Question: Catholics

[Rising_Suns]

So because I'm not Catholic, I'm not of the true church of Christ right? I'm one of those separted brethren. That might be just the way the Protestant looks at the Catholics, you know?

You are not part of the church that Jesus had planned to set up but you are part of the body of Christ, since you have accpeted Him as your savior and given your life to God.

I go directly to the Father through Christ and confess my sins to Him. [ 1 John 1:9] He forgives me, I need no priest but Jesus.

My friend,
You seem to have good intentions, but it seems like some things weren't ever explained to you properly...

Here's an exert from the Catholic FAQ page on OBOB:
http://www.christianforums.com/t53299&page=1

QUOTED FROM: www.columbia.edu/cu/augustine/a/faq-cc.html
Why do Catholics confess their sins to priests? What makes them think that priests can absolve them of the guilt of their sins? Why don't they confess their sins directly to God as Protestants do?

Catholics confess their sins to priests because-- as it is clearly stated in Sacred Scripture--God in the Person of Jesus Christ authorized the priests of His Church to hear confessions and empowered them to forgive sins in His Name. To the Apostles, the first priests of His Church, Christ said: ``Peace be to you. As the Father hath sent me, I also send you.... Receive ye the Holy Ghost. Whose sins you shall forgive, they are forgiven them; and whose sins you shall retain, they are retained.'' (John 20:21-23). Then again: ``Amen I say to you, whatsoever you shall bind upon earth, shall be bound also in heaven; and whatsoever you shall loose upon earth, shall be loosed also in heaven.'' (Matt. 18:18). In other words, Catholics confess their sins to priests because priests are God's duly authorized agents in the world, representing Him in all matters pertaining to the ways and means of attaining eternal salvation. When Catholics confess their sins to a priest they are, in reality, confessing their sins to God, for God hears their confessions and it is He who, in the final analysis, does the forgiving. If their confessions are not sincere, their sins are not forgiven.
Furthermore, Catholics do confess their sins directly to God as Protestants do: Catholics are taught to make an act of contrition at least every night before retiring, to ask God to forgive them their sins of that day. Catholics are also taught to say this same prayer of contrition if they should have the misfortune to commit a serious sin (called a ``mortal sin'' by Catholics


ME:
Physchologically speaking, it also makes perfect sense. Confessing to a priest is, in a way like a spiritual therapy sesssion. Just the fact that you take the time to go and speak your sins to another person provides much encouragement and closure to change from your old ways. God wants us to help each other, and places much value on fellowship, which is in part why He set this sytem up.

 

[water_ripple]

You are not part of the church that Jesus had planned to set up but you are part of the body of Christ, since you have accpeted Him as your savior and given your life to God.

I thought that Christ had 12 apostles and not just one. All of them were different. A zealot, a tax collector, a doubter, etc. But they all got along for the sake of Christ. They banned together to hear and learn and teach his message. They all served God's purpose even though their ways in teaching slightly differed. One was not greater than the other. They were all equally valuable in the eyes of Christ. If anybody can be called the part of the head of Christ it is Christ alone. If it were not for Him none of this would be possible.

ME:
Physchologically speaking, it also makes perfect sense. Confessing to a priest is, in a way like a spiritual therapy sesssion. Just the fact that you take the time to go and speak your sins to another person provides much encouragement and closure to change from your old ways. God wants us to help each other, and places much value on fellowship, which is in part why He set this sytem up.

This obviously makes sense as well as the background for it. Christians need fellowship, and confession is good for the soul. Since when is talking to someone else about it a crime? Don't we Prodestants do it when we testify? Or when we ask for advice?There have been times when I have been pegged as a Catholic on this board by fellow Prodestants simply b/c I see Y some Catholic traditions are on scripture. I am not Catholic b/c I do not believe that the pope is infalliable or that a collection of priests or bishops that get together with him and add to the conversation are infalliable. The word of God is that ALL men fall short of perfection. OTHO I understand Y the pope is telling his followers what is morally acceptable. The preachers in the Prodestant churches do the same thing. (Hence the sermons on abortion, lusting, what's really in a person's heart, giving to others..the list would go on) Some of my good friends are Catholic, and I have went to mass with them before. Different from my Prodestant services...The biggest thing that I can not accept was the prayers or devotionals to Mary. I understand who this woman is. She was the mother of Jesus Christ, and we Prodestant honor her in a way of our own. She is considerd blessed by God, and before I get a good thumping I will explain. When our churches show the birth of Christ in a manger, Christ is the center. Mary holds a place in our hearts as well b/c of her blessing. Quite the honor and that is an understatement! The birth of Christ is a holy event, and a joyous event. When Christ grows up He makes His teaching, and He does not say to give prayers or devotionals to His mother. We are called though to honor thy father and thy mother. I know this is part of the old law, but Christ Himself said that He did not come to destroy the laws of the prophets but to fulfill them. I think this is important to remeber before we go and bash our brothers and sisters in Christ for their differences. God knows what lays on the heart. We do not. Also, I think it is important to remeber 2 other things...Christ had 12 different apostles not just one...and that a house that is divided cannot stand. An idol is only an idol if it comes before God not b/c people label it as such. Some people have thought me a heritic for this..Well I guess that is a cross that I will have to bear..Do not listen to me though..Read the scripture..I am young in scripture so what would I know? I know the basics, but I am not fine tuned yet. Remeding said situation with bible study class and personal reading time. Hey whoever thought of that? Having another person to keep the faith with...

 

[Lynn73]

And what are these "acts of contrition" and "penance." I believe in repentence, turning from, being sorry for, and asking forgiveness. I don't, however, believe in the doctrine of pencance or saying 10 "hail Mary's" or whatever. Jesus paid all the penalty for my sin. I need not add to it. He died for ALL my sins. He paid the penance, they need no double paying for imho.

 

[Oblio]

The biggest thing that I can not accept was the prayers or devotionals to Mary. I understand who this woman is. She was the mother of Jesus Christ, and we Prodestant honor her in a way of our own. She is considerd blessed by God, and before I get a good thumping I will explain. When our churches show the birth of Christ in a manger, Christ is the center. Mary holds a place in our hearts as well b/c of her blessing. Quite the honor and that is an understatement!

Just a reminder that the prayers to Mary (or any Saint) are simply request for them to pray to God for us. It is also important to remember that Mary is the Theotokos, the bearer (or Mother) of God. She gave Christ His humanity of her own free will, one of the attributes that was required for our Salvation, the other of course being His Divinity. As she gave birth to God the Word, she holds a special place in our plan of Salvation, and is therefore set apart to honor by all generations. It is for this reason that in our (Orthodox) iconography the Theotokos is holding Christ and pointing to Him as the way, for she both brings Him to us in the realm of history in the Mystery of the Incarnation, and personally in being a model of a human that did His will where her and our ancestoral mother Eve failed. This again is seen in the icon of the Incarnation which although is more accurate historically by being in a cave, has in common our Savior in the center of the icon on a black background of the abyss of the grotto, the Light of Salvation coming into the darkness of this world.

 

[Rising_Suns]

I thought that Christ had 12 apostles and not just one. All of them were different. A zealot, a tax collector, a doubter, etc. But they all got along for the sake of Christ. They banned together to hear and learn and teach his message. They all served God's purpose even though their ways in teaching slightly differed.

Christ did have 12 apostles, but Peter was selected of the 12 to be the leader of the 12. Remember, it was Peter and only Peter who God revealed Himself to. And the 12 might have had different backgrounds, but Christ taught them all the exact same message. Likewise, His church believes in Christ's one message, not 200 differing degrees of that message.

This obviously makes sense as well as the background for it. Christians need fellowship, and confession is good for the soul. Since when is talking to someone else about it a crime? Don't we Prodestants do it when we testify? Or when we ask for advice?There have been times when I have been pegged as a Catholic on this board by fellow Prodestants simply b/c I see Y some Catholic traditions are on scripture.

I am not Catholic b/c I do not believe that the pope is infalliable or that a collection of priests or bishops that get together with him and add to the conversation are infalliable.

