Opus 5, Are You Catholic or Christian?

I get this question a lot at school.  Our curriculum covers Islam, Feudalism and the Reformation.  I encourage the kids to ask questions.  Sometimes the questions are just ways to try for a tangent.  Sometimes they are invasive.  And believe it or not, there is such a thing as a stupid question.  This one drives me crazy even if it is not stupid.  Understand that in the minds of these kids the two groups, Catholic and Christian, are mutually exclusive.

Why?  Because the Roman Catholics have been taught that there is one true church.  The non-Catholics in my school tend to be either Fundamentalist or Pentecostal.  They also have been taught that their way is the only way.  Neither side understands the basics.  I try not to get too detailed, but they want to know and I don’t want them to sound ignorant in the future.

My first question to the Catholics kids is, “When you go into the church, who is that guy on the cross?”  They know the answer.  Next, “Who was it that died on the cross and rose again?”  Same answer.  “What do you call people who believe Jesus died on the cross and rose again?”  Sometimes a light dawns.  Of course I get the same question a week later.

One of my colleagues is a devout Catholic.  One time I quoted Ephesians 2:8 to him:

(Ephesians 2:8 KJV)  For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:

Then I asked him, “As a Catholic do you accept that and believe that?”  He thought a minute and said, “Yes.”

I am a born-again, Bible believing, evangelical follower of Jesus Christ.  I could never be a Catholic.  But then I could never be a Baptist, Presbyterian, Methodist, etc. and I expect to see a lot of them in heaven.  They may be surprised to see me.  I look forward to seeing the look on their faces when I show up.  I believe that on the things that will take us to heaven we have a certain agreement, they just don’t know it.

Fortunately the final word is up to the Word.  I can live with that, forever.

Theology, Denominations