Lately I've been thinking

Jupiter Drops said:

If I should become a Catholic or not.

This actually has been on my mind for the longest time, but was something 'ignored.' At one point in my life, I did want to become a nun and confided this to my closest friends and my parents, but obviously they rejected this view. I still wouldn't mind if I become a nun if that is what God wants. And yet, I don't quite know. I'm not sure if this is true or not, but does Catholicism state that in order to be saved, you have to believe in Jesus (and this is the fundamental truth for every Christians), but also worship Mary, pray to other saints...?

Thanks, as always

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Do you want the official Roman Catholic position, or your average Joe / Jane Catholic to answer? They're often two different things. Though to be fair, that's the same for all denominations and religious groups; the layman's ideas and the official party line can be quite different.

I'd say head over to Amazon and pick up a catechism, then make an informed decision (though I'd go with a Reformed decision myself).

Jupiter Drops said:

If I should become a Catholic or not.

This actually has been on my mind for the longest time, but was something 'ignored.' At one point in my life, I did want to become a nun and confided this to my closest friends and my parents, but obviously they rejected this view. I still wouldn't mind if I become a nun if that is what God wants. And yet, I don't quite know. I'm not sure if this is true or not, but does Catholicism state that in order to be saved, you have to believe in Jesus (and this is the fundamental truth for every Christians), but also worship Mary, pray to other saints...?

Thanks, as always

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Catholics don't worship Mary, so no on that.

Some of your questions (including this) clearly shows you are in the process of some big decision making in your life.
The things you have been asking here would be better enquired of The Lord. Seems the Lord Himself is in the process of rebuilding you, reshaping you, and moulding you for what He wants to do in your life, and what He wants you to do for His Kingdom.

However, Seek His face regarding these big plans and thoughts. He is the one who will give you clear answer, and if its His will for your life, He will show you what He wants for you.

Not a bad idea to get opinions on here but the major blessing for your life will be to seek The LORD..

You are His child, He is your Father. He is waiting

Jupiter Drops said:

If I should become a Catholic or not.

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If you don't believe Catholic doctrine on things like transubstantiation, Mary, saints, and the Pope, what exactly is attracting you?

Jupiter Drops said:

If I should become a Catholic or not.

This actually has been on my mind for the longest time, but was something 'ignored.' At one point in my life, I did want to become a nun and confided this to my closest friends and my parents, but obviously they rejected this view. I still wouldn't mind if I become a nun if that is what God wants. And yet, I don't quite know. I'm not sure if this is true or not, but does Catholicism state that in order to be saved, you have to believe in Jesus (and this is the fundamental truth for every Christians), but also worship Mary, pray to other saints...?

Thanks, as always

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It sounds like you are being called to the Catholic faith but need to understand more about it. Catholics do not worship Mary and the Saints. Also, Catholics do indeed believe in Salvation through Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is at the center of the Mass.

I would start attending Mass at a Parish. When the people go up to receive communion, approach the priest with your arms crossed over your chest to receive a blessing. You will see that some Catholics do this as well.

Make an appointment with a Priest or Deacon to talk about it. You can also inquire about RCIA, which is the normal way that people become Catholics. It is very gentle and there is no pressure or obligation if you are not ready yet. I became a Catholic through the RCIA program, and I would be happy to answer any questions if you want to PM me.

One step at a time, you can inquire into becoming a nun once you become a Catholic. You might also want to check into reading some books about the lives of women mystics and saints for inspiration. Examples are Theresa of Avila, Catherine of Sienna, Catherine of Liseaux, and St. Claire, the famous counterpart of St. Francis of Assissi.

Catholics get all excited when someone considers becoming a Catholic. I met an older man who said he became Catholic 18 years ago, and it was the best decision he ever made. It took me years to finally make the commitment of becoming a Catholic, and I am very happy that I did.

Catholics have a saying for people coming into the Catholic Church: Welcome home!

Trogool said:

Catholics don't worship Mary, so no on that.

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Depends on the definition of "worship".

You don't have to become a Catholic to be a "nun", could be
you are being called/set aside by God...that is, to live
your life in a similar fashion to the prophet Jeremiah.

One lady that we know lived her life in such a fashion,
she was devoted to missions work (teaching children in foreign places)
about the Lord and in the so called "three R's."

You should visit the Catholic forum here (One Bread One Body) if you already haven't. They can answer your questions. Here you may not receive the correct answers you're looking for, but answers through another denomination's lens.

It's hard for me to answer, because I have a lot of history. I was raised in a Catholic household, and had to attend a Catholic church while I was younger because my mother enforced that in our household.

I didn't mind it (having to attend whilst living under my mothers roof) but it didn't really convert me or change me at all. It wasn't a personal decision, nor a personal conversion, just that I had to literally attend a Catholic mass each week or I'd be in trouble at home.

Anyway... as I got older and looked at the bible for myself, and read material on Christianity, I knew I couldn't be part of the Catholic church at all. I know some amazing, faithful disciples of the Lord who are Catholics (indeed, my own dear mum is and she is close to our Lord) so NOTHING I am saying here is to stir up argument or offense to anybody, I mean that.

I guess some of the basic principles stopped me attending Catholic church were the following:

* Praying to Mary and the saints.
*Belief in purgatory.
*Listing names of the deceased so that the priest can pray for the souls to go from purgatory across to heaven (I don't believe that is biblical?) My mother takes part in this each year, and donates a monetary fee for the prayers to be said.
*I also have trouble accepting some of the things taught in mass- such as the bread and wine being the LITERAL blood and body of our Lord.
*I don't believe in the infallibility of the Pope
*I don't believe in bowing down/kissing the pope, or bowing down to images such as happens in the Catholic Church
*The worship-like reverence shown to the Pope - priests/congregation bowing down, kissing him, calling him Holy Father etc

The list goes on for me - I am not here to stir argument or anything, because if you feel Catholicism IS for you, then go for it. Look into it, and make a decision. However, I just wanted to list some of those issues that bother me because I feel they should be addressed and looked into before committing to the Catholic faith. If you can read those objections and find reasonable and sensible answers (biblically) to them, then I say that's a great thing. I however, could not.

Jupiter Drops said:

If I should become a Catholic or not.

This actually has been on my mind for the longest time, but was something 'ignored.' At one point in my life, I did want to become a nun and confided this to my closest friends and my parents, but obviously they rejected this view. I still wouldn't mind if I become a nun if that is what God wants. And yet, I don't quite know. I'm not sure if this is true or not, but does Catholicism state that in order to be saved, you have to believe in Jesus (and this is the fundamental truth for every Christians), but also worship Mary, pray to other saints...?

Thanks, as always

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I used to be a Catholic. I suggest if you'd like to consider becoming one, you're going to want to read through the entire Catholic catechism and make sure you agree with every single aspect of it. This will not be a short task, but it is almost a necessary one. People don't often understand all of what Catholic doctrine teaches.

I was never comfortable in the Catholic church's teachings. I feel a lot of what they believe more on internal politics than on Christ, and if you don't fit into their doctrine 100% then you may never find real acceptance there. That's why I implore you to read every last word of the Catholic catechism before deciding. Honestly if you don't accept every last word of it, I don't see why you would ever become a Catholic, and if you don't know every last word of it, then I'd call the decision to "enlist" a bit hasty. There are so many things the Catholic Church teaches that are .. well let's say "off the wall".. at least by the standards of people outside the RCC. It's important you understand what you're getting into.

The reason I ended up in the Catholic church, despite all that, for a long while back in the day was mostly because of the Mass services which were quite stunning.. but I found that I could get a similar type of service in other churches without compromising either myself or my spirituality (something I constantly had to do in the Catholic church).

As for becoming a nun.. I would say simply that there are numerous ways in this world to devote yourself completely to God without necessarily going down that path. I'd even go so far as to say there are far more useful ways to devote yourself to God, but again that is a personal opinion.

Jupiter Drops said:

If I should become a Catholic or not.

This actually has been on my mind for the longest time, but was something 'ignored.' At one point in my life, I did want to become a nun and confided this to my closest friends and my parents, but obviously they rejected this view. I still wouldn't mind if I become a nun if that is what God wants. And yet, I don't quite know. I'm not sure if this is true or not, but does Catholicism state that in order to be saved, you have to believe in Jesus (and this is the fundamental truth for every Christians), but also worship Mary, pray to other saints...?

