tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-932658529918187424.post7234873408419141721..comments2024-01-24T03:22:05.228-08:00Comments on The Lay Pulpit: You Can’t Fix “Stupid”The Watcherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18313770117983560091noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-932658529918187424.post-43749377761923867002017-07-15T15:12:43.324-07:002017-07-15T15:12:43.324-07:00We received the following comment on our post enti...We received the following comment on our post entitled <b>“Catholics”(?)</b> (dated August 27, 2016). But, because all comments must be “okayed” before publishing, we waited until we could write a response. But when we went to publish the comment, it would not “publish” – why, we’re not sure. So, what we’ve decided to do is to recreate it both on that original “Catholics” post and on our current post here (along with our response). Here is the comment “as written”:<br /><br />I don’t know where you get the ideas that Protestants are functional Catholics and that Protestantism says good works don’t matter. Look, I was a Protestant once, and they belive [sic] very much that good works matter, they just don’t believe that good works justify or merit salvation. In fact, it is an oversimplification to say Catholics believe they do. Works alone cannot justify, because no amount of good work by a man could ever make up for offending an infinely [sic] good being like God. Even the tiniest infraction against the infinite would result in an unplayable [sic] debt [we think that he meant to say “unpayable”!] by the finite. Catholics do believe, however that good works have real merit, however inadequate it may be in so far as attaining salvation. I assume the Catholic Encyclopedia could assist if you want to investigate further.<br /><br />That was his comment. Here is our response: <br /><br />Like the hypocrite you are, Anonymous, you <b>WILLFULLY misconstrued</b> what we said in the article. [You sound like Big Don or Checkie!] First, we <i>NEVER</i> said (or implied) that Protestants <b>SAID</b> that good works <i>alone</i> are necessary for salvation. What we said is that they (Protestants) “act as if they are.” The operative words here – for you, that is – are “<b>act as if</b>.” Yes, we know that one must have Faith as well, and that <b>both that and good works</b> are necessary for justification. That is rudimentary “catechism” stuff. Your insinuation that we are “simplistic” (and therefore <i>intellectually inferior</i>) is, at the very least, uncharitable (as well as <i>hypocritical</i>). And besides being <b>false</b>, it was grossly <b>stupid</b> of you. Every SCHOOLBOY knows that both Faith and good works are necessary, so your “insinuation” only highlights YOUR ignorance, not ours.<br /><br />It was <i>stupid</i> of you because you should have <i>understood</i> what we meant, without having to go into your letter-of-the-law grammar school “Catechism 101.” We didn’t go into any such detail, because <b>we didn’t have to</b> – at least for <i>rational</i> people. You must still be <i>Protestant</i>, because you were obviously taking what we said <b>out of context</b> (just as the Protestants do with their Bible – and just as they did to form their “<i>fides sola</i>” myth). And trying to condemn us with your pharisaic letter-of-the-law drivel only makes you look like the mean-spirited scum that you are. You knew EXACTLY what we meant; but, again, you chose to WILLFULLY MISCONSTRUE it. No, we don’t need the “Catholic Encyclopedia” to “investigate further” – but perhaps <i>you</i> do.<br />The Watcherhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18313770117983560091noreply@blogger.com