Are you a Christian or a Catholic

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Could someone explain to me what Catholics believe about Confession?  Coming from a Protestant background, we are always told about how bad it is that Catholics ask a man (Priest) to forgive them instead God.  

I understand that Catholics believe that the Priest is actually a representative of Christ and so its actually Christ that is forgiving you. But I am confused because if you are a Christian and Christ lives within you, then cant you just confess your sins alone?
Thanks for any answers!
 
FanOfU2 said:
Could someone explain to me what Catholics believe about Confession? Coming from a Protestant background, we are always told about how bad it is that Catholics ask a man (Priest) to forgive them instead God.
Code: 
I understand that Catholics believe that the Priest is actually a representative of Christ and so its actually Christ that is forgiving you. But I am confused because if you are a Christian and Christ lives within you, then cant you just confess your sins alone?
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This has been asked (and answered many times here on CAF… but I don’t know if I could tell you how to find it. :confused:

I will attempt to answer this in a way that may help you.

Catholics do NOT ask a ‘man’ to forgive them. They ask for forgiveness, in the presence of a man, who, by apostolic succession, acts on behalf of God. (There are some other words for this, but it’s late at night)

Imagine you have a child, and that child comes home with something you KNOW they didn’t buy. Now, you could take that child back to the store and have him put it on the shelf, and be done with it… but it’s more of an impact to go to Mr. Grocer and SAY, ‘I have taken this’. (Even Adam and Eve and Cain spoke to God and say what they had done… and this was when he was present with them. (Again: late at night posting… work with me) 🙂

If you want to know about the scriptural reference for Confession, try looking at James 6:5 [Maybe James 5:6] 😉

You could confess your sins, on your own, but it’s an extra step to have the Sacrament of Confession. And there really is no better feeling than being absolved of one’s sins! 😃
 
FanOfU2 said:
One more Question!
Code: 
Could someone explain to me what Catholics believe about Confession?  Coming from a Protestant background, we are always told about how bad it is that Catholics ask a man (Priest) to forgive them instead God.  

I understand that Catholics believe that the Priest is actually a representative of Christ and so its actually Christ that is forgiving you. But I am confused because if you are a Christian and Christ lives within you, then cant you just confess your sins alone?
Thanks for any answers!
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Hello Fan.
Jesus said to the Apostles, the leaders of the Church: “whosoever sins you forgive they are forgiven and whosever sins you retained will be retained.” how do you apply this in you congregation? the Pharisees were very mad too because they said that only God could forgive sins when they saw Jesus forgiving sins of man.

Peace.
 
FidesSpesCarita said:
I have heard this question more times than I can stand. It has finally begun to bother me to the point that it is becoming a problem for me. Even “good” Catholics have asked me this.

My question is this: Do you see a dichotomy, or even a break, in whether you are a christian or a Catholic? Also, what would you respond if asked the question “are you a christian first or a Catholic first?” I have gotten this from at least one Catholic and to me there is no difference. That is, to me, akin to asking someone “Are you a man/woman first or a human?”

Just trying to get other thoughