'How can I be right with God?' is the first and most important question in religion if you have ever asked that question yourself then you will realize how vital the right answer is.

Protestant Position
(i) The Old and New Testaments are the only sources of Christian doctrine.
(ii) We are saved by faith alone, not by good works. Good works will result in greater rewards in the afterlife but have no effect on getting saved.
(iii) Only God can forgive sins.
(iv) Purgatory is totally scriptural. Christ's sacrifice on the Cross was the only offering necessary and the only offering sufficient to provide salvation.
(v) "Mortal" sin is an extent of sin not a single sin, regardless of how serious that sin might be.
(vi) The Holy Spirit is Jesus' representative.

and lots more,

Catholic Position
(i) Old and New Testaments including other sources of Doctrine like, certain papal declarations, Bishops in conjunction with the pope, Apocrypha, Tradition
(ii) When a person gets baptized his "original sin" is forgiven and God gives him some grace.  This grace enables him to do good works.  God appreciates the good works and rewards them with more grace.
(iii) There are two types of punishment after death: temporal (temporary) and eternal.  If a person dies with just one "mortal" sin on his soul he will be condemned to Hell for eternity.  If he dies with only "venial" sins on his soul he will be sent to Purgatory, perhaps for millions of years.
Purgatory is exactly like Hell except that it doesn't last forever.  Eventually, the person will be released and enter heaven.
(iv) Catholic priests have been given the power to forgive sins, acting as representatives of the Holy Spirit.
(v) The pope is Jesus' representative on Earth.

and others too,

Now fellow Nairalanders please what can a brother do I mean sometimes it makes me wonder where God is to see such division in his church, there are so many others like the Jehova's Witnesses they do not agree that Jesus Christ is God and there is even the God's Kingdom Society that agree with the Jehova's witnesses that he is not Almighty God but Mighty God and oh before I forget they allow one to marry more than one wife. Bizzare I know but believe me if you listen to all these different groups carefully without prejudice you would notice that they all have justification for what they do from the bible and the basis of these differences I have been able to seperate thus far as,

What is RIGHT?
What is WRONG?
What is NECESSARY?
What is IMPORTANT?

Sometimes its just so confusing that you begin to turn to what Epicurus said
Is God willing to prevent evil, but not able? Then he is not omnipotent.
Is he able, but not willing? Then he is malevolent.
Is he both able and willing? Then whence cometh evil?
Is he neither able or willing? Then why call him God?"

What do you think guys?

Follow Okija.

@ Poster

All you'll get on this thread is the same thing you'll get in any church.
Either they tell you to seek Gods face and he'll tell you the right Church _{(And believe me he dosent show his face to anyone anymore, so that a wasted effort)}, or they'll tell you theirs is the truth.

You forgot about the white garment churches, Eckkists, Grail message, e.t.c

@post

Church is church.

Whether you are Catholic, Anglican, Methodist, Presbyterian, Lutherian, Baptist, Evangelical.

As long as you getting the message of out Lord and Savior and God.

onyinye2:

@post

Church is church.

Whether you are Catholic, Anglican, Methodist, Presbyterian, Lutherian, Baptist, Evangelical.

As long as you getting the message of out Lord and Savior and God.

Do they say the same thing in these churches face it you cannot separate both of them what they teach in these churches matter! common.

Follow God

Follow Jesus

Why are you seeking to follow men

Chrisbenogor:

Do they say the same thing in these churches face it you cannot separate both of them what they teach in these churches matter! common.

You see this is the same as the Islamic faith

They have their divisions

And their divisions have their divisions

And they are basically stating the same message.

Gamine:

Follow God

Follow Jesus

Why are you seeking to follow men

what is a doctrine, how do you follow God please enlighten us , how do you serve God?

(ii) We are saved by faith alone, not by good works. Good works will result in greater rewards in the afterlife but have no effect on getting save


When a person gets baptized his "original sin" is forgiven and God gives him some grace. This grace enables him to do good works. God appreciates the good works and rewards them with more grace.

Do they sound like the same thing to you?

Chrisbenogor:

what is a doctrine, how do you follow God please enlighten us , how do you serve God?

Before i answer these questions, are you a Christian?

Chrisbenogor:

(ii) We are saved by faith alone, not by good works. Good works will result in greater rewards in the afterlife but have no effect on getting save


When a person gets baptized his "original sin" is forgiven and God gives him some grace. This grace enables him to do good works. God appreciates the good works and rewards them with more grace.

Do they sound like the same thing to you?

It depends on how YOU interpret it.

Chrisbenogor:

what is a doctrine, how do you follow God please enlighten us , how do you serve God?

Pick up a bible and read. The era of lazy people just coming here to pretend to ask for enlightenment is over.

Choi

The bane of the times.

The time you are using to ask questions here

You could have invested it in READING!!!

Chrisbenogor:

what is a doctrine, how do you follow God please enlighten us , how do you serve God?

A doctrine is a formulated concept that you can either believe to be true or not.  Frankly, I don't think doctrine has anything to do with serving God.

@post
I'm getting the impression that you are what we call a "Microwave Christian"

You want us to[i] "enlighten" [/i]you on the Word of God

Which really means us telling you and you taking it in

That is not how it works omo

You are going to have to take time to fully interpret

You are going to have to sit down and discipline yourself on reading the Bible.

You want all the answers and The Message to be served to you on a platter ASAP

But omo, you can't receive it that way

and the cat is out of the bag.

@Gamine: « #5 on: Today at 05:34:45 PM »

Follow God

Follow Jesus

Why are you seeking to follow men

Follow God (no. 1), follow Jesus (no. 2)! Its now 2 entities? What happened to 3 entities as in Trinity, sisi mi?

davidylan:

Pick up a bible and read. The era of lazy people just coming here to pretend to ask for enlightenment is over.

which of the bibles? the catholic or martin luthers bible(66 books)? how does he know which is right or wrong since he was'nt around when all the versions where selected and published?

Gamine:

Choi

The bane of the times.

The time you are using to ask questions here

You could have invested it in READING!!!

reading which versions of the bible? which one is he to accept and which one is he to discard? why and why not?

Why do people seek answers in churches and religion?
Churches and doctrines r other men's interpretations  
Faith is all we need

mazaje:

which of the bibles? the catholic or martin luthers bible(66 books)? how does he know which is right or wrong since he was'nt around when all the versions where selected and published?

reading which versions of the bible? which one is he to accept and which one is he to discard? why and why not?

1. Lazarus had no bible . . . he died and went to heaven.
2. the thief on the cross had no bible . . . he died and went to heaven.

Pick up a bible and read, the catholic bible has EVERYTHING in the Lutheran bible and more. Read, ask God for guidance and leave the rest. You dont have to memorise the entire passage to make heaven.

HR.hotness:

Why do people seek answers in churches and religion?
Churches and doctrines r other men's interpretations
Faith is all we need

Faith in what? What is faith?

1. Lazarus had no bible . . . he died and went to heaven.
2. the thief on the cross had no bible . . . he died and went to heaven.

Pick up a bible and read, the catholic bible has EVERYTHING in the Lutheran bible and more. Read, ask God for guidance and leave the rest. You don't have to memorise the entire passage to make heaven.

Beautiful response.

Faith in God

the belief, security and acceptance of his existance and his divine mercy

olabowale:

@Gamine: « #5 on: Today at 05:34:45 PM »
Follow God (no. 1), follow Jesus (no. 2)! Its now 2 entities? What happened to 3 entities as in Trinity, sisi mi?

They are not siamese twins, go figure.

davidylan:

1. Lazarus had no bible . . . he died and went to heaven.
2. the thief on the cross had no bible . . . he died and went to heaven.

Pick up a bible and read, the catholic bible has EVERYTHING in the Lutheran bible and more. Read, ask God for guidance and leave the rest. You don't have to memorise the entire passage to make heaven.

Faith in what? What is faith?

Which of the heavens? the christain heaven or the moslem paradise? how do you know that lazarus died and went to heaven have you ever been to heaven and saw lazarus? its just a belief and it remains exactly that a belief. where and what is heaven? have you ever been there? what makes christainity better than islam? i have seen a moslem on television crying profusley and sharing his testimony saying that he went to paradise and saw the prophet of islam, he was pronouced dead and the doctors that pronouced him dead came on air and corroborated his story, i want to know why his story is false and the story of lazarus right. how do you know he is lying? why is islam wrong and christainity right? why should buddah be discarded and jesus accepted? give us answers not from  your so called holy books because there is nothing holy about them all.

@pastor aio a doctrine is a formulated concept based on what? the rules of football , I mean how can it not be related to serving God, you as a pastor do you think it is right to use a contraceptive or not if yes then thats the way the catholics interpreted the bible if no then you are on the protestant side how hard can that be to tell us why you chose rather than revert to default setting of go and read your bible.
@davidylan the same mistake everybody makes is just pick up the bible and read without even understandin the circumstances with which these things were written, the thief on the cross I would say went to heaven by faith alone while lazarus I would say by his good works what do you believe would save you is the pope your spiritual representative or the holy spirit if any why?

@onyinye served on a platter! I dont need to be enlightened I want to know what you think and why you say you read the bible a lot tell me for instance what did christ mean by it would be as difficult for a rich man to enter into heaven as it would be for a camel to pass through the eye of the needle?
@mazaje you are totally spot on with your questions just why none of em have the balls to answer
I do not know why are people comfortable with just sitting rather than questioning what they believe in if you done so and came up with answers share them with us surely none of you who have read the bible agree totally with both sides what the post is asking is what your opinion is.

@chrisbenogor:
The mind is like a parachute. It doesn't work unless it's open

Dis guy.

It takes time to get some answers

Thats why you need to spend time with the Word and the Spirit
not NAIRALAND!!!!


@Olabowale

you only make me laff Sir, ROTFL

@gamine So it would be wrong for me to sort out the opinion of others in religious matters is that your point or are you saying you will not share the reason why you believe what you believe or what you believe is for you alone.

Of course i will share with you what i have and the truth i believe

but you must sort out your salvation by your self.

Chrisbenogor:

@pastor aio a doctrine is a formulated concept based on what? the rules of football , I mean how can it not be related to serving God, you as a pastor do you think it is right to use a contraceptive or not if yes then thats the way the catholics interpreted the bible if no then you are on the protestant side how hard can that be to tell us why you chose rather than revert to default setting of go and read your bible.

Sir to have a vague understanding of my position I think that you will have to have read quite a few of my posts here on nairaland. Not every question can be appropriately and justifiably answered with a yes or no, or even within the limits of one post. Often the problem lies with the formulation of the question itself. Before a question is asked it is often based on certain preconceptions that may or may not be valid.
That is why a question can often be answered with another question. When the 2nd question, which addresses the preconceptions, is answered then automatically the 1st question is answered as well.

For a start you question 'Who do we follow?' is based on certain Eurocentric preconceptions. First what leaps out at me is the preconception that there are only two forms of christianity, catholic and protestant. The protestants are obviously protesting against the catholics as european history lessons inform us. What about the Eastern Orthodox churches? What about the Coptic churches? What about Ethiopian orthodox church? Are these not christians? I think that you need a clearer understanding of the history of christianity. Unfortunately I cannot give this to you in a small post like this, however I wish you a fruitful research if you do decide to look further.

Doctrine (Latin: doctrina) is a code of beliefs or "a body of teachings" or "instructions", taught principles or positions, as the body of teachings in a branch of knowledge or belief system. The Greek analogy is the etymology of catechism.
Often doctrine specifically connotes a corpus of religious dogma as it is promulgated by a church, but not necessarily: doctrine is also used to refer to a principle of law, in the common law traditions, established through a history of past decisions, such as the doctrine of self-defense, or the principle of fair use, or the more narrowly applicable first-sale doctrine. In some organisations, doctrine is simply defined as 'that which is taught', in other words the basis for institutional teaching of its personnel about its internal ways of doing business.

From here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doctrine

Well, since we are taught the rules of football then I guess that Football too has a doctrine. The human brain is quite a wonderful organ. It can formulate all sorts.

A great example of questions (and quests in general) being based on invalid premises is this conversation between a Zen monk and his Teacher:

Monk: Master, please how do I pacify my mind?
Master: Show me your mind and I will show you how to pacify it.
Monk: Master, I have sought my mind but it does not exist.
Master: There you go, I have pacified your mind.

Re: Protestants Or Catholics -- Who Do We Follow?

We follow Jesus Christ. . . ."Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God." Hebrew 12:2