Posted by Philip St. Romain on September 28, 19100 at 07:24:57:
In Reply to: Re: A best religion question posted by Catherine on September 27, 19100 at 19:47:46:
: What I still don't get is that if one is saved one way or the other then why does the degree of fullness that you described matter?
: Let me ask another way. If the differences in the teachings and the laws of many religions have no impact on where you go in the afterlife, then what practical difference do they have in this life? This is hard to ask but I hope you can see what I am driving at.
Ughhh! I was hoping you wouldn't do that! : )
It would seem that salvation is salvation, and so if one is saved, and if this can happen in any religion, then what's the point of belonging to one rather than the other. And why should one say it's more true than another. I understand this question, for I have struggled through it in my own life.
The Catholic Church's use of the term "fullness of salvation" has many dimensions.
1. It can refer to the intensity and quality of Christ's presence manifest in his Mystical Body, the Church.
2. It can refer to the abundance of gifts, helps, wisdom, etc. in the Church.
3. It can refer to the manner in which our humanity is transformed in Christ.
4. It can refer to the correctness of its understanding of divine revelation as expressed in its doctrines and worship.
. . . and I'm sure there are other considerations.
Point #3 is especially important, I believe, and it relates to the rest. While it is true that an abiding union between the human and divine (salvation) can be developed in any tradition, this doesn't fully address the issue of what kind of union, how human nature is transformed in that union, etc. Does this union develop humanity, or, in some cases, occur at the expense of its development?
You see, the goal of the Christian life is the divinization of humanity and, indeed, all of creation. Christ alone, we believe, most perfectly incarnates and integrates the human and divine, and the Church is his Mystical Body now in space and time. What the Catholic Church is saying is that the highest development of this divinization process can be found in Catholicism--at least, that's the spiritual/mystical sense of it, rather than the doctrinal/theological, which is not totally separate.
I hope this makes sense. The Church is trying to speak to an age of relativism and political correctness, which views religions with suspicion and considers all to be making claims that are entirely subjective, at best, and self-serving, at worst. It's trying to say something about why it's important for Catholics to stay in their Tradition, and why others should consider becoming Catholics. Unfortunately, the message is being heard through the filter of political correctness, and the Church's past triumphalistic tendencies don't help matters much.
Thanks for your questions.
Phil