Here's some scripture that may help you out regarding the primacy of Peter....
http://www.scripturecatholic.com/
Peter is mentioned 155 times and the rest of apostles combined are only mentioned 130 times. Peter is also always listed first except in 1 Cor 3:22 and Gal. 2:9 (which are exceptions to the rule).
Matt 10:2; Mark 1:36; 3:16; Luke 6:14-16; Act 1:3; 2:37; 5:29 - these are some of many examples where Peter is mentioned first among the apostles.

Matt. 14:28-29 - only Peter has the faith to walk on water. What other man has walked on water? This faith ultimately did not fail.

Matt. 16:16, Mark 8:29; John 6:69 - Peter is first among the apostles to confess the divinity of Christ.

Matt. 16:17 - Peter alone is told he has received divine knowledge by a special revelation from God the Father.

Matt. 16:18 - Jesus builds the Church only on Peter, the rock, with the other apostles as the foundation and Jesus as the Head.

Matt. 16:19 - only Peter receives the keys, which represent authority over the Church and facilitate dynastic succession to his authority.

Matt. 17:24-25 - the tax collector approaches Peter for Jesus' tax. Peter is the spokesman for Jesus. He is the Vicar of Christ.

Matt. 17:26-27 - Jesus pays the half-shekel tax with one shekel, for both Jesus and Peter. Peter is Christ's representative on earth.

Matt. 18:21 - in the presence of the disciples, Peter asks Jesus about the rule of forgiveness. One of many examples where Peter takes a leadership role among the apostles in understanding Jesus' teachings.

Matt. 19:27 - Peter speaks on behalf of the apostles by telling Jesus that they have left everything to follow Him.

Mark 10:28 - here also, Peter speaks on behalf of the disciples by declaring that they have left everything to follow Him.

Mark 11:21 - Peter speaks on behalf of the disciples in remembering Jesus' curse on the fig tree.

Mark 14:37 - at Gethsemane, Jesus asks Peter, and no one else, why he was asleep. Peter is accountable to Jesus for his actions on behalf of the apostles because he has been appointed by Jesus as their leader.

Mark 16:7 - Peter is specified by an angel as the leader of the apostles as the angel confirms the resurrection of Christ.

Luke 5:4,10 - Jesus instructs Peter to let down the nets for a catch, and the miraculous catch follows. Peter, the Pope, is the "fisher of men."

Luke 7:40-50- Jesus addresses Peter regarding the rule of forgiveness and Peter answers on behalf of the disciples.

Luke 8:45 - when Jesus asked who touched His garment, it is Peter who answers on behalf of the disciples.

Luke 8:51; 9:28; 22:8; Acts 1:13; 3:1,3,11; 4:13,19; 8:14 - Peter is always mentioned before John, the disciple whom Jesus loved.

Luke 9:28;33 - Peter is mentioned first as going to mountain of transfiguration and the only one to speak at the transfiguration.

Luke 12:41 - Peter seeks clarification of a parable on behalf on the disciples. This is part of Peter's formation as the chief shepherd of the flock after Jesus ascended into heaven.

Luke 22:31-32 - Jesus prays for Peter alone, that his faith may not fail, and charges him to strengthen the rest of the apostles.

Luke 24:12, John 20:4-6 - John arrived at the tomb first but stopped and waited for Peter. Peter then arrived and entered the tomb first.

Luke 24:34 - the two disciples distinguish Peter even though they both had seen the risen Jesus the previous hour. See Luke 24:33.

John 6:68 - after the disciples leave, Peter is the first to speak and confess his belief in Christ after the Eucharistic discourse.

John 13:6-9 - Peter speaks out to the Lord in front of the apostles concerning the washing of feet.

John 13:36; 21:18 - Jesus predicts Peter's death. Peter was martyred at Rome in 67 A.D. Several hundred years of papal successors were also martyred.

John 21:2-3,11 - Peter leads the fishing and his net does not break. The boat (the "barque of Peter") is a metaphor for the Church.

John 21:7 - only Peter got out of the boat and ran to the shore to meet Jesus. Peter is the earthly shepherd leading us to God.

John 21:15 - in front of the apostles, Jesus asks Peter if he loves Jesus "more than these," which refers to the other apostles. Peter is the head of the apostolic see.

John 21:15-17 - Jesus charges Peter to "feed my lambs," "tend my sheep," "feed my sheep." Sheep means all people, even the apostles.

