Are their benefits to being a Catholic?

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Cimachol said:
Receiving the body of Christ, receiving the fullness of faith, forgiveness through confession, Church tradition, eternal salvation, being in Communion not only with Jesus, but also with his Mother and all the angels and Saints, etc.
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WoW:D

You do GET IT!

GBY

Patrick
 
adamhovey1988 said:
I was going to say something along the lines of not going to hell since I have access to the sacraments.
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THAT certainly gives US Catholics the inside track, BUT its STILL Conditional on not dying with unconfessed; unforgiven MORTAL sins
’
1 John 5:16-17 & John 20:1923

GBY
 
FollowChrist34 said:
I like the fact that it is the original Church and is so big - all over the world, around since the beginning. I can go to Mass wherever I am, anywhere in America, Europe, etc etc. Many parishes locally. Also even this forum for example - if you try other denominations the first thing you notice is how small the denomination / forum is. Feels weird and claustrophobic to me. I also like the fact that the Mass is uniform - the yearly calendar, etc.
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I hadn’t considered that * BUT its a very valid point.

Thanks for sharing it:thumbsup:
Downsides of course exist too - the first that comes to mind is that I think that we Catholics have less camaraderie, community than Protestants or Orthodox. Our Mass is quite formal, focused on worship. Those smaller Churches make for tighter bonds on a personal level, both at services and in Church life. I am not saying there is not community at Catholic Churches; I am just saying it is a small portion of the parishioners.
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Not sure I agree completely on the fellowship issue.

Catholic fellowship is OUTSIDE of the Mass, where because Jesus [GOD] is Really, Truly and Substantially Present; every effort is to be extended towards Godly Worship.

As one Blessed to be able to attend daily Mass, I can attest that very close fellowships Do develop. We have made many close friends through our daily contacts:)

Protestants often have a emphasis more focused on fellowship, not in itself bad; but IMO, missing the primary point of “worship” services.

They do in general a very good job at fellowship, and we can learn form them

GBY*
 
ShrodingersCat said:
Exactly. One of the best aspects of the Catholic church is that it teaches that anyone who follows their religion that they truly believe and strives to be good will get to Heaven. That applies to atheists too.
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No, not exactly

Please read my POST #20

It is a conditional salvation that Christ offers

Thank you

GBY
 
TheTrinitySaves said:
The benifets are numerous.
  1. Being Catholic has allowed God to show me the error of my ways. I am well aware of how God punishes sinners. He has taken everything from me and continues to do so everytime I sin. I now worship God only at church, but that is still not enough. He is punishing me and the Catholic Church is helping me find out why he is punishing me and maybe get him to stop.
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That is not a unique experience, NOR is it a common experience.

Certainly God does punish sins and sinners; BUT not always in way’s known to us.

It is God [JESUS] who gives His RCC the 7 Sacrament for the AID we need, both for sin forgiveness GODS WAY [1 Jn 1:8-9; 1 JN. 5:16-17 & John 20: 19-23] and through SACRAMENTAL GRACES, notably the Eucharist [Jesus Himself!] to help us AVOID sins, and thus punishment.

**1 Tim. 2: 3-5 **" [3] For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour, [4] Who will have all men to be saved, and to come to the knowledge of the truth. [5] For there is one God, and one mediator of God and men, the man Christ Jesus:
  1. Being part of a community. While I have had my run ins with bad Catholics most are good, and well aware of the fate God has for them. They are well aware of the terrible plagues that God will send down to the earth. this includes mass death and sickness. This will happen because we are sinning agaisnt him and are not repenting. Being Catholic helps us come to terms with this and pray for mercy from God and pray that Jesus reasons with his Father to show us mercy.
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This dear friend is an OT [before grace [Rom 6:14-15] mentality:o

Now under grace, the punishments are usually a bit more difficult to discern, but include things like wide spread-abortion, Aids, apostasies, the proliferation of competing faiths; making salvation more difficult, wide spread divorces and so on.

BUT even these are NOT sure signs of punishments, as God can make CROSSES for ours and others needs as well. So we need to be careful in trying to second guess GOD.

Thank you

GBY

Patrick
 
Dorothy said:
That is not what we are taught in the Catechism.

#847 Those who, no fault of their own, do not know the Gospel of Christ or His Church, but who nevertheless seek God with a sincere heart, and, moved by grace try in their actions
to do His will as they know it through the dictates of their conscience-- those too may achieve eternal salvation."

(Of course, the Church still has the obligation and the sacred right to evangelize.)
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Actually, the Church has stated on numerous occasions that there is no salvation outside the Church. However, some clarity about what this means is in order:

ewtn.com/expert/answers/outside_the_church.htm
catholic.com/magazine/print-edition/what-no-salvation-outside-the-church-means
 
HerCrazierHalf said:
There may be some earthly benefits.

Intermittent fasting might be good for you.
huffingtonpost.com/andrew-weil-md/fasting-health_b_1557043.html

Lower divorce rates. 28% bs ~40%
m.ncregister.com/daily-news/catholics-continue-to-have-lowest-divorce-rates#.WL-6KGmIbqA

I’ll leave the discussion of spiritual benefits to others.
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Interesting comments from a professed “non believer” *

If your interested I can PROVE the existence of GOD to you, and even explain HOW the book of Genesis 1:26-27 is realized despite John 4:23-24 🙂 [send me a private message]

Thanks and GOD bless you friend!

