Church of Christ's Misconceptions of Catholic Doctrine

Original Sin and Salvation

Understanding original sin and salvation is important in understand man's fall from grace and Christ's redemption of man. The original sin was the one that Adam committed. The consequence of this first sin, is original sin, which is the hereditary stain we are born with on account of our descent from Adam. With sin, Adam introduced death to the human race, not just death of the body, but also death of the soul. Original sin is not an act, but a state of privation of grace. Sin, however, is a voluntary act made possible by our state of original sin. No one ever consents to original sin, original sin is in the soul at the time of conception. Baptism puts an end to the privation of grace, and takes away original sin, allowing us to receive God's grace. This, however, does not prevent temptation or remove the possibility of future sin.

The doctrine of original sin comes from Ezekiel 18:2

Ezekiel 18:2 is often cited as the origins of the idea that the sins of the parents are passed on to their children, and this idea is often incorrectly called original sin. This is not the definition of original sin, and Ezekiel 18:2 does not refer to original sin. The sins of the parents remain the sins of the parents and are not passed on to their children. The children have only their own sins, and do not take on sins of their parents. Often the children sin in imitation of their parents' sins; however, this is not original sin, and the children are only responsible of their own sins. As the definition above explains, original sin is not a sin, but a state of privation of grace. The doctrine of original sin comes primarily form Sacred Tradition; however, Sacred Scripture also makes reference to it: Genesis 2:17; Genesis 3:3; Genesis 3:19; Psalms 51:7; Psalms 88:16; Romans 5:12; Romans 5:18,19; 1 Corinthians 15:21.

Babies that die before being baptized go to hell because of original sin

It would be unthinkable that God would send a child to hell, not for the sake of the child's sin, but for the sake of Adam's sin. This is unthinkable, and likewise the Catholic Church does not teach this. A child that dies before baptism has no actual sin, but is in the state of original sin. This means that they have no sins that would condemn them, but they are in a state of privation of grace. Therefore, there is no reason why God would not except these children into heaven.

In today's world there are many children who die before they are baptized. They die shortly after they are conceived. They are murdered by people that do not even recognize them as humans with immortal souls. These are the martyrs of abortion, and God accepts each one into heaven.

There is no salvation outside the Catholic Church

It is true that there is no salvation outside the Catholic Church, but even those who are not in full communion with the Catholic Church can still be saved. This is because it is through the Catholic Church that all people can be saved.

All non-Catholic Christians are members of the Catholic Church, though not in full communion with the Church. Everything these Christians have that is Christian, such as baptism and the New Testament, comes from the Catholic Church. The more Catholic they are, the more Christian they are. These non-Catholic Christians would most likely deny that they are in truth Catholic, and would also deny that they are subject to the pope, but their denials do not make it so. "If the foot should say, 'Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,' that would not make it any less a part of the body. And if the ear should say, 'Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,' that would not make it any less a part of the body." (1 Corinthians 12:15-16).

As well, those who have not received the Gospel of Christ but share in the belief in the One Supreme God, such as the Jews and the Moslems, are in communion with the Catholic Church through their belief in the same God. All other peoples of the world are in communion with the Catholic Church in their quest to find this One Supreme God, whether or not they are aware that this is what they are searching for.

This does not mean that all people will be saved, but that all people can be saved depending on how they respond to God's call. It is also important to note that being Catholic does not guarantee salvation. In fact, being Catholic means that more will be demanded of a person.