Well, with the quotes I referenced earlier I can certainly understand why they might have thought that was the church's position.
Actually, misinterpretation goes on a lot. Some unknowingly do it, while others do it for their own agenda.
Do they take the same position on Hindus, Buddhists, and Atheists?
Yes, in fact, the Catholic Church acknowledges that there is some truth in all religions.
Okay your article says "This grace was given in the past without means of baptism—and in certain instances it is still given without baptism when people have either no knowledge of baptism or no access to it. Acts 10:45–47 demonstrates unambiguously God giving Cornelius the Holy Spirit (that sanctifying grace necessary for salvation) before Cornelius received baptism. This was after Christ and the apostles had already preached the necessity of faith in Christ and baptism for salvation."
It sounds as if the catholic position is that either you need to be a baptized catholic, no knowledge of baptism, or no access to it. I take that to mean that people who have knowledge of the catholic church but like their own religion are going to hell.
Baptism of desire is what this passage is referring to.
I just want more clarification on the catholic church, not god.
The Catholic Church received its authority from God. The Church cannot declare with certainty who is in hell. The Church can only profess that which it can understand and was revealed.
If all those people are in danger regardless of how good a person they are then I personally feel it's ridiculous. It's exactly why I'm not religious anymore.
People are in danger if they personally
reject their own Savior. What's so ridiculous about that? Remember there is a difference between rejecting Him and never knowing anything about Him. Or even being brought up that Christianity and other religions are all based on myths and so it is psychologically hard to accept Jesus as your Savior. Salvation is still possible for these people. If you don't mind me asking, what is your religion that you no longer follow?
I feel that catholics especially put so much emphasis on rituals that they forget what's important. If there's a god that cares more if some priest dribbled water on a frightened baby than the way that person has lived their life I want no part of it. Jesus was not so judgmental really.
Jesus wasn't so judgmental? He talked about hell more than any other person in the Bible.
Catholics and other Christians put emphasis on baptism because Christ Himself put emphasis on it. He even commanded his Apostles to go out and baptize people. I think you will find this article interesting:
The Necessity of Baptism
Another weird ritual is the sacrament. I was taught that catholics actually believe that the wafer and wine is actually physically the body and blood of Christ, not just a symbol. I'm not a cannibal, why would I want to eat Jesus?
That's correct,
we do believe that we are actually eating His body and His blood because there is a real presence in the Eucharist. No, it's not cannibalism. Here is why...
Your question unnecessarily posits a conflict between a supernatural presence and a substantial one. Jesus is both substantially present (bread and wine really become his body and blood) and supernaturally present (transubstantiation occurs by the supernatural action of God; the accidents of bread and wine remain without the substances of bread and wine).
In consuming the Eucharistic elements, the physical mechanisms of eating injure only the accidents of bread and wine. The process of consuming the host doesn't involve ripping and tearing Christ's body, despite its substantial presence. This is why the charge of cannibalism won't work.
We can still say Christ's flesh and blood are consumed sacramentally in Holy Communion because what is eaten is literally his body and blood, even if the physical action of eating affects only the accidents of bread and wine.
Source
I do understand the tactic from a marketing perspective. A lot religions have to promote their religion as the only religion that will get you to heaven in order to get and retain followers.
The path to God is narrow, not wide. Again, the Catholic Church does not declare that only Catholics will be in heaven. It does, however, profess that it is the true Church established by Christ. All Protestant Churches came after the Catholic Church from which they splintered from.
Every few months I go to a non denominational christian local church that I like that focuses on living well, the teachings of Jesus, meditation, and even has a regular guest speaker who is homosexual who speaks about about their world travels and the great points of other religions they have surveyed.
Yeah, my sister-in-law's family goes there. Those kind of churches have no substance. They serve crackers and juice to represent Christ's body and blood symbolically. They advocate that the path to God is wide, which is not biblical. They cherry pick what to believe in and they are just shy of preaching that your salvation is unconditional. I can see why people find these churches attractive.
I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ.
-Mohandas Gandhi
I'm not sure of the context of this quote but that is not true for all Christians, obviously.
If you really want to be exposed to some thought provoking teachings on how to live well instead rote religious dogma check out J. Krishanmurti.
http://www.jkrishnamurti.org/
Just from looking at the first page I can see it is concentrated on self rather than of God. I'm not surprised.
Re: Does the Catholic Church recognize other Christian baptisms? Yes, they do if they are valid. Most Protestant baptisms are. One of the conditions that must be met for a baptism to be valid is that the person must be baptized in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. As for Jewish baptisms, I don't think they are valid since they are not Trinitarian baptisms. But I'm not sure, so don't quote me on that.
BTW, I wouldn't use Wikipedia to learn about the Catholic Church. Actually, I wouldn't use it all.