Thanks, as always

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Mind you, I am an Anglican, which means I am an English Catholic and not a "Roman" or Vatican Catholic, but since both my church and that one agree on these particular issues...

It is a false statement to say that we worship St. Mary the Theotokos and other Saints. Marian and Saintly devotions are completely optional and those who choose not to practice are not considered lesser than those who do.

I would highly suggest, since you are referring to the Vatican Catholic Church, to venture into OBOB to ask them specifically before considering anyone's posts here for advice.

If I should become a Catholic or not.

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Why not simply be a follower of Christ? The Bible reveals to you all that you need to live righteously in Christ Jesus. You don't need a denomination to follow Jesus, and you don't need to identify as a Catholic, or Lutheran, or whatever to be child of God. Your faith walk is with Christ, not the Pope.

This actually has been on my mind for the longest time, but was something 'ignored.' At one point in my life, I did want to become a nun and confided this to my closest friends and my parents, but obviously they rejected this view.

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I don't find the idea of monastic living as a nun or monk/priest anywhere in God's Word...

I still wouldn't mind if I become a nun if that is what God wants.

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See above.

And yet, I don't quite know. I'm not sure if this is true or not, but does Catholicism state that in order to be saved, you have to believe in Jesus (and this is the fundamental truth for every Christians), but also worship Mary, pray to other saints...?

Thanks, as always

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As some in this thread have noted, the official doctrine of the Catholic Church and the belief of the average Catholic layperson may differ sharply. I have a half-dozen former-Catholic friends and they all tell me that worship of Mary was a fundamental part of their understanding of Catholic belief. The line between "veneration" of Mary and worship of her is not clearly drawn, it seems. There are also many other issues: calling a priest "Father" (Matt. 23:9), praying to the saints (1Tim. 2:5), confession to a priest (1 Jn. 1:7-9), transubstantiation (2Cor. 1:23-26), infant baptism (Acts 8:36-38; Ro.6:1-4), purgatory (Lu. 16:22-26), and so on.

Why not avoid all the man-made tradition and ritual that preoccupies Catholicism and simply follow Christ? You won't have to wear a habit, or sequester yourself in a nunnery, or wade through all the confusing and misleading "additions" to the Bible you will find in Catholicism to do so.

Selah.

The quote from Jesus has appeared in my mind through reading this thread:

Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks.

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I don't think there is anything wrong, if you feel becoming a Catholic is the way for you, but I agree with the above poster - following Christ with a sincere heart is the way to salvation and fulfilment. Not the demonination you choose to accept (or don't accept!)

I personally couldn't be a Catholic church member because of not being entirely comfortable with what they teach, and I attend a Baptist church, but I don't think, "Therefore I am a Baptist". I simply think, "I am a disciple of Christ, who happens to worship and find fellowship at this particular church."

It's all about Jesus, so don't get too caught up in the line of thinking, "Should I be in this church, or a member of that one?"

Pray to the Lord, ask for guidance, even read the Catachism of the Catholic church if you feel it may help, but ultimately, remember Jesus our Lord is looking for sincere worshipers who mean it from the heart.

Jupiter Drops said:

If I should become a Catholic or not.

This actually has been on my mind for the longest time, but was something 'ignored.' At one point in my life, I did want to become a nun and confided this to my closest friends and my parents, but obviously they rejected this view. I still wouldn't mind if I become a nun if that is what God wants. And yet, I don't quite know. I'm not sure if this is true or not, but does Catholicism state that in order to be saved, you have to believe in Jesus (and this is the fundamental truth for every Christians), but also worship Mary, pray to other saints...?

Thanks, as always

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I think that's wonderful! I had been agnostic all my adult life, and when I was in despair and found Jesus and repented and made him Lord of my life I began reading the bible and praying a lot and part of me wanted to be non-denominational, but the other part of me wanted to return to the church I was raised in as a child (the catholic church).

I prayed about this a lot and knew that it was actually an image of a statue of Mary that I had seen in the news that had led me back to Jesus, but I was still ready for God to lead my heart to become non-denominational if that was His will for me. Well, the opposite happened. My heart felt more and more drawn to the catholic church and I believe God sent me some signs which affirmed my desire. I also looked into what the controversial parts of our faith were and I researched them to find the truth and I know now that our faith is indeed rooted in scripture and that our actions are greatly misunderstood by non-catholics.

