True but as with the word Catholic, it means universsal
You are being deceptive, my friend. Actually, the word "Catholic" (a proper noun, a legal moniker) refers to a specific geopolitical, legal institution - one with its HQ in Rome. True, the adjective "catholic" means universal, whole, all-inclusive (that is the original and for many centuries only meaning and use) and so I'd fully agree with you that being a believer, you are "catholic" with the whole corpus of believers (past and present, across the centuries and continents): I too believe and confess that the church is one, holy, catholic communion of saints.
My point (which you have both renounced and agreed with) is that when you posted about Catholics (those officially registered in a congregation owned and operated by denomination with the legal moniker of The Catholic Church) believing we are saved by grace, I simply noted that this would likely be misunderstood by your readers, because with Catholics mention "grace" they don't mean what Protestants do, what the majority of readers here at CH do, they mean essentially the antithesis of that. (You later agreed with me there, and also blasted me for saying it). What you MEANT is to agree with my description of the Catholic view (that of your denomination), grace in Catholicism meaning what you later agreed with me that it does. Pretty much the antithesis of what non-Catholics mean by the word. Thus, your original post on that leads to a complete misunderstanding of Catholicism. Now, you CLAIM to be innocent here (a claim I'll let be), and that's fine - I never posted that you INTENDED to mislead, only that you did.
Here's what our Catholic teachers taught us: "God helps those who help themselves." "Christ opened the gate to heaven but you must get yourself through it by what you do." "Grace is like the 'gas' God puts in our 'tank' so that YOU can get YOURSELF where YOU need to be." It's Jesus as the possibility-maker perhaps...... maybe even Jesus as the HELPER .... but the Savior remains the one you see in the mirror. Ultimately, WE achieve it. Now, as I stated, INFORMED Catholics (especially when conversing with Protestants) are quick to add that we cannot do this by our own nature or strength but God HELPS us, empowers us (a point Jews, Muslims and some Hindus stress, as well). But oddly, it's not a point you've made. But either way, it's ultimately self looking in the mirror at self, self deserving, earning, "getting yourself through the gate by what YOU do." And again, this is the result of Catholicism making such a royal MESS of things, confusing man and God, confusing law and Gospel, confusing sanctification and justification....
Now.... to add..... I'm not SURE taht OFFICIALLY, FORMALLY Catholicism has this all wrong. I don 't think anyone knows; on the one topic Christians should be MOST clear on, this is the one Catholicism is most confused about. It seems to have entangled itself into such a blended, confused MESS that even Catholicism cannot determine what Catholicism believes or teaches about this. NONETHELESS, if one patiently shifts through official statements, among the MESS, one CAN fine the Gospel - and in my passionate view, CatholicS often find it (to the credit of God..... in spite of the MESS they are taught by that denomination). But what I KNOW is what we were taught.... you can argue that our pastor, our deacon and all our teachers taught us WRONGLY (and I would not challenge that, I honestly think a lot of that goes on in Catholicism - Catholicism being SO confusing, SO mixed up that it may be NONE actually knows WHAT it really teaches). But the reality remains: I was got we get ourselves to heaven - with HELP. What help? Well.... the Roman Catholic Denomination, the CURRENT list of officially approved "saints" of The Roman Catholic Church, the Treasury of Merits of The Roman Catholic Church, the EXACTLY Seven Sacraments that are owned and doled out by The Roman Catholic Church, and of course by the Blessed Mother who intercedes for us - they HELP us in this long, long process of saving ourselves. You may disagree with that view..... you may affirm that view.... but THAT'S what we were taught. And virtually every Catholic known to me (including LOTS of family members) affirm THAT'S what they were taught too.
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