Two words, Hunt:
Excommunication
Interdiction
Many forms of Christianity practice some manner of excommunication. Even so, Catholic excommunication does not explicitly bar one from entering heaven, it bars one from the rituals of the Roman Catholic Church.
I certainly do not think the Pope would say excommunicating someone can supersede the will of god as to their final fate.
The rituals, like the last rites, are necessary to get into heaven. Also, they aren't seen as Christian any more, so in the pope's eyes he's just damned them.
I highly doubt the pope would say he was superseding God. He is still presuming he can. Denial can't change a statement from true to false or back again. It just don't work that way. There's some story they have about Jesus giving Peter the authority to rule Christendom or something. And no, it
isn't in the Bible.
And yeah, I'm not Anabaptist either. I mean, if the Amish want to say someone isn't welcome into their clubhouse, I have no real problem with that, though it is a little bit of a dick move sometimes.
But the pope (or any other denominational leader) saying he can choose who is Christian, and who isn't, is a false prophet.
The pope used to (still does, if I remember right) use excommunication and interdiction to influence secular leaders. Some king or other got frostbite waiting outside a chapel for the pope to let him back into the club. He's recognized as being able to let you back in, or shut you out. You remember that whole thing Jesus was talking about, how the "son of man" was given authority to forgive sins? Yeah, only Jesus can do that. I really don't like the pope saying he can, because he can't.
Even to look at it from the perspectives you offer, it seems amoral and un-Christian to me. God, and God alone, can judge. Man really 'oughta just shut the fuck up. I mean, I think popery is a sin, but I don't think committing a sin is what damns your soul so much as your intent. I would not,
could not, say the pope or any of his followers will go to hell.
I am perfectly entitled to say he is wrong and not being a true Christian, though. Mostly because in saying that, I don't think I could damn him.
It's like, I am never going to tell my Islamic friend he is going to hell for not believing in Jesus. He may, but he may not. I don't know what the fuck is going through God's mind, and I really don't have to. It's his job, not mine, and not the pope's.
I think Catholicism and some forms of Protestantism shouldn't (and can't) be generalized as the same thing.
Also, I kinda find it funny that you mistook me for a Catholic.
What made you think that?
(Okay, technically I'm
catholic, but not
Catholic.
There's sort of a difference, before some wise-ass joins the thread to point that out. Little "c" is just another word we can use for Christian fellowship, big "C" is the pope's church.)
Ninja'd? Ah well.
Oh, uh, important thing about Catholics. They believe in an impersonal God, where you have to go through a priest to get forgiveness. That is, to me, the same as popery. I believe the entire point of Christianity is a personal link to God. Anything less of that is less of Christianity.
Guess I probably should've started with that, huh? Would've made this... I dunno, about five sentences long?