Not “CAN"T BE” But facually ARE NOT by there actions
3 reasons:=CMatt25;10283667]But that can’t be right. The person who said it was voluntary is a Catholic and CMatt’s listed religion isn’t.
You are absolutely right. My apologies. For some reason I thought it changed after Vatican II, but it only changed to being required during Lent. I believe we are now required to go back to every Friday.
Nor do I. We believe with faith, the teachings of the Church, because we believe that Jesus Christ was who he said he was and therefore we believe he keeps his promises concerning his Church. So we believe, with the eyes of faith, that the Church was given the ultimate revelation of truth in the person of Jesus Christ, who is Truth himself. We believe that Jesus, who promised to remain with his Church until the end of time, and the Holy Spirit, who Jesus promised to send to guide the Church into all truth have prevented error from entering the doctrines and teachings of the Church. So we don’t have to wonder about the truth, it doesn’t change; it is not relative. It is found in the Church because Christ, who is Truth, is in the Church.
Absolutely!
No human can have everything right, but Christ does have everything right and he is the head of the Church. We need Christ’s Church for the very reason that we don’t have everything right. If we trust Jesus Christ then we must trust his Church to which he gave his own authority and commanded it to teach all nations. This is the reason that Christ’s original Church is so important. Those started by men, as you say, don’t have everything right which is the cause of so much division.
And I pray that I meet you there.
Sounds very Catholic.
This always seemed trivial to me. Mainly because in every religion, in every denomination you have diversity. There are different worship styles within protestant churches. Different liturgy. Different languages, so different culture. There are different worship styles even within the Catholic Church. There are different ‘denominations’ even. Different rites within. There are definitely different opinions in the Catholic Church, just like the protestants. Look at the forums and you will read the different views. I can read something on here about purgatory and then go to work the next day and ask my catholic co-worker a question and the answer will be quite different. I think the issue is what unites the different protestant groups. Most likely it is sola fide, sola gracia. “Grace + Works” to a protestant is a catholic belief. If a protestant does believe they have to cooperate then really they are just a would be catholic going to a protestant church, I suppose. Which in today’s day, is very possible. I think ultimately, it is SIN. Sinful man is full of pride. I want to worship this way. You don’t worship this way so I don’t like it. I’ll go over to this congregation who believes what I do and worships the way I want. God did create diversity and we can be thankful for that, but man has a tendency to ruin what God made good. Too many denominations whether it is Catholic, EO, or Protestant. One day Christ will change that in a blink of an eye. I just look to the heavens and say ‘Maranatha’!
Why would that make me a hypocrite? I recognize Christ’s call that al may be one. I recognize that the division between us (division is not, after all, one way) is the result of human sin. I pray regularly for reconciliation of ther Church Militant. I may well be a hypocrite, which makes me just like any other Christian, ISTM.
Truthfully though, what people say is not always accurate. And, as you said it is opinion. It does ultimately boil down to the issue of authority. i maean a Catholic can run around saying all kinds of things but confronted with the cathechism or ex catherdra from the pope, what can they really say? “I disagree” is about it.
Well, I’d say you are part of that one body, too. But frankly, I don’t see any effective difference between my responsibility to hold to the Lutheran confessions and my synod than your responsibility to the Magisterium.
Yes. The Catholic Church is truly the “universal” Church. It covers the entire world and so envelopes many nations and cultures. There are different styles and even some variation in liturgy between the different rites. But it is the same Mass and there is no difference there. Only the rubrics change, not the substance of the liturgy. This is very unlike the diiferences between Protestant denominations.
No. There are not different denominations within Catholicism. To “denominate” literally means to “remove one’s name”. You remove your name when you reject the doctrines and teachings of the Catholic Church, which is not a denomination. It is the Church from which the rest removed their names (denominated).
Yes. All of them quite beautiful.
Individual opinions have no affect whatsoever upon the doctrines and teachings of the Catholic Church, very unlike Protestants. Catholics are obligated to believe all that the Church teaches and holds to be true. Or they are free to go start another Protestant “church”.
No one has control over the answers one may receive from an individual Catholic. That is why the Church publishes things like the Catechism of the Catholic Church. There should be no mystery whatsoever in what the Church believes and teaches and it is available for any and all to read if they are really interested.
Yes, God created diversity but he did not create chaos.
Some days so do I.
But don’t you think that it is important now, in this life, to find the truth? Christ started a Church and promised to remain with that Church until the end of time. That we know very plainly from Scripture. That means that this Church must be alive and well today. The fact that Christ started a Church makes it all important that we find that Church and remove ourselves from the world of individual conflicting opinions. Paul said that the Church is the pillar and foundation of truth. We can have it, right here, right now.SteveVH;10298079:
Excuse my wording. I understand the meaning of ‘denomination’ and that their are differences in how peoplpe understand the word. I probaby should not have used it in this context, but I meant to imply was that their are differences in the culture, and even worship styles, etc. (I dont know how you feel about the different types of Catholic churches. The different names and those who oppose the pope or his teachings. It can be confusing sometimes)
Your first sentence is true b/c the pope/magisterium is seen as the head, correct? Christ is the head of His church and a protestant church is required to use the Word of God as the guide book and the inquiry of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit as their tool to carry out the gospel. They are called to be faithful to that word. Once again this is where sinful, finite minds come into play.
This is understood by me. It’s just unfortunate my co-workers don’t care enough to understand their religion.
I agree. But once again, sinful, finite, man ruins the good. What the non-denom church does down the street will have to be accounted for when Christ comes to take His own. Churches that say they are part of the Body and really are not will be judged. I am on this earth to glorify Him until that day comes and to do it faithfully according to what God says. I find His own words to be very helpful in that. I attend a church that is faithful to the word of God. I am not on this thread to defend all “protestant” churches because frankly there are plenty of “protestant” churches that are not part of the body of Christ. I cannot save anyone, so I first and foremost I am responsible for my own beliefs.
I do all days.
I agree.
Now, I suppose to answer the question ‘does it bother me’. I would say yes, of course. Sin bothers me. I started with it is ‘trivial’ to me because the question is trivial to me personally. Maybe not others. Whether you are Catholic, EO, Pentecostal, Baptist, or any other religion, there is sin. Man falls prey to it. Every man. Thanks for your time SteveVH.
To help you. The question means, if you are Protestant, you belong to a body of people that are also Protestants but believe differently than your own denomination. If there were multiple Catholic beliefs , one might ask if that is a conflict. A question such as this could not be trivial.