Acts 1:13 - Peter is first when entering upper room after our Lord's ascension. The first Eucharist and Pentecost were given in this room.

Acts 1:15 - Peter initiates selection of a successor to Judas right after Jesus ascended into heaven, and no one questions him. Further, if the Church needed a successor to Judas, wouldn't it need one to Peter? Of course.

Acts 2:14 - Peter is first to speak for the apostles after the Holy Spirit descended upon them at Pentecost. Peter is the first to preach the Gospel.

Acts 2:38 - Peter gives first preaching in the early Church on repentance and baptism in the name of Jesus Christ.

Acts 3:1,3,4 - Peter is mentioned first as going to the Temple to pray.

Acts 3:6-7 - Peter works the first healing of the apostles.

Acts 3:12-26, 4:8-12 - Peter teaches the early Church the healing through Jesus and that there is no salvation other than Christ.

Acts 5:3 - Peter declares first anathema of Ananias and Sapphira which is ratified by God, and brings about their death. Peter exercises his binding authority.

Acts 5:15 - Peter's shadow has healing power. No other apostle is said to have this power.

Acts 8:14 - Peter is mentioned first in conferring the sacrament of confirmation.

Acts 8:20-23 - Peter casts judgment on Simon's quest for gaining authority through the laying on of hands. Peter exercises his binding and loosing authority.

Acts 9:32-34 - Peter is mentioned first among apostles and works healing of Aeneas.

Acts 9:38-40 - Peter is mentioned first among the apostles and raises Tabitha from the dead.

Acts 10:5 - Cornelius is told by an angel to call upon Peter. Angels are messengers of God. Peter was granted this divine vision.

Acts 10:34-48, 11:1-18 - Peter is first to teach about salvation for all (Jews and Gentiles).

Acts 12:5 - this verse implies that the "whole Church" offered "earnest prayers" for Peter, their leader, during his imprisonment.

Acts 12:6-11 - Peter is freed from jail by an angel. He is the first object of divine intervention in the early Church.

Acts 15:7-12 - Peter resolves the first doctrinal issue on circumcision at the Church's first council at Jerusalem, and no one questions him. After Peter the Papa spoke, all were kept silent.

Acts 15:12 - only after Peter (the Pope) speaks do Paul and Barnabas (bishops) speak in support of Peter's definitive teaching.

Acts 15:13-14 - then James speaks to further acknowledge Peter's definitive teaching. "Simeon (Peter) has related how God first visited..."

Rom. 15:20 - Paul says he doesn't want to build on "another man's foundation" referring to Peter, who built the Church in Rome.

1 Cor. 15:4-8 - Paul distinguishes Jesus' post-resurrection appearances to Peter from those of the other apostles.

Gal.1:18 - Paul spends fifteen days with Peter privately before beginning his ministry, even after Christ's Revelation to Paul.

1 Peter 5:1 - Peter acts as the chief bishop by "exhorting" all the other bishops and elders of the Church.

1 Peter 5:13 - Some Protestants argue against the Papacy by trying to prove Peter was never in Rome. First, this argument is irrelevant to whether Jesus instituted the Papacy. Secondly, this verse demonstrates that Peter was in fact in Rome. Peter writes from "Babylon" which was a code name for Rome during these days of persecution. See, for example, Rev. 14:8, 16:19, 17:5, 18:2,10,21, which show that "Babylon" meant Rome. Rome was the only "great city" of the New Testament period. Because Rome during this age was considered the center of the world, the Lord wanted His Church to be established in Rome.

2 Peter 1:14 - Peter writes about Jesus' prediction of Peter's death, embracing the eventual martyrdom that he would suffer.

2 Peter 3:16 - Peter is making a judgment on the proper interpretation of Paul's letters. Peter is the chief shepherd of the flock.

Matt. 23:11; Mark 9:35; 10:44 - yet Peter, as the first, humbled himself to be the last and servant of all servants.

 

[Rising_Suns]

And what are these "acts of contrition" and "penance." I believe in repentence, turning from, being sorry for, and asking forgiveness. I don't, however, believe in the doctrine of pencance or saying 10 "hail Mary's" or whatever. Jesus paid all the penalty for my sin. I need not add to it. He died for ALL my sins. He paid the penance, they need no double paying for imho.

For some reason, alot of non-Catholics believe some of the things we do diminishes the magnitude of Christ's death and reserrection, because they don't understand it. Acts of contrition and penance are simply outwards ways to affirm you dedicattion to Christ and His church, and take responsibility for your sins, respectively.

 

[ps139]

Someone pointed this out to me, and it makes perfect sense. In sinning, we are essentially proud, because we reject God's way and say ours is better. So a sin is an act of pride. In confession to another person or persons, it is a humbling act, therefore an act of pride is "balanced" by an act of humility. I'm not saying thats all that goes on in a confession, or thats why we are forgiven, I'm saying that it makes sense to confess audibly to another person. God is still doing the forgiving.

 

[Vox Clamantis]

And how do you know the Pope or the Catholic church is infallible? Sorry, I don't accept their infallibility since I believe many teachings of the RCC are contrary to scripture. We don't need a Pope to tell us what to believe or what the Bible says. He's no more infallible than anyone else and the RCC declaring it so doesn't make it so. Church tradition, Magesterium, Holy See, Pope; these things are NOT on a par with scripture in my opinion. They can make all the declarations they want to, but if it doesn't line up with what I see in the word of God, I will reject it.

But you do accept papal infallibility if you believe that the epistles of Pope St. Peter are infallible (which most Protestants do, anyway. They also accept that the epistles of Paul, the writings of the Evangelists, the works of Moses and David and Solomon, etc. are infallible.) The burden of proof is more on the Protestants than on Catholics: why are you so sure that the charism of infallibility disappeared when Israel has always had an earthly leader?

 

[Raterus]

If the Pope can be infallible when he speaks, does that mean he's got this "super holy spirit" at that time? If not, then why can't I speak like that?

--Michael

 

[Rising_Suns]

People can speak infalliably at times when the holy spirit is moving in them, and people can also speak heresy under the deception of Satan and not even know it. The church makes official, the confirmation of infalliable writings as indeed being infalliable, and rejects others as heresy through heirachal system that has been in place since Jesus and has withstood the test of time (the same system that put together your bible). Now, the pope is at the top of this heiarchal system on earth, and when he makes an official announcement regarding faith and morals, God insures his protection from falliability, not only through direct, personal guidance, but through the system of the church. In other words, usually when the pope makes these official announcements, it's a direct reflection of the agreement within the church, acting as one body.

 

[Fiat]

So because I'm not Catholic, I'm not of the true church of Christ right? I'm one of those separted brethren.

You are my sister in Christ as you are a believer. Regardless of what Church you attend, you are my sister in Christ. God bless you.

 

[ReNé4Him]

the pope is practically God on earth....i jus heard my grandmother declare the pope as the "king of kings". one of the 10 commandments were, " you shall not worship any other god." they're breaking their own rule. what about the eucharist? which is believed to literally be Christ in a wafer!! they worship it like it's Jesus.... is this not idolatry? how about Christ on the cross? is not Jesus resurrected from the dead? we do not nail Christ to the cross everytime we sin now.... we abandon ourselves to judgement, but because of God's love for us... we have hope with the blood of Christ and the Salvation He has so generously offered us. i have witnessed many catholics described God as "far away".... my dear friends, God is within you... He hasn't, isn't and will never, leave you. do think about it..... it is proven to be false doctrine when one's beliefs has left scripture, the catholic church has a WHOLE interpretation of the Bible! even catholic Nuns do not rely on the gospel, but on the catholic translation of the bible... wake up please.... do not depart from the faith... try reading 1Tim 4:1-5, do not worry my catholic brothers and sisters... it is the word of God and He will not for any reason seek to decieve you. For He is a living God and all His works are good.. He does not wish to condemn you but to save you from His wrath. God Bless each of you.

 

[Rising_Suns]

the pope is practically God on earth....i jus heard my grandmother declare the pope as the "king of kings". one of the 10 commandments were, " you shall not worship any other god." they're breaking their own rule. what about the eucharist? which is believed to literally be Christ in a wafer!! they worship it like it's Jesus.... is this not idolatry? how about Christ on the cross? is not Jesus resurrected from the dead? we do not nail Christ to the cross everytime we sin now.... we abandon ourselves to judgement, but because of God's love for us... we have hope with the blood of Christ and the Salvation He has so generously offered us. i have witnessed many catholics described God as "far away".... my dear friends, God is within you... He hasn't, isn't and will never, leave you. do think about it..... it is proven to be false doctrine when one's beliefs has left scripture, the catholic church has a WHOLE interpretation of the Bible! even catholic Nuns do not rely on the gospel, but on the catholic translation of the bible... wake up please.... do not depart from the faith... try reading 1Tim 4:1-5, do not worry my catholic brothers and sisters... it is the word of God and He will not for any reason seek to decieve you. For He is a living God and all His works are good.. He does not wish to condemn you but to save you from His wrath. God Bless each of you.

ug. This is unbelievable. I don't have time to address these misconceptions that have been answered time and time again. If you click on the link below, it will bring you to the Catholic FAQ page, which addresses your issues with the church. That should provide you with sufficient background, and if you have any further questions based on those FAQ's, feel free to post them here. But lets try not to go around yelling false accusations about anothers church again, ok?

http://www.christianforums.com/t53299

May the peace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you always.

 

[Benedicta00]

ReNé4Him,

Try not to read all that into the language that your grandmother uses. What she no doubt means is that Jesus is the king of kings and JP2 s his vicar, the one who Christ told to feed his sheep.

 

[Benedicta00]

what about the eucharist? which is believed to literally be Christ in a wafer!! they worship it like it's Jesus.... is this not idolatry?

We do not worship it like it's Jesus, we worship it because it is Jesus.

how about Christ on the cross? is not Jesus resurrected from the dead? we do not nail Christ to the cross everytime we sin now....

Yes we do, do not ever forget your sins and mine put him on that cross in the first place and I will not ignore his sufferings. Jesus is not trapped in time nor does he die again and again but his sacrifice in fixed in place through out time and we need to keep his cross before our eyes at all times because with out that forgiveness that can only come from his cross we will not have a resurrection. With out the cross there can be no resurrection. It is a reminder of the resurrection, it points to it, when we suffer in this world we look to that cross that gives us hope that our resurrection will soon come.

we we abandon ourselves to judgement, but because of God's love for us... we have hope with the blood of Christ and the Salvation He has so generously offered us.

I agree.

i have witnessed many catholics described God as "far away".... my dear friends, God is within you...

I can only speak for myself here, but as a Catholic, God is never far from me, he lives inside me by his Spirit and I receive him at communion where he comes to me literally and gives me his own divine life to share with him.

If a fellow Catholic who does know his faith properly does not get this, then it is a reflection on him, not what the Church must teach because the Church does not teach that God is far from us. We teach that Jesus is close as our hearts and only a prayer away.

He hasn't, isn't and will never, leave you

I know.

do think about it.....

All the time.

it is proven to be false doctrine when one's beliefs has left scripture, the catholic church has a WHOLE interpretation of the Bible!

Care to cite what we misinterpret?

I understand you think this because you have chosen or have been told that you should read the bible inside a vacuum alone and isolated. On who's authority do you have it- that one is to read the bible inside a vacuum?

Do you realize that Catholic and Orthodox have all of God's word have not restricted themselves just to his written word which is indeed infallible and inspired and to be reverend and trusted?

And BTW, you may reject the Catholic interpretation of scripture but you certainly do not reject the Catholic canon of scripture, you accept it every time you open your bible.

even catholic Nuns do not rely on the gospel, but on the catholic translation of the bible... wake up please.... do not depart from the faith... try reading 1Tim 4:1-5, do not worry my catholic brothers and sisters... it is the word of God and He will not for any reason seek to decieve you.

We know, we are the ones who chose which writings were sent to us from God to comprise and canonize for all the world to read and come to the knowledge of God, which will lead them on the road to salvation, and which ones weren't, do you realize that you trust the Catholic Church in this matter, you do so every time you open your bible and now, I guess would be a good time to ask, do you realize that you have the doctrine of the trinity and the dual natures of Christ because the Catholic infallible councils defined this belief for us? So if we can give you the bible and the true nature of Christ and the trinity then we can’t be all that bad, can we?

