Are Catholics chosen?

[HelenRose]

I respect your opinion.i wasn’t ?s saying that Catholics were chosen or not.I just gave my opinion why i thought Catholics may be chosen.we consider priests chosen to be priests.where have you read that Catholics aren’t chosen?the Jews were chosen people.I don’t think you understand what i was trying to say.Say anyone who converts to Catholicm or a person who is baptized into the Church as a baby.Could you not say that that baby was chosen to be Catholic since he was born into a Catholic family?Or the convert chosen since he chose to become Catholic and not a Baptist,mormon,or of any other denomination?Is there a grace working in him that led him into the Church?I wasn’t try to claim this was some doctrine of the Church or something.

I think that we are talking past each other. We really need to know what you mean by the word “chosen”

Some Protestant Churches believe that there is a “chosen elect”. There are is a small number of Protestant Chuches that teach that this number is set at 144,000. This concept is not how the Catholic Church interprets that word.

The whole question of free-will, pre-destination and the omnipotence of God can be a never ending circle. We will go around and around and around this problem unless we can accept the idea that God is outside of time and space. We simply do not have the mental capacity to know the mind of God. The best we can do is - with our own free-will - turn to God and accept His freely given Divine Mercy.

 

[jsaldar]

We are chosen to Trust in his Word (Jesus Christ).

 

[The_Old_Medic]

I prefer to follow the teachings of my church, not my own twisted versions of our faith.

 

[valentino]

I think that we are talking past each other. We really need to know what you mean by the word “chosen”

Some Protestant Churches believe that there is a “chosen elect”. There are is a small number of Protestant Chuches that teach that this number is set at 144,000. This concept is not how the Catholic Church interprets that word.

The whole question of free-will, pre-destination and the omnipotence of God can be a never ending circle. We will go around and around and around this problem unless we can accept the idea that God is outside of time and space. We simply do not have the mental capacity to know the mind of God. The best we can do is - with our own free-will - turn to God and accept His freely given Divine Mercy.

This is just my opinion.The reason I say Catholics are chosen is because we are in a minority as far as the population.Catholics of course started as a minority with Jesus and 12 apostles.Catholics are to bring Jesus’s message of truth to the world.Not all people are as priveledged as us.Many hear of Jesus,many accept Jesus but don’t know Jesus.But Catholics are to know Jesus.I can’t remember what is said of the last days before Christ returns but im guessing that many people will still not know Jesus.I hope ive said enough.

 

[Danquayle76]

I think that we are talking past each other. We really need to know what you mean by the word “chosen”

Some Protestant Churches believe that there is a “chosen elect”. There are is a small number of Protestant Chuches that teach that this number is set at 144,000. This concept is not how the Catholic Church interprets that word.

The whole question of free-will, pre-destination and the omnipotence of God can be a never ending circle. We will go around and around and around this problem unless we can accept the idea that God is outside of time and space. We simply do not have the mental capacity to know the mind of God. The best we can do is - with our own free-will - turn to God and accept His freely given Divine Mercy.

However, Catholic doctrine also accepts the idea of the elect as explained by Saints Augustine and Thomas Aquinas. You’re right that in the end God is beyond our understanding and for all practical purposes free will is all we need to focus on. But, predestination was a Catholic dogma before it was a Protestant one.

As the “Ask an Apologist” posting said:

The Church does believe in predestination, insofar as it is understood to mean that God knows who will choose to cooperate with his grace and be saved and who will choose to reject him and not be saved. The Church does not believe that God predestines anyone to go to hell. All are created for heaven but some will choose of their own free will to reject heaven.

forums.catholic-questions.org/showthread.php?t=88730

 

[Danquayle76]

However, Catholic doctrine also accepts the idea of the elect as explained by Saints Augustine and Thomas Aquinas. You’re right that in the end God is beyond our understanding and for all practical purposes free will is all we need to focus on. But, predestination was a Catholic dogma before it was a Protestant one.

As the “Ask an Apologist” posting said:

forums.catholic-questions.org/showthread.php?t=88730

Actually, its kind of funny but many evangelical Protestants so emphasize free will and the need to be “born again” that the Catholic Church is now much closer to John Calvin*…than many Protestants!

*Calvin however is wrong in his view of predestination as he denies anyone can deny God’s grace. We do believe a person can.

 

[valentino]

I think it more appropriate to say that man predestines himself to hell rather than God does.Even a child can harden his(her)heart to God.

 

[GloriousOrder]

God chooses us all in the sense that we are all called. This is a profound fact about Him: our Lord does not create to enslave. Why would He make sentient beings that can experience love, hate, joy, sorrow, pleasure, and pain, and die for all of them, yet not choose some of them? We are not puppets for His amusement, but living children created to be with Him. Anything else would be cruel tyranny and not in accord with His ever-creating Love.

