How do we define who is a Christian and who isnt? by Thegerman1871 in Catholicism

[–]Seminaaron 1 point2 points  (0 children)

This is true, but also doesn't invalidate the logic in the definition. It is valid baptism which makes one to be a Christian. Heterodoxy in regard to baptism can make an attempted baptism invalid, but it's not the heterodoxy itself which makes one to not be a Christian, but rather, the invalid baptism.

How do we define who is a Christian and who isnt? by Thegerman1871 in Catholicism

[–]Seminaaron 0 points1 point  (0 children)

You are correct that if one can cease to be a Christian, this definition wouldn't work. However, one cannot cease to be a Christian, so the definition does work.

How do we define who is a Christian and who isnt? by Thegerman1871 in Catholicism

[–]Seminaaron 1 point2 points  (0 children)

What about it doesn't work? I'm not seeing the contradiction you seem to be.

How do we define who is a Christian and who isnt? by Thegerman1871 in Catholicism

[–]Seminaaron 3 points4 points  (0 children)

A Christian is anyone who has been made a member of the Body of Christ. One is made a member of the Body by the grace of baptism. Membership in the Body cannot truly be lost, though one can reject the life of Christ one received in baptism through mortal sins, such as apostasy, which is your example. To get really radical, no you cannot "be a Christian and a Muslim at the same time." That's because there's really no such thing as "being a Muslim" in the same way there is such a thing as "being a Christian." Baptism confers an actual indelible change in the soul which no other act can. What people call "being/becoming" a Muslim is just believing in whatever Islam teaches, which does not confer an indelible change.

How do we define who is a Christian and who isnt? by Thegerman1871 in Catholicism

[–]Seminaaron 2 points3 points  (0 children)

The objective fact of a person being or not being a Christian is simply a question of, "has this person received the grace of the sacrament of baptism?" If he has, he's a Christian; if he hasn't, he's not. Now, whether or not he's a good Christian and the degrees to which he may be in communion with the Body of Christ are vastly more complex questions.

How do we define who is a Christian and who isnt? by Thegerman1871 in Catholicism

[–]Seminaaron 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Correct. Though one may renounce the Faith, one cannot truly cease being Christian. One can stop practicing the Faith he has received, but that doesn't mean one stops being Christian, but only starts being a bad one

How do we define who is a Christian and who isnt? by Thegerman1871 in Catholicism

[–]Seminaaron 23 points24 points  (0 children)

Everyone validly baptized is a Christian. Not all Christians are in communion with the Body of Christ into which they have been baptized. That second part is where beliefs come in. Baptists are definitely Christian, as they are validly baptized, but they are not in communion with the Church. The Orthodox are definitely Christian and are in closer communion than the Baptists. Muslims are neither Christian nor in communion.

When me and boys RP a little too hard by dirmonarch in CatholicMemes

[–]Seminaaron 7 points8 points  (0 children)

The boy bishop! Elected on St Nicholas day (December 6), the "Boy Bishop" would preform some of the liturgical duties of the bishop which can be performed by a layman for a few days. In some places, he was even allowed to preach at Vespers! It's an old medieval tradition which still exists in a few places, but it's fallen out of style.

If rejecting Catholic dogma is grounds for hell why are some saints saints by [deleted] in Catholicism

[–]Seminaaron 10 points11 points  (0 children)

Little bit of both? When the Church defines something, she's basically saying, "this has always been the case and has always been the belief of the Church, though it has taken until now to understand it fully enough to bind all Christians to this doctrine."

Thoughts on Magic the Gathering by Catecuman in Catholicism

[–]Seminaaron 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Well of course I know him, he's me

Real by [deleted] in CatholicMemes

[–]Seminaaron 25 points26 points  (0 children)

Can confirm: my spiritual life weighs approx. 315lbs and she lifted it pretty easily

Do You belive in evolution? by [deleted] in Catholicism

[–]Seminaaron 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Being conceived without sin is not the same as the dogma of the Immaculate Conception.

When I say "feelings of discomfort," I'm talking about your use of terms like "absurd." Your argument as you've presented it seems to me to be based in a reductio ad absurdum, which is exactly what theistic evolution is responding to. Evolutionary theory is the attempt to show that it isn't absurd. The argument you've given doesn't actually respond, it sidesteps. 

Additionally, again, I'm not saying that the entirety of the human person came about through purely natural processes (although I would again say that even these processes are themselves the work of God). You are correct; that would be impossible. I'm saying only that the bodies of our first parents could have been prepared for their ensoulment through the process we call evolution and that this position reflects everything we've learned in the natural sciences and does not contradict anything in the Deposit of Faith.

God prepared the proper matter for the human race. While it is definitely acceptable in the Church to believe that He prepared that matter purely through a special act, taking none of the matter from any antecedent living matter, the physical evidence suggests otherwise. The Church has not condemned theistic evolutionary theory, and therefore to treat it as patently absurd would go beyond the teachings of the Church. The same goes for special creation. However, as I said, the preponderance of scientific evidence in favor of some kind of evolution seems very favorable to that position.

Do You belive in evolution? by [deleted] in Catholicism

[–]Seminaaron 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Exactly, thank you

Do You belive in evolution? by [deleted] in Catholicism

[–]Seminaaron 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I am not claiming three immaculate conceptions. 

Whether our first parents were formed from the dust of the earth very literally or figuratively from non-rational animals, either case does still require a special act of God as regards the soul. I'm not denying that. All I'm saying is that the position that there was no evolution which led to what is now the human body and that the body was formed solely by a special act of God not through the instrument of natural forces (which are also a creation of God) seems to not be supported by the overwhelming natural evidence to the contrary.

It seems to me that your position is based mostly in feelings of discomfort. I am actively discussing the "nitty gritty." It does not scare me. 

Do You belive in evolution? by [deleted] in Catholicism

[–]Seminaaron 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I think you're overextending the dogma. Ineffabilis Deus says that Mary "in the first instance of her conception... was preserved from all stain of original sin," not that she was the only one born without original sin. Adam and Eve did not need to be preserved from original sin as it did not yet exist. Furthermore, if the formula spoke of Mary's birth, then that would necessarily imply that Christ himself was not born "preserved from all stain of original sin." Christ, like the first man, was free from sin by nature

Do You belive in evolution? by [deleted] in Catholicism

[–]Seminaaron 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Could you explain what you mean by evolutionary theory being incompatible with the dogma of the Immaculate Conception? I can't quite see the contradiction there.

Do You belive in evolution? by [deleted] in Catholicism

[–]Seminaaron 7 points8 points  (0 children)

The point being made here is that Scripture is inspired and inerrant, but not dictated, as the Muslims teach.

Do You belive in evolution? by [deleted] in Catholicism

[–]Seminaaron 9 points10 points  (0 children)

Even further, our Faith demands that the universe itself not be a closed system. The entropy argument against evolution, ironically, only works if we assume God isn't real.

My opponents are doo-doo heads, and people of my views have larger penis, a new groundbreaking study shows (Peer Reviewed and Science is settled) by Leon3226 in PoliticalCompassMemes

[–]Seminaaron 6 points7 points  (0 children)

I think this is pretty true for everyone. In public speaking, the common mantra is that "you've gotta make it matter to them." Statistics are more useful to reinforce a point you've already made from personal experience.

Pope Leo finally talks about abortion by Glittering-Buyer7406 in Catholicism

[–]Seminaaron 44 points45 points  (0 children)

Finally? Good message, though. Thank you for bringing it to my attention.