Extra Ecclesiam nulla salus

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Extra_Ecclesiam_nulla_salus

Very negative. Awful awful dogma.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

The notion that "if you don't worship my god(s) in my way then you'll be damned forever" is not unique to the Catholic Church, BRTD. Other religions aside, many Christian sects believe that other Christian sects are going to hell because they just aren't getting it right, and many more such sects believe non-Christians don't even stand a chance of going to heaven. Why single out the Catholics?

1-The Catholic church is the largest of these sects.
2-The Catholic church is the only one that likes to pretend that isn't the case.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

Negative, but so what?  Nearly every religion believes this.

Catholicism isn't a religion and most Protestant denominations do not say there is no salvation outside of that specific Protestant denomination.

The notion that "if you don't worship my god(s) in my way then you'll be damned forever" is not unique to the Catholic Church, BRTD. Other religions aside, many Christian sects believe that other Christian sects are going to hell because they just aren't getting it right, and many more such sects believe non-Christians don't even stand a chance of going to heaven. Why single out the Catholics?

1-The Catholic church is the largest of these sects.
2-The Catholic church is the only one that likes to pretend that isn't the case.

Actually, you missed the closing statement.

"for those who are not formally and visibly members of the Church, salvation in Christ is accessible by virtue of a grace which, while having a mysterious relationship to the Church, does not make them formally part of the Church, but enlightens them in a way which is accommodated to their spiritual and material situation. This grace comes from Christ; it is the result of his sacrifice and is communicated by the Holy Spirit; it has a relationship with the Church, which, according to the plan of the Father, has her origin in the mission of the Son and the Holy Spirit."

Ah, but it'd be hard to have a "mysterious relationship with the Church" if you were an anti-Catholic Christian strongly opposed to Catholic practices, right? And what about ex-Catholics? They still have a relationship with the chuch they denonced?

What does that matter? The size of the church doesn't change the doctrine. That's a completely irrelevant fact in this debate.

It makes them far more relevant. There's no reason I should focus as much on some random snake handling sect in Appalachia as I do on the largest religious denomination in the world.

Well maybe they actually don't believe it the way you like to say they believe it then. What J.J. points out makes a pretty strong case against your argument.

See what I said above. What if you're a Protestant disgusted by Catholicism? Or an ex-Catholic?

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

What does that matter? The size of the church doesn't change the doctrine. That's a completely irrelevant fact in this debate.

It makes them far more relevant. There's no reason I should focus as much on some random snake handling sect in Appalachia as I do on the largest religious denomination in the world.

I'm more concerned about a cult with only a few thousand members who oppresses their members and intimidates their neighbors than a large religious sect of millions that today doesn't actively attempt to harm people. It's not like the modern Roman Catholic Church is leading witch hunts and inquisitions like the medieval version did.

The Catholic Church is largely responsible for the AIDS epidemic in parts of Africa and much poverty and problems in South America (though thankfully lately there they've told them to go "f**k off" and started using and distributing contraceptives.)

You must be logged in to read this quote.

See what I said above. What if you're a Protestant disgusted by Catholicism? Or an ex-Catholic?

Not one thing in the paragraph J.J. quoted said you have to like the R.C.C. to be saved. It's pretty easy to make the link - if Christ has given you his grace, then you've got a relationship to his church, which is in this context the Roman Catholic Church.
[/quote]

So even if you're an ex-Catholic? That would seem rather odd.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

What I just linked to the doctrine that says that.

I haven't heard of any mainstream Protestant denoms saying the Pope is going to hell despite his comments about Protestants.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

He made that "deficient" or whatever comment a few months ago.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

Whackjob fundies != mainstream