Catholicism Is Hard

It reminds me of Matthew 23:15.

WebersHome said:

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Council of Trent Session 6, Chapter 16, Canon16: If anyone says that he will for certain, with an absolute and infallible certainty, have that great gift of perseverance even to the end, unless he shall have learned this by a special revelation, let him be anathema.

I used to think my chances of making it to Heaven were better than ordinary people because I was a Catholic. But in point of fact, my chances were worse because since I was a professing Catholic, then God would be holding me accountable to comply with everything Rome teaches and stands for: the Commandments, the dogma, the rituals, the traditions, the Councils, the Bulls, the Encyclicals, the rites, the holy days of obligation, and the Catechism; plus the New Testament.

That's a lot to remember, let alone put into practice.

And then there's the matter of mortal sin. When Catholics leave this life with just one non-absolved mortal sin on the books, just one, they go straight to hell. It's a direct flight; no stopover in a Purgatory. Even if they've been a faithful Catholic for fifty years, none of that will count. Mortal sins are that lethal.
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This is the religion of faith and works. The Council of Trent states that anyone who holds that faith in Christ alone is sufficient for salvation is also anathema.

I think there is also one that states that those who do not accept the true church with the Pope at its head is also anathema.

Also, in the Eucharist, the host becomes the real body and the wine becomes the real blood of Christ, and anyone who does not believe that is also anathema according to the Council of Trent.

So, it seems that a person who trusts in Christ alone for salvation, and belongs to any other church not headed up by the Pope and does not believe Transubstantiation, is going straight to hell, according to the Council of Trent.

It is interesting that Vatican II has affirmed all the canons of the Council of Trent, but I think in the interests of tolerance and unity these things have been put on the back burner (In Britain and North America where the Catholic church does not have dominance. I don't know about Catholic countries).

WebersHome said:

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Council of Trent Session 6, Chapter 16, Canon16: If anyone says that he will for certain, with an absolute and infallible certainty, have that great gift of perseverance even to the end, unless he shall have learned this by a special revelation, let him be anathema.

I used to think my chances of making it to Heaven were better than ordinary people because I was a Catholic. But in point of fact, my chances were worse because since I was a professing Catholic, then God would be holding me accountable to comply with everything Rome teaches and stands for: the Commandments, the dogma, the rituals, the traditions, the Councils, the Bulls, the Encyclicals, the rites, the holy days of obligation, and the whole Catechism; plus the New Testament.

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Most of the Roman Catholics I know do not give any thought to the way their church's theology works (as you have discussed it here).

They simply believe that theirs is the only real church, so belonging to it--and trying to do their best in life--is what they bank on.

WebersHome said:

● Heb 13:17 . .Obey your leaders and defer to them

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"Obey" there is in the middle voice (neither active nor passive), which softens its intent considerably. Vines has this on it:


We could say of it, "be open to persuasion".

Albion said:

Most of the Roman Catholics I know do not give any thought to the way their church's theology works (as you have discussed it here).

They simply believe that theirs is the only real church, so belonging to it--and trying to do their best in life--is what they bank on.

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That has been my observation, as well.

It's actually not that hard.

Follow Christ. Be faithful. Be hopeful.

WebersHome said:

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Council of Trent Session 6, Chapter 16, Canon16: If anyone says that he will for certain, with an absolute and infallible certainty, have that great gift of perseverance even to the end, unless he shall have learned this by a special revelation, let him be anathema.

I used to think my chances of making it to Heaven were better than ordinary people because I was a Catholic. But in point of fact, my chances were worse because since I was a professing Catholic, then God would be holding me accountable to comply with everything Rome teaches and stands for: the Commandments, the dogma, the rituals, the traditions, the Councils, the Bulls, the Encyclicals, the rites, the holy days of obligation, and the whole Catechism; plus the New Testament.

That's a lot to remember, let alone put into practice.

And then there's the matter of mortal sin. When Catholics leave this life with just one non-absolved mortal sin on the books, just one, they go straight to hell. It's a direct flight; no stopover in a Purgatory. Even if they've been a faithful Catholic for fifty years, none of that will count. Mortal sins are that lethal.
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The title could have just as easily been "Christianity is Hard" and left off the denominational slant. Or perhaps you would favor a roll your own religion that is easy because it is totally in line with your current beliefs, even when those beliefs change over time. I don't think this is what you are getting at; but it does show that firm beliefs, such as you quoted above are not wholly a Catholic thing.

WebersHome said:

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I was baptized an infant into Roman Catholicism and subsequently completed enough catechism for First Holy Communion and Confirmation.

By the time I was twenty-four years old, I had resigned myself to a future in hell because by then I concluded that earning my way into heaven via Catholicism was hopeless. It's requirements are just too demanding. You'd have to be divine in order to succeed, whereas I am only human; and that is a really big handicap.

It's easy to be human without even thinking about it because humanness comes natural to me. But it's not easy to be divine without thinking about it because divinity doesn't come natural to me. It's easier for me to think, feel, speak, and act like a termite than to think, feel, speak, and act like God.

Catholics stronger than me might succeed in persevering to the end, but what about after that? How about persevering throughout eternity? Can they keep it up that long without losing their grip.?

Catholics can't slack off in God's world, i.e. they're not home free. Getting to heaven is only the beginning. In order to stay there, Catholics have to continue complying with everything that Rome teaches and stands for; which includes Jesus' instructions.

● Matt 7:26-27 . . Everyone who listens to these words of mine but does not act on them will be like a fool who built his house on sand. The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and buffeted the house. And it collapsed and was completely ruined.
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A great many Saints have confirmed that the great majority of Christians, sadly, are damned. This is why Christ has said that we must strive to enter through the narrow gate. It does take effort. It isn't without effort. But it isn't impossible.

WebersHome said:

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One of the primary reasons that Jesus went to the cross was to liberate his fellow Jews from their religion so they could walk away from it without consequences.

● Gal 3:13 . . Christ redeemed us from the law's curse by becoming a curse for us

Bottom line: The Bible presents a way for people to get their records expunged so that when the books are opened, they will be judged as though they were never committed to either Judaism or Catholicism.
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If you truly believed that then why do you think Catholicism is so hard?

Yes, serving God and devoting your self to carrying your cross and following Him, does indeed take hard work and effort....

WebersHome said:

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The information you seek is located in post No.1
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So are you trying to change the decisions of the Council of Trent after nearly 500 years? Or do you acknowledge the authority of Trent on your life and find that hard to reconcile with your decision to quit Catholicism? If Trent is no longer a concern for you, then your decision should be setting easy with you. For it to be hard for you to accept, you must still feel that you are under this condemnation called out at Trent.

WebersHome said:

Apostate Catholics such as myself can't just up and walk away from their sacred commitment without consequences any more than an apostate Jew can just up and walk away from their Bar Mitzvah and/or their Bat Mitzvah without consequences. In point of fact, apostasy is just as curse-worthy for a Jew as it is for a Catholic.
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I dont think we are speaking of apostasy here, though. The word does not properly refer to changing denominations within the same (Christian) faith.

Mee

bbbbbbb said:

That has been my observation, as well.

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Me too!