Patrick*
 
RomanoAmerio said:
“Extra Ecclesiam Nulla Salus” does come to mind. 😉
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The Latin phrase extra Ecclesiam nulla salus means: “outside the Church there is no salvation”. The 1997 Catechism of the Catholic Church explained this as “all salvation comes from Christ the Head through the Church which is his Body.”

And this is NOT what the RCC teaches:o

Please read my POST #20

See the Catechism numbers 1260, 846, 847, & 848

God Bless you

Patrick
 
I find that the fact that we are
SINNERS in need of SALVATION
is the Catholic Legacy. Those who
THINK that once you have perfect
contrition and confessed in prayer
to Jesus will be Okay in God’s
Church are kidding themselves!!
See 1 John 5:17; John 20:22-23

However, the lack of good catechisis
and knowledge of the Bible(How it
complements the Magisterium) have
driven MANY from the Catholic Faith.
 
PJM said:
That is not a unique experience, NOR is it a common experience.

Certainly God does punish sins and sinners; BUT not always in way’s known to us.

It is God [JESUS] who gives His RCC the 7 Sacrament for the AID we need, both for sin forgiveness GODS WAY [1 Jn 1:8-9; 1 JN. 5:16-17 & John 20: 19-23] and through SACRAMENTAL GRACES, notably the Eucharist [Jesus Himself!] to help us AVOID sins, and thus punishment.

**1 Tim. 2: 3-5 **" [3] For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour, [4] Who will have all men to be saved, and to come to the knowledge of the truth. [5] For there is one God, and one mediator of God and men, the man Christ Jesus:

This dear friend is an OT [before grace [Rom 6:14-15] mentality:o

Now under grace, the punishments are usually a bit more difficult to discern, but include things like wide spread-abortion, Aids, apostasies, the proliferation of competing faiths; making salvation more difficult, wide spread divorces and so on.

BUT even these are NOT sure signs of punishments, as God can make CROSSES for ours and others needs as well. So we need to be careful in trying to second guess GOD.

Thank you

GBY

Patrick
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But they must be sure sign of punishments my friend. I have experienced it first hand.

The bible clearley states that evil and wicknedess will face punishemnt from our God. When God takes something away from us (such as family members in my case) we need to repent immediately and seek the right path or else we may be displeasing the lord. God doesnt punish us by allowing abortion to exist, he punishes us for allowing abortion to exist. Their is a important difference, we started these evils, not God and it is now our responsiblity to end them, not his. If we do not heed his warning he will punish all of us.
 
PJM said:
As a lifetime Catholic, I believe that their are.

Agree or disagree & WHY

GBY

Patrick
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That is like asking if there are benefits to standing on the top of a mountain on a warm summer day and feeling the wind on your face or gazing at the stars on a dark clear cold winter night.

As a convert I have found so many wonderful rooms to discover in the Church. New and wonderful beautiful ideas, thoughts, history, art, stories, questions answered. There are so many beautiful, rare and wonderful gifts given to me without my deserving them at all.

Where else can you received the gift of Christ’s Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity as food for your soul?
 
PJM said:
The Latin phrase extra Ecclesiam nulla salus means: “outside the Church there is no salvation”. The 1997 Catechism of the Catholic Church explained this as “all salvation comes from Christ the Head through the Church which is his Body.”

And this is NOT what the RCC teaches:o

Please read my POST #20

See the Catechism numbers 1260, 846, 847, & 848

God Bless you

Patrick
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These quotations have to be read in the light of what the Church has consistently taught over the centuries. The CDF’s document “Dominus Iesus” provides a lucid explanation of how exactly this works in practice.

Suffice it to say that we cannot hold that “Good hope at least is to be entertained of the eternal salvation of all those who are not at all in the true Church of Christ.” (condemned in the Syllabus of Errors by Blessed Pope Pius IX).

God bless you too!
 
One has to acknowledge that beer is catholic. 😉 One of my favourite beers is brewed in a monastic brewery in Andechs. Wikipedia emphasizes the worlwide export of these nearby perfect beers. Advertising: You should taste it 😉

I said it with a bit of humor. But there is a hidden truth behind. That catholic faith doesn’t mean only an intellectual thing but also love for life (beer, carnival,…). Once, protestants were called “Good Friday Christs” for their grave facial expressions in their daily routine. There is a grain of truth, isn’t it?
 
anon36907098 said:
One has to acknowledge that beer is catholic. 😉 One of my favourite beers is brewed in a monastic brewery in Andechs. Wikipedia emphasizes the worlwide export of these nearby perfect beers. Advertising: You should taste it 😉

I said it with a bit of humor. But there is a hidden truth behind. That catholic faith doesn’t mean only an intellectual thing but also love for life (beer, carnival,…). Once, protestants were called “Good Friday Christs” for their grave facial expressions in their daily routine. There is a grain of truth, isn’t it?
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“Wherever the Catholic sun doth shine,
There’s always laughter and good red wine.
At least I’ve always found it so.
Benedicamus Domino!”
  • Hilaire Belloc 🙂
 
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