Try:
http://www.samharris.org/
Paul Skinner
-----Original Message-----
From: Declan Fox [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
Sent: 19 March 2007 00:21
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Thinking about philosophy
On being "saved."
Julian
<<No detailed knowledge, but surprised that you say this isn't part of
Catholicism.
Isn't the story of Paul on the road to Damascus a part of Catholicism?
Countless "Catholic" stories of life changing. Wasn't St Francis of
Assisi a bit of a playboy before his moment of enlightenment? >>
yes the story of Paul is the sort of experience I refer to but the point
is that this sort of thing is exceptionally rare in modern-day
Catholicism and is definitely not part of the usual practice or even
conversion. Life changing, yes, does happen, but not in the dramatic
sort of way I have heard some Protestants talk of.
This "being saved" experience is, however, still spoken of (so I assume
it occurs not all that infrequently) in other faiths and I have heard
Methodists, Presbyterians (tho cannot remember which variety) and
Baptists all talk about it.
Seems that the individual suddenly has some blinding moment of
enlightenment and is thereafter destined to be with God. Possibility of
relapsing into a mega-sinful state, for example, seems to be unheard of.
They are "saved", they then try to be good Christians, that's it.
Whereas in Catholicism the whole thing is much more constant struggle,
constant risk of lapsing or giving up and never coming back to the
faith, and while there may have been one or more moments of a fairly
dull enlightenment they bring zero guarantee of anything and certainly
not a promise of eternal salvation etc. Flesh is terribly weak and
spirit not much better, would be the standard mantra among hardline RC-ers.
I really must find out more about this getting "saved" business, I am
sure someone has documented it in some kind of semi-scientific fashion.
Declan
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