You hold out a glimmer of hope for us poor Roman Catholics? How open-minded of you!

I have to. I'm one myself. ;)

But among some of my, um, "Bible-thumping" relatives there persists the perception that Catholicism is, by definition, a cult. The doctrinal differences between Evangelicals and Roman Catholics seem, to my mind, to reduce in number all the time, but they are real enough for us to maintain separate communions.

I still believe a lot of the differences are cultural, myself.

I know how to spot a Rastafarian...

I could see where the "snake handlers' could consider RCs a cult.

I do remember what you said in the past. I just have a hard time deciding what the situation is today. ;-) And, oh, wear pants when you're around the snakes!

SHouldn't the question eb reversed? How do you think you can be saved by not being Catholic? :p

Anyways, after 10 years of barely Catholic edducation aka Jesuit Education (which leads to another discussion on why I'm not a marxist now) I find that merely being Catholic does not warrant being saved, it requires the good works associated with it. However it seems to be more of a tendancy that merely believeing in Jesus is enought to be saved in other Christian Doctrines (Doctrines not cults) and the good works flow from that. So it leads one to think that the act of beleving in Jesus would be enough to save a Catholic in the eyes of Christians except for the eyes of the Catholic him/herself. Which brings us to Catholic guilt...

As far as the Church's stance, I could be wrong here but I believe the Church has changed it stance on the "being saved" if one is not Catholic given some of the "minor" problems the Church had in the past.

Have you ever met a Charismatic Roman Catholic? I have and they are super scary... really. I actually believe they are the reason I am now a recovering catholic...