Thank you for this invitation and opening to
be honest!
Yes, let's do be honest: I am
not a life-long Catholic - I am a "revert", having left the Church in early adulthood, because like many in young adulthood, I knew more than anyone else in the known world. I knew better than to even believe in God. So I left the Church as soon as I got out of the house, and into college. First it was agnosticism, then atheism. After graduation I was working as a research engineer, when I discovered non-theistic humanism - this is where the journey home began, actually. To make the long story short, I became a "born-again evangelical", sola-scriptura of course, having encountered Jesus and a whole new life in His Word, Holy Scripture.
To shorten that phase of my life, let me merely say that Scripture "alone" - illuminated by the Holy Spirit without doubt - convicted me that "find the church that you like best" was an ugly creation of sinful men, was not God's will at all. He said clearly (Jn 17) that His will was that
all who were His should be ONE, and for very important reason:
that the world can come to believe! READ this, brother:
John 17:20 "I do not pray for these only, but also for those who believe in me through their word,
John 17:21 that they may all be one; even as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.
Division among Christians is the
cause of disbelief in the world! The world cannot convert, when Christians cannot even agree among themselves!
Yes, I was convicted. In my youthful arrogance I had left the Church that I saw filled with errors and emptiness, to become not part of any solution, but to become
part of the problem! "Denominations" were NOT the creation of God, who wants ONE Church. I knew two things, with no doubt:
1) I needed to return to the Catholic Church - His original created ecclesia;
2) I needed to really learn what this Church believes and teaches, and
why - not merely my opinions, but the truth: what does the Church believe, and teach.
So I did. I returned, but cautiously. I returned to full-time student life in a Catholic university, to study and to learn about this Church, this Faith that I rejected in almost complete ignorance as a young "adult" (in years, if not in wisdom).
- That was now some decades ago. I did learn; I did mature; I did grow. I can say with confidence, the Catholic Church is the one Church of divine intention and will. There are problems in the Church - as there are in any group of men anywhere - namely, sin - but no error.
- Not all in the one Church are holy saints - but some are.
- There is no error in what the Church formally teaches and believes. It all fits together, into one consistent whole, of origin that is too beautiful to even be possible for men to fabricate or even "touch up!" This is of God.
- The moral teachings of the Church are true, all true.
- The Sacraments truly communicate holy divine grace - which is a share in the divine life.
- The Holy Spirit is truly here, guiding all who seek the fullness of divine Truth, leading seekers into the fullness of prayer: intomate personal communion with God the Holy Trinity.
I can only say to you.......That is your choice.
Myself, having been brought up in a Pentecostal environment, I also ran away from it as fast as I could when age allowed me to do so.
However, there was something planted in my soul when I was very young and
As I grew I learned how wrong
religion is as it ADDED to the Scriptures'.
I became a Bible believer instead of a Church believer. I am NOT against church per se, I am just against what some Church denominations teach which is not found in the Word of God, and the biggest of those offenders is the Catholic church.
You are welcome to believe as you wish as it is YOURE choice and I do not argue that with anyone. All I expect is the same kind of respect for my choices which do not agree with yours.
Some here can debate those differences, but not many. Most in time become angry and combative when they see that what they thought is NOT what is reality according to the Bible. Allow me to illustrate that for you as you just said................
"I can say with confidence, the Catholic Church is the one Church of divine intention and will."
Now that is of course YOUR own opinion and has not basis of Biblical fact. You see, the Roman Catholic Church is a body with two heads! It claims Jesus is its head in Heaven and the Pope is its head on earth. The “college of cardinals” elects the Pope to office. Under the cardinals are the archbishops, bishops, priests, monks, nuns, and finally “the laity”. Clearly, the organization of the Roman Catholic Church proves it is not the church of the Bible.
BUT.....just as you have an opinion, so do I and others and I for one base my comments in what the Bible says and YOU as a Catholic base your comments on what the RCC tells you.
Then again, just to illustrate you said................
"Not all in the one Church are holy saints - but some are."
Again, that is your opinion which is rooted in the RCC dogma. The Bible actually says that ALL born again believers are in fact SAINTS.
Romans 1:7..........
"To all who are in Rome, beloved of God,
called to be saints......".
1 Corth. 1:2......
" to those who are sanctified in Christ Jesus,
called to be saints".
Ephesians 1:1...
"
To the saints who are in Ephesus".
The Bible declares that born again believers are Saints and they do not have to die to be declared one by the RCC.
Then you said..........
"The moral teachings of the Church are true, all true."
But if Morality is not based upon the Word of God then it is just wishful thinking.
Morality is the application of God’s laws regarding a person’s private and public behavior. In his or her seeking to live a moral life, a Christian tries to obey the rules for his or her personal behavior that have been decreed by God and recorded in the Bible as acceptable.
Then you said...................
"The Sacraments truly communicate holy divine grace."
I know you have to believe that because it is RCC doctrine and I am happy for you.
However, the whole idea of "sacraments" that convey saving grace upon people is unbiblical.
Two of the main sacraments specifically are said by the Roman Catholic Church to be necessary in order to gain eternal life: baptism and communion. Because of the Roman Catholic Church belief that baptism is required for salvation, Catholics maintain that it is important to baptize infants.
But nowhere in Scripture can you find even a single example or command to do so.
Now PLEASE do not accept that! YOU LOOK IT UP and post those Scriptures for ALL of us and I will be the 1st to apologize to you.
Some Roman Catholics use
Acts 16:33 as a possible example, because it states that the Philippian jailor "and his family" were baptized. But, taking this verse in context, we note two things:
1). When the jailor asked Paul what he must do to be saved, Paul did NOT say, "Believe on Jesus and be baptized and take communion.
2). We see that the "family" could not have included infants or toddlers, as it states in verse 34 that the jailor had "believed in God with all his household." Infants and toddlers cannot exercise faith in God in such a fashion.
So, you can see that we can disagree on things and still be civil.