Are we liking other religions too much?

[Bezant]

I’m actually dumbfounded by the openness to other faiths that I see in this thread. Why be Catholic?

I haven’t noticed other posts that specifically say Catholicism is “the same” as other faiths, nor is that my opinion.

My short answers is, this is where I belong and am ordained to be.

 

[Samuel63]

Look up the heresy called Syncretism. This is what a few poorly catechized people inside the catholic church have promoted. I lump it in with the modernist heresy.

These are reasons some people inside the catholic church are open to other faiths. They want desperately to shout, “why can’t we all just get along!” They are filled with pride and instead of growing in holiness over time they decide on their own how to advance the faith. In this case, it is more like merging the faiths.

Pride is a terrible addiction.

 

[Bezant]

I agree. Our faith is definitely not the same as protestant and muslim. The protestant faith is a successful establishment of a heresy.

What do you mean by heresy, and is that different from schism?

The muslim faith is well, without miracles and witnesses.

There are several supernatural events in the Quran, with witnesses.

Not that I think a faith is legitimate because of miracles.

This is one of the many faiths in the world that was created by a single person based on private revelation (no witnesses).

Not true. Christ largely kept his revelation between himself and the apostles, and even then, he gave it out in peicemeal and parables. If you weren’t in the Last Supper chamber c. 33 CE., you would have no idea what the Eucharist was.

Some of Muhammed’s revelations came about ad hoc, in response to a community concern.

The difference between those who witnesses Muhammed’s revelation and Christ’s is acceptance of authority. I trust that the Holy Apostles were not twisting my leg when they said “Christ taught thus.”

There are no miracles associated with this faith either (no stamp of God’s approval)

There are no “real” miracles associated with Islam only as you accept it, though I don’t recognise a faith because it has miracles.

I am grateful to be in a faith, by the grace of God, that has public revelation and miracles in every age. What a tremendous joy!

I have to come back down to earth share some personal points related to liberal version of the catholic faith. My home parish is quite liberal. I am trying to correct a lot of errors there. It takes time, patience, learning the faith, and experience in battling the parish establishment. I agree with you, a liberal catholicism is not the answer.

When it comes to absolute truth, there is only one version. You cannot be liberal or growing liberal. This is the effect of the Modernist Heresy in our church today. It will pass over time.
Hold fast to the one true faith!

Incidentally, some of the things I’ve read from some Traditional Catholics has, by the sound of it, put them closer to schism from the Church than me. You can’t fight CCC 841.

 

[Bezant]

It irks me, actually, the amount attention on this site in general given to Islam, and why Muhammed just has to be wrong, why Islam just can’t be The True Faith…

Who cares. Islam is outside of the system we accepted as The True Faith. I don’t care if Muhammed was mad or misguided, it doesn’t matter if Gabriel actually visited him, it doesn’t matter if he healed more lepers than Christ Himself… Islamic preconceptions cannot be reconciled with the Christian ones laid six centuries earlier… By default, Muhammed and everything he taught is a non-entity.

 

[Samuel63]

We give attention to these points because we are in a spiritual battle - right now.

Any opportunity to promote the Truth is worth the time and effort.

One of the most common misconceptions today, aside from protestantism, is Islam. These two heresies are worth fighting against any day.

Souls are saved through these efforts, and eternity is a very long time.

 

[TrueLight]

It irks me, actually, the amount attention on this site in general given to Islam, and why Muhammed just has to be wrong, why Islam just can’t be The True Faith…

Who cares. Islam is outside of the system we accepted as The True Faith. I don’t care if Muhammed was mad or misguided, it doesn’t matter if Gabriel actually visited him, it doesn’t matter if he healed more lepers than Christ Himself… Islamic preconceptions cannot be reconciled with the Christian ones laid six centuries earlier… By default, Muhammed and everything he taught is a non-entity.

My protests are mostly against treating Islam as valid. Yes, they are people of the Book and some of them are very holy, but it’s not the same religion at all.

 

[Samuel63]

True light - Amen!

 

[wisdomseeker]

Look up the heresy called Syncretism. This is what a few poorly catechized people inside the catholic church have promoted. I lump it in with the modernist heresy.

These are reasons some people inside the catholic church are open to other faiths. They want desperately to shout, “why can’t we all just get along!” They are filled with pride and instead of growing in holiness over time they decide on their own how to advance the faith. In this case, it is more like merging the faiths.

Pride is a terrible addiction.

Yes this is a result of ecumenism today. At Mass this Sunday, the priest told Catholics to get protestant Bibles, that they didnt have to get a Catholic Bible. I wanted to walk out but decided to be calm and pray.

 

[Stylites]

Yes this is a result of ecumenism today. At Mass this Sunday, the priest told Catholics to get protestant Bibles, that they didnt have to get a Catholic Bible. I wanted to walk out but decided to be calm and pray.

Let me fill in the blanks: His homily was an exhortation to Catholics to read Holy Scripture, and he said if even you were to only find a Gideon’s or KJV Bible then use that as it would be better than nothing.

 

[Stylites]

We give attention to these points because we are in a spiritual battle - right now.

Any opportunity to promote the Truth is worth the time and effort.

One of the most common misconceptions today, aside from protestantism, is Islam. These two heresies are worth fighting against any day.

Souls are saved through these efforts, and eternity is a very long time.

Promote the truth by being the truth.

 

[wisdomseeker]

Let me fill in the blanks: His homily was an exhortation to Catholics to read Holy Scripture, and he said if even you were to only find a Gideon’s or KJV Bible then use that as it would be better than nothing.

Nope. you have assumed wrong. yes, he did promote reading but what he said is what I said before. we dont have to get a Catholic bible. that is wrong.

 

[Stylites]

yes, he did promote reading but what he said is what I said before. we dont have to get a Catholic bible. that is wrong.

Would it have been wiser, O wisdomseeker, to talk with your priest in private if he had said something wrong?

 

[ProVobis]

It seems to me the RCC is too accepting of non-Christian religions. While we are to love them and offer them Christ, as I am sure you agree with, we should do our best to convert them.

So is the goal to convert them to Christianity, no matter which denomination? Just asking.(I have a godchild who will probably never step inside a Catholic Church, if you see where I’m coming from.)

 

[wisdomseeker]

Would it have been wiser, O wisdomseeker, to talk with your priest in private if he had said something wrong?

Not always. some priests would get mad if you did. I have experiences on this.

 

[wisdomseeker]

So is the goal to convert them to Christianity, no matter which denomination? Just asking.(I have a godchild who will probably never step inside a Catholic Church, if you see where I’m coming from.)

Just an example.

Ezekiel 3:20-21, “If righteous people turn from living the right way and do wrong, I will make them stumble, and they will die. If you don’t warn them, they will die because of their sin, and the right things they did will not be remembered. I will hold you responsible for their deaths. But if you warn righteous people not to sin, and they don’t sin, they will certainly live because they listened to the warning. You will save yourself.”

 

[t68ware]

So is the goal to convert them to Christianity, no matter which denomination? Just asking.(I have a godchild who will probably never step inside a Catholic Church, if you see where I’m coming from.)

I believe one of the goals of Christianity is to bring people to Christ, those outside of Christianity. Those of the Protestant faith, who have been baptised in the Name of the Triune God are already Christian, so they dont need to be converted, unless you wish to convert them to the RCC. While the RCC has the fullness of Truth, I have been taught that our seperated brethern are as much Christian as we Catholics are. I am sure many will disagree with that statement, but it is what my priest(s) have told me.

 

[Stylites]

Not always. some priests would get mad if you did. I have experiences on this.

Thanks. Being an amateur Catholic, I’m just trying to understand how a Christian goes about correcting another according to the Gospel. Somehow I don’t remember yelling from the rooftops being one of the early or final methods.

 

[wisdomseeker]

Thanks. Being an amateur Catholic, I’m just trying to understand how a Christian goes about correcting another according to the Gospel. Somehow I don’t remember yelling from the rooftops being one of the early or final methods.

We are the people, it is not our place to correct our leaders. hte leaders call each on this.
I can see how your protestant learnings is still in your mind.

 

[Bluegoat]

Nope. you have assumed wrong. yes, he did promote reading but what he said is what I said before. we dont have to get a Catholic bible. that is wrong.

Seriously? You just said that he said it was ok to read a KJV etc if one did not have access to a Catholic edition. I don’t know any Catholic priest that would disagree. They are not actually terrible different, especially as far as the NT goes.

 

[Contarini]

I am becoming increasingly aware of the Catholic Churches acceptance of the other world religions, esp Islam, since it is considered one of the great monothestic religions. My book Catholism for Dummies speaks of the commonality we share, and I have noticed how the Church will not call Muslims or Jews unbelievers, but will focus on their belief in God, even though the Muslim belief in God is very different than ours. When I was Protestant, you either followed Christ or you didnt…no middle ground, but it seems the Catholic Church will not make such distinctions. Christ is the only way, not just believing in God or having the same ancestor, ie Abraham. Both Jews and Muslims deny Christ as the Lord…how can we cozy up with them? Is anybody else finding this unsettling?

Why is liking the point?

The point is truth.

We should recognize truth and reject error, wherever we find it.

The fundamental point at issue is whether you reject other religions (and other Christian churches) altogether because they contain some error.

Growing up in a conservative Protestant context, I was told “Satan mixes some truth with his lies to make them more believable.” I no longer believe that Satan has the power to do this.

Here’s the main reason you shouldn’t accept this point of view (rejecting “partial truth” as no better than error):

Do you think that the Protestantism in which you grew up was wholly evil? Do you think that the truth and goodness found there was just a Satanic deception?

If you don’t, then you are obliged by the Golden Rule to be similarly generous toward the truth and goodness which is apparently to be found in traditions to which you do not have the same personal attachment.

Edwin