concerning the mercy of Christ, forgiveness of sin, and other contents of the article of redemption. But they flee from this inference as from the devil, that they must tell the people about the Third Article, of sanctification, that is, of the new life in Christ. For they hold that we must not terrify people and make them sorrowful, but must always preach to them the comfort of grace in Christ and the forgiveness of sin. They tell us to avoid, for God’s sake, such statements as these: ‘Listen, you want to be a Christian while you are an adulterer, a fornicator, a swill-belly, full of pride, avarice, usurious...

While this is not meant to be a rude generalization but I feel that I need to write this. While there are some Roman Catholics who are living good lives, not fooling around, doing the best they can - all that works righteousness isn't going anywhere. Also, what I've noticed is that there are also many (not all) Roman Catholics who are actually living like they've got a license to sin. It's really disturbing how it's often said that the doctrine of eternal security leads to a life of sin. Well, it could if it's taught by an Antinominian. However, eternal security is not taught that a person can be saved and live all they please. It means that a person may not be perfect but he or she is going to endure to the end in the long run. Endurance is the fruit not the root of salvation.  I remembered growing up in a sinful Roman Catholic family. Folks were religious but lost. Many were active members in the parish but displayed several signs of hypocrisy such as wo...