My Amazing Encounters with Jesus Christ

And he was powerless to stop it?

There are people who claim to have seen with their naked eyes, such things as the Loch Ness Monster, Fairies, Bigfoot, Reptilian humanoids, UFOs, Grey aliens and any number of other things. Should we believe them all just because they say they saw something?

Why did you post a link to a cartoon of the President? When has he ever said anything like this?

What I understand of Catholic theology, almost all souls arrive out of this life in what they call “Purgatory”. Some may have an opportunity to achieve redemption which had not been offered to them in the prehereafter. It might be possible for, say, Pol Pot, or a priestly pederast to get into heaven, but it would be a very high bar for them to get over. And I think some souls may spend eternity in that vestibular place, waiting for their number to be called.

This deeply Protestant idea that a single, one-time profession of belief and fidelity is sufficient to salvation is, IMO, an immature and naive one. It does not account for the context of Romans 10 as a whole, nor even of the entirety of Romans. It does not delve into the original sense of the words used, which imply not a one-time event but an ongoing one. Ongoing, persistent confession and belief is fundamentally indistinguishable from any definition of worship.

Regardless, watchwolf49 has it exactly right:

ScottRP, you see through a glass darkly. So do I. But I know I am in darkness, whereas you believe you see clearly. You are wrong, and in your delusion you serve not the Christ but His opposite. I’m not a praying man, but I do hope and fervently wish that you find a way to focus on love, “the greatest of these,” and not on your own greatness.

According to the Catholic Bible Dictionary, “Lucifer was a name commonly given to Satan.”

Revelations 12:9. So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.

All he had to do was release the Israelites from slavery and he would have avoided the plagues.

[QUOTE=Exodus 9:12]
But the Lord hardened Pharaoh’s heart and he would not listen to Moses and Aaron, just as the Lord had said to Moses.
[/QUOTE]

So - he couldn’t have avoided the plagues, because GOD didn’t want him to avoid the plagues.

He (the Pharoah) had no ‘free will’.

Exodus 9:12

So God predicts that Pharaoh wouldn’t listen and then makes that prediction come true.

Which Catholic Dictionary are you referring to? According to the newadvent.org site, which quotes it:

For one, we have gotten good photographs of the Loch Ness monster. And millions of people bear witness to having seen UFO’s and aliens.

You do not have to have seen for yourself nor believe that others like myself have seen Jesus Christ. You merely need to believe and have faith in Him as the Son of God, and your Lord and Savior.

John 20:29. Jesus said to him, “Thomas, because you have seen Me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”

The “Lucifer” being referred to in Isaiah was the then King of Babylon.

By Scott Hahn, General Editor.

So, you are one of the weak ones that need constant proof?

This is a Warning: Do not insult other posters in Great Debates, not even with off-topic political jabs.

[ /Moderating ]

NM-Preempted by Moderator.

The Pharoah was angry at God. He still had the free will to release the Israelites.

Can’t argue with the Catholic Bible Dictionary, I guess Catholics aren’t afraid of the non-Canonical writings like some of her Wayward Daughters are.

So Catholics believe Satan has the power to create? I always figured Satan was the personification of evil for peoples who needed a personification of evil to understand it to be bad.

The Bible says he didn’t. It says that God hardened his heart so that he wouldn’t. Are you saying that he could have overcome that?

I was a lost sheep and my great Shepherd came and found me.