I also believe that our protestant brothers and sisters are saved because John 3:16 says that whoever believes in the Son of God will have everlasting life. I don't know if those who aggressively persecute catholics are saved, but that's really between God and them.

Anyway, I do hope you join our church. I could not be happier myself for making the decision I did. God bless you.

gabriel

Hi there.

What I've found so far in my spiritual journey is that making the most important decisions consists of answering these two questions:

1) What is my spiritual goal?
2) What is the process to reach that?

IMO, spiritual goals can be as simple or profound as one makes it. In my case, I felt the need to attain a state where all of my living moments are reflective of Christ's desire and intent.

That drove me to read and analyze Scripture, join a community of faith seekers like this Forum, and slowly but surely validate and apply principles to be able to reach that goal.

I was born, raised, and educated Catholic. I attend weekly Mass to play guitar for my wife who's the choir director of a Catholic parish. As a participant in Catholic practices, what role has the Catholic belief system played in my present quest?

Very little, as I've found out. I like telling folks (but it bores my wife who's heard it many times) that the RCC is my spiritual parent and I'll always love her.

However, her days of spiritual nurturing for me are long over. I've felt the need for the RCC to encourage and empower its members to 1) go beyond its teachings and 2) do more critical thinking for further spiritual development but this doesn't seem to be part of the RCC culture.

In fairness, the slow evolution if not static nature of the RCC could also be true of any other large organization.

All to say, depending on your goal and state in life, joining the RCC and perhaps becoming a nun may be part of a process and not the end-goal itself.

In the end, I submit that Christ will ask us if we've lived His teachings and made disciples of people. That might be a starting point for defining a spiritual goal and the path towards it.

I have nothing against Catholics because I know many who have become born again. But when I talk to the most the assume Cathlicism is how what christianity about. I try telling them there are many denominations of "christiains".

My cousin was confused as to why I do not confess to a priest my sins. When I told him its because the bible says I can pray directly to God and ask for forgivness through him. At first he was mad (at me) and it got him into an argument with his parents. Then after reading the bible a NIV bible he started to notice diffrences and apologized for being mad at me. He came close to being born again but his parents threatened to never talk to him again unless he remained catholic.

xfreakazoidx said:

I have nothing against Catholics because I know many who have become born again. But when I talk to the most the assume Cathlicism is how what christianity about. I try telling them there are many denominations of "christiains".

My cousin was confused as to why I do not confess to a priest my sins. When I told him its because the bible says I can pray directly to God and ask for forgivness through him. At first he was mad (at me) and it got him into an argument with his parents. Then after reading the bible a NIV bible he started to notice diffrences and apologized for being mad at me. He came close to being born again but his parents threatened to never talk to him again unless he remained catholic.

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Your last comment sounds like you equate being born again with leaving the Catholic Church, whereas in the beginning you said that many Catholics are born again. If you want to be a good friend, I would encourage him to be a good Catholic, instead of trying to make him fit into your version of Christianity.

God Bless you.

I once felt "called" to become a priest. Then I thought about some of their beliefs and the inherent gnosticism in much of it (enforced celibacy, Mary's perpetual virginity, marriage is inferior to singleness, sex is dirty and only for procreation, no sex in heaven (people that have been there say otherwise) and no birth control) and I said "No thanks."

I'm fine with the purgatory stuff. I don't really know what happens exactly when every soul leaves this world, but I do know that most of their traditions are man-made.

Itagaki said:

I once felt "called" to become a priest. Then I thought about some of their beliefs and the inherent gnosticism in much of it (enforced celibacy, Mary's perpetual virginity, marriage is inferior to singleness, sex is dirty and only for procreation, no sex in heaven (people that have been there say otherwise) and no birth control) and I said "No thanks."

I'm fine with the purgatory stuff. I don't really know what happens exactly when every soul leaves this world, but I do know that most of their traditions are man-made.

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Itagaki,

I'd like to correct one of the misconceptions about Catholicism in the post. Marriage is one of the Seven Sacraments of the Catholic Church and is regarded as a vocation, just as being single can be a vocation. Neither is inferior to the other.