And if you believe that the religious (nuns) and the faithful (us) and the clergy (priest) do not rely in the gospel then you are in serious error about what we rely on.

For He is a living God and all His works are good..

Yes I know, all of his works, not just the works he wrote down.

He does not wish to condemn you but to save you from His wrath. God Bless each of you.

Yes, I know and nether does he wish to condemn you for only believing in part of his revealed truth but bring you into the FULLNESS of his truth which is ONLY found in his Church.

Ps, thanks for the concern for the souls of all of us "poor" Catholics. I am very sorry to see the unbelievable and ridiculous error and folly you believe about us. It never amazes me to see this kind of ignorance even if I see it 1000 times a day, which sometimes if seems like I do. Now if you are interested in breaking down all those myths that you have been indoctrinate to believe about Catholicism, I challenge you to ask us about our beliefs and ask us to explain them to you in OBOB.

God Bless you too, you sister in Christ,

Michelle.

 

[BAChristian]

Someone pointed this out to me, and it makes perfect sense. In sinning, we are essentially proud, because we reject God's way and say ours is better. So a sin is an act of pride. In confession to another person or persons, it is a humbling act, therefore an act of pride is "balanced" by an act of humility. I'm not saying thats all that goes on in a confession, or thats why we are forgiven, I'm saying that it makes sense to confess audibly to another person. God is still doing the forgiving.

Perfect... /me writes this down to help himself grasp confession...

You get blessings...and reputation...

 

[BAChristian]

Lynn, ya know, I knew someone like you at one time. Let me give ya some free advice...

That person, described above, was myself -- the BIG difference is that I didn't come on here and "make a scene"...

My fellow Christian sister, what I would encourage you to do, like I have, is to do your own research.

Then when you are able to dispel the common myths about Catholicism (like I did), then you can come back here and maybe ask for more clarification, instead of trying to rouse your fellow Christian brothers and sisters.

If you'd like, I'd be willing to send you where I went when I was searching for answers. If you'd like, you can PM me, or email me...

 

[BAChristian]

the pope is practically God on earth....i jus heard my grandmother declare the pope as the "king of kings". one of the 10 commandments were, " you shall not worship any other god." they're breaking their own rule. what about the eucharist? which is believed to literally be Christ in a wafer!! they worship it like it's Jesus.... is this not idolatry? how about Christ on the cross? is not Jesus resurrected from the dead? we do not nail Christ to the cross everytime we sin now.... we abandon ourselves to judgement, but because of God's love for us... we have hope with the blood of Christ and the Salvation He has so generously offered us. i have witnessed many catholics described God as "far away".... my dear friends, God is within you... He hasn't, isn't and will never, leave you. do think about it..... it is proven to be false doctrine when one's beliefs has left scripture, the catholic church has a WHOLE interpretation of the Bible! even catholic Nuns do not rely on the gospel, but on the catholic translation of the bible... wake up please.... do not depart from the faith... try reading 1Tim 4:1-5, do not worry my catholic brothers and sisters... it is the word of God and He will not for any reason seek to decieve you. For He is a living God and all His works are good.. He does not wish to condemn you but to save you from His wrath. God Bless each of you.

Renee...I'm sorry, but you absolutely, positively, have no idea what you're talking about regarding the Catholic faith.

Please go do your homework -- don't rely on Granny to give you anymore advice.

Please research for yourself.

Have a nice day.

 

[Benedicta00]

Christian, cut granny some slack, she probably grew up in the "we believe the Catholic Church just because..." era. She is probably a wonderful witness to our spirituality rather than an apologist.

 

[Lynn73]

We do not worship it like it's Jesus, we worship it because it is Jesus.

So the wafer IS Jesus. Oookaaaay, if that's what you believe. When I take communion each week, the wafer and grape juice are symbols of and represent the body and blood of the Lord. They don't become Jesus, I don't worship the wafer. I worship Christ. But that's one of the differences between Catholics and Protestants. It just sounds s weird to hear you say that you worship a wafer because it's Jesus. I know the whole transubstantiation theory so you don't have to explain it. I just disagree with it. The wafer is NOT Jesus to me.