How powerful is a PRAYER?

[Amity 3]

Well, there's being baptized as a Catholic and there's being a practicing Catholic. Sure, you're always a baptized Catholic, but if you aren't practicing you aren't obeying the laws of the Church, which would be sinful and turning away from God. I don't know, but my thought is that Hitler didn't do too much practicing and judging by his actions, he had pretty much turned away from the teachings of the Church and from God.

But, as I've said before, I'm not God so I have no idea where Hitler is spending eternity.

what about people that casually obey the laws of their church?

 

[Fitswimmer]

I was a baptized, Holy Communionized, Altar Girled, Confirmed Catholic.

But then as an adult, you followed a different path, right? In your case a positive one. I know more than a few folks that I went to Catholic school with that are Lutherans, Episcopalians, Evangelicals, Agnostics, Athiests, Wiccans and some are even still Catholic. They were all baptized, communionized and all that too.

Hitler on the other hand followed quite a different path post-baptism. It could also be argued that baptism in the Catholic church was a fairly routine practice around the time he was born, so it may not have meant anything more than a cultural practice.

 

[JennyMominRI]

Hitler on the other hand followed quite a different path post-baptism. It could also be argued that baptism in the Catholic church was a fairly routine practice around the time he was born, so it may not have meant anything more than a cultural practice.

He was like Ed in the sense that he was baptized but never really went to church at all

 

[Saxsoon]

My church at one's confirmation, while not giving a second baptism, does give one the chance at a reaffirmation of faith. To me, I think that is more important than the baptism in itself. The baptism is a symbol IMO for our acceptance of Christ, and sprinkling some water over you at the age of one means very little because you didn't really choose.

 

[Fitswimmer]

what about people that casually obey the laws of their church?

That's between them and God. They might be doing the best they are capable of and only God knows that. It's not my place to make a judgement whether someone is a "good Christian" or a "good Jew" or a "good" anything. My job, as I see it, is to do my best with what I've got and give the rest to God.

 

[pat fan]

what about people that casually obey the laws of their church?

We've had some great discussions on this at Bible study recently. Are they casually obeying the laws of their church or the laws God set down?

Example: Martin Luther challenged the church because when he read the Bible he found that the church had created all kinds of rules and requirements that God doesn't require! Of course he got into hot water with them, but he was right. So if someone is ONLY "casually obeying" man-made laws and not following God and his laws, then I would have to say that no, it doesn't count. (That sounds funny, but you know what I mean).

 

[JennyMominRI]

We've had some great discussions on this at Bible study recently. Are they casually obeying the laws of their church or the laws God set down?

Example: Martin Luther challenged the church because when he read the Bible he found that the church had created all kinds of rules and requirements that God doesn't require! Of course he got into hot water with them, but he was right. So if someone is ONLY "casually obeying" man-made laws and not following God and his laws, then I would have to say that no, it doesn't count. (That sounds funny, but you know what I mean).

The unfortunate thing is,Martin Luthor did not want to leave Catholicism..He just wanted it to make some changes..He was sad for the rest of his life about breaking with the church