“All are called; few are chosen” is true as a figure of speech, but here I think “chosen” refers to acceptance of God’s call - which is extended universally to our species.

 

[Danquayle76]

God chooses us all in the sense that we are all called. This is a profound fact about Him: our Lord does not create to enslave. Why would He make sentient beings that can experience love, hate, joy, sorrow, pleasure, and pain, and die for all of them, yet not choose some of them? We are not puppets for His amusement, but living children created to be with Him. Anything else would be cruel tyranny and not in accord with His ever-creating Love.

“All are called; few are chosen” is true as a figure of speech, but here I think “chosen” refers to acceptance of God’s call - which is extended universally to our species.

However, God being all-knowing…knew from the beginning of creation whether you will accept his grace or not. Hence, you were predestined!

 

[CB_Catholic]

This is just my opinion.The reason I say Catholics are chosen is because we are in a minority as far as the population.Catholics of course started as a minority with Jesus and 12 apostles.Catholics are to bring Jesus’s message of truth to the world.Not all people are as priveledged as us.Many hear of Jesus,many accept Jesus but don’t know Jesus.But Catholics are to know Jesus.I can’t remember what is said of the last days before Christ returns but im guessing that many people will still not know Jesus.I hope ive said enough.

As far as Christianity goes, Catholics are not in the minority–the majority of the world’s Christians are Catholic. There are 1.1 billion of us throughout the world. You have to think globally. The US is a Protestant country, yet Catholics are the largest single denomination.

Most of the world is not Christian, that is true, but Catholics are the majority of Christians.

But what kind of a job are we doing in evangelizing? The Protestants are much more assertive about it now. We are falling down on the job. The average Catholic doesn’t even like the word. We are going to have to take some of the blame if many people still do not know Jesus when He returns.

 

[valentino]

As far as Christianity goes, Catholics are not in the minority–the majority of the world’s Christians are Catholic. There are 1.1 billion of us throughout the world. You have to think globally. The US is a Protestant country, yet Catholics are the largest single denomination.

Most of the world is not Christian, that is true, but Catholics are the majority of Christians.

But what kind of a job are we doing in evangelizing? The Protestants are much more assertive about it now. We are falling down on the job. The average Catholic doesn’t even like the word. We are going to have to take some of the blame if many people still do not know Jesus when He returns.

I know many won’t agree or like what Im going to say but I think non Catholic christians are doing us a service.I believe their are many people(well at least in other countries than America)who become Catholics who first hear of Christ through protestants.Another thing is that most of catholic evangelization has already taken place.I mean that Catholic missionaries have been to most parts of the globe.Im not so sure that Catholics should evangelize to the world in the same way protestants do.Catholics mostly evangelize by the actions,word of mouth or from the pulpit.Once Catholics are well established in a country(Ireland for example)are we to start sending out missionaries to bring them back to the faith?

 

[CB_Catholic]

I know many won’t agree or like what Im going to say but I think non Catholic christians are doing us a service.I believe their are many people(well at least in other countries than America)who become Catholics who first hear of Christ through protestants.Another thing is that most of catholic evangelization has already taken place.I mean that Catholic missionaries have been to most parts of the globe.Im not so sure that Catholics should evangelize to the world in the same way protestants do.Catholics mostly evangelize by the actions,word of mouth or from the pulpit.Once Catholics are well established in a country(Ireland for example)are we to start sending out missionaries to bring them back to the faith?

The Pope is calling for a New Evangelization. Yes, we need to evangelize Catholics back into the Church, and most likely we will see missionaries again in certain areas of the world
that were once evangelized. Once strongly Catholic countries have lost their Catholic identity and their Catholic faith. And not just to Protestantism. They have lost it to secularism.

 

[valentino]

The Pope is calling for a New Evangelization. Yes, we need to evangelize Catholics back into the Church, and most likely we will see missionaries again in certain areas of the world
that were once evangelized. Once strongly Catholic countries have lost their Catholic identity and their Catholic faith. And not just to Protestantism. They have lost it to secularism.

Well if they had it and lost it what makes you think they will accept it again?

 

[CB_Catholic]

Well if they had it and lost it what makes you think they will accept it again?

Spreading the Gospel is not an option–it is a command. It’s what Jesus told us to do. Who knows where the Holy Spirit will work? We do our part and let God take care of the rest. He is the one who opens hearts. But we need to do our part in evangelizing.

 

[valentino]

Spreading the Gospel is not an option–it is a command. It’s what Jesus told us to do. Who knows where the Holy Spirit will work? We do our part and let God take care of the rest. He is the one who opens hearts. But we need to do our part in evangelizing.

Yea,okay.