Catholics are the one true religion? (Was Re: Recycling subject lines saves trees)

[Luke -Jr]

On Wednesday 12 March 2008, James Sissel wrote:
>   Luke -Jr <luke at dashjr.org> wrote:
> Matt 16:18, Our Lord appoints St. Peter to be the first pope and promises
> that that Satan will never at any time prevail over the Church.
>
Matthew 16:18 And I say to thee: That thou art Peter; and upon this rock I
              will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail
              against it.

>   Funny, I don't see the word Pope in there, nor Catholic.

18 "Thou art Peter"... As St. Peter, by divine revelation, here made a solemn 
profession of his faith of the divinity of Christ; so in recompense of this 
faith and profession, our Lord here declares to him the dignity to which he 
is pleased to raise him: viz., that he to whom he had already given the name 
of Peter, signifying a rock, St. John 1. 42, should be a rock indeed, of 
invincible strength, for the support of the building of the church; in which 
building he should be, next to Christ himself, the chief foundation stone, in 
quality of chief pastor, ruler, and governor; and should have accordingly all 
fulness of ecclesiastical power, signified by the keys of the kingdom of 
heaven. 

 18 "Upon this rock"... The words of Christ to Peter, spoken in the vulgar 
language of the Jews which our Lord made use of, were the same as if he had 
said in English, Thou art a Rock, and upon this rock I will build my church. 
So that, by the plain course of the words, Peter is here declared to be the 
rock, upon which the church was to be built: Christ himself being both the 
principal foundation and founder of the same. Where also note, that Christ, 
by building his house, that is, his church, upon a rock, has thereby secured 
it against all storms and floods, like the wise builder, St. Matt. 7. 24, 25. 

 18 "The gates of hell"... That is, the powers of darkness, and whatever Satan 
can do, either by himself, or his agents. For as the church is here likened 
to a house, or fortress, built on a rock; so the adverse powers are likened 
to a contrary house or fortress, the gates of which, that is, the whole 
strength, and all the efforts it can make, will never be able to prevail over 
the city or church of Christ. By this promise we are fully assured, that 
neither idolatry, heresy, nor any pernicious error whatsoever shall at any 
time prevail over the church of Christ. 

> Mark 16:15, Christ gives the Church a mandate to teach the world, and makes
> mention of signs to identify His Church (for example, only
> Catholics can cast our demons)
>
>   Really?  Only Catholics can do that?  Or maybe a better question should
> be "Can Catholics really do that?"  What proof do you have that *anybody*
> can or can't do that?  Or for that matter, what proof do you have demons
> even exist?

There are many well documented and witnessed exorcisms, and in some cases of 
demonic possession the possessed person has demonstrated supernatural 
abilities.

http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/12315a.htm

> >Acts 2, Christ sends the Holy Ghost to the apostles, making them the
> > Church's first Bishops.
>
>   Bishops?  I don't recall seeing that word.

My description is of what occured, not the literal text.
You can obviously look up the literal text yourself.

> >Acts 15:1, The first council (the Council of Jerusalem) addresses the
> > first heresy (Judaizers), and eventually St. Peter uses his papal
> > authority, accepted by all present, to give a final resolution.
>
>   Papal authority?  Where does it say that?  Or where does it say he's
> actually got *any* "authority"?

Right, so when St. Peter in the middle of a lot of disputing interrupts and 
proclaims a decision, and nobody questions him... they all just got tired of 
arguing, or what? Clearly, the only way the described event was even possible 
was that all present recognized that St. Peter was not to be questioned upon 
coming to a conclusion.

>   None of the claims of papal primacy, infallibility, pre-eminence,
> jurisdiction, etc. have any reliable foundation in the New Testament. Nor
> were they assumed to be the right of the Roman bishop in the first
> centuries of the Church. They are later inventions.
>
>   http://jmgainor.homestead.com/files/PU/Scr/mt16.htm

"The Church of God which sojourns in Rome to the Church of God which sojourns 
in Corinth....If anyone disobey the things which have been said by Him 
through us, let them know that they will involve themselves in transgression 
and in no small danger." Pope Clement of Rome [regn. c A.D.91-101], 1st 
Epistle to the Corinthians, 1,59:1 (c. A.D. 96).

>   Besides, all of this is from the New Testiment.  Ask the Jews what they
> think of the New Testiment.  So unless you have actual proof from God
> himself all of this is man's faith in what he believes. 

Christ Himself provided this proof:
Matt 12:24-26 "But the Pharisees hearing it, said: This man casteth not out
               the devils but by Beelzebub the prince of the devils. And Jesus
               knowing their thoughts, said to them: Every kingdom divided
               against itself shall be made desolate: and every city or house
               divided against itself shall not stand. And if Satan cast out
               Satan, he is divided against himself: how then shall his
               kingdom stand?"

> So what makes what you believe right and what I believe wrong? 

Nothing "makes" things right or wrong. They just *are* right or wrong.
Only the Catholic Church has supernatural proof of its legitimacy.

Since truth never changes, it follows that any religion which changes its 
beliefs is inherently false. What other religion has held to the exact same 
doctrine for nearly 2000 years?

> And therefore, what gives anyone the right to force their beliefs on anyone?

God gives all rights, and He has not granted anyone else the right nor ability 
to force beliefs. Morality, however, is another issue, and it is the 
responsibility of our civil authorities to enforce it. And the Church has not 
only the right, but a mandate to teach all. After all, if you are not 
presented with the truth in the first place, how could you make a decision to 
accept or reject it?