You just cannot help but think you're right about everything... (so sad).
Salvation is seen as a lifelong process.
I'm sure you meant to add... "by the Catholics." But by their own encyclopedia, nothing is mentioned about any "lifelong process."
Individual salvation
The
Council of Trent describes the process of salvation from
sin in the case of an adult with great minuteness (Sess. VI, v-vi).
It begins with the
grace of God which touches a sinner's heart, and calls him to repentance. This grace cannot be merited; it proceeds solely from the
love and mercy of
God. Man may receive or reject this inspiration of
God, he may turn to
God or remain in
sin. Grace does not constrain man's
free will.
Thus assisted the sinner is
disposed for salvation from
sin; he believes in the revelation and promises of
God, he fears
God's justice, hopes in his mercy, trusts that
God will be merciful to him for
Christ's sake, begins to
love God as the source of all
justice, hates and detests his
sins.
This disposition is followed by
justification itself, which consists not in the mere remission of
sins, but in the sanctification and renewal of the inner man by the
voluntary reception of
God's grace and
gifts, whence a man becomes just instead of
unjust, a friend instead of a foe and so an heir according to hope of eternal life.
This change happens either by reason of a perfect act of charity elicited by a well disposed sinner or by virtue of the Sacrament either of Baptism or of Penance according to the condition of the respective subject laden with sin. The Council further indicates the causes of this change. By the merit of the Most Holy Passion through the Holy Spirit, the charity of
God is shed abroad in the hearts of those who are justified.
Salvation has in Scriptural language the general meaning of liberation from straitened circumstances or from other evils, and of a translation into a state of freedom and security
www.newadvent.org
Baptism is not always only of infants.
Never said it was.
it appears odd to baptise an infant as an infant cannot make a decision to accept or reject Jesus.
Only to a Protestant. According to the Catholic it is the Sacrament of Baptism that Confers Salvation (cf. above). There is no "decision to accept or reject Jesus" as the Protestant understands it within the framework of the Catholic doctrine of Soteriology.
Now since salvation is a lifelong process, ...
Repeating yourself doesn't make it true. Where is your source that proves such a claim is believed by the Catholic?
WE'RE DISCUSSING the
Catholic viewpoint. Not yours, and not mine.
My only disagreement comes in with me being an OSAS believer who believes that only when we reach an age of accountability (20) can we truly make a decision to accept or reject Jesus.
The discussion wasn't about what YOU believe.
As requested, I set forth my reasons why the Protestant and Catholic doctrine of Soteriology cannot be reconciled; and now you want to rabbit trail down into what
you believe. No thanks, I think I'll avoid that discussion, save for noting that I guess y'all grow up more slowly over there. The Baptists in America usually quote an age of 13.
To the Catholic Church, though,
your belief is irrelevant. To the Catholic, Salvation is typically conferred upon a person by participation in the Sacrament of Baptism. And if not Baptism, then Penance, or else this thing they call "a perfect act of charity."
You are coming unstuck on the word 'sacrament'. Ignore that for a moment.
Nah... I'll just ignore you, telling me that you understand Catholic Doctrine better than the Catholics do.
The word Sacrament is in their Very Definition, KJ.
Now I rather think that you lost track of the topic here. I had made this comment:
The key doctrine of Christianity is how one gets saved, and there just will be no reconciliation on that doctrine.
To which you replied:
There is no disagreement on that. Why would you say, 'no reconciliation'? Not sure what I am missing.
The only reason I'm in this conversation is to provide support for saying, "The key doctrine of Christianity is how one gets saved, and there just will be no reconciliation on that doctrine" (between the Protestant and Catholic).
And by now, you ought to have figured out what you were missing.
I hope I have been clear in explaining that there is no difference between the Catholic church and all Protestant churches who believe you can lose your salvation
Too bad that wasn't the topic.
As for the others, are you saying that Luther stopped teaching the importance of marriage? Not sure I am following you.
Luther removed marriage as a Sacrament of the Church
en.wikipedia.org
This is the time and space to address it. We are discussing it. I have shared my belief. What is yours?
Nope. Not germane to the OP.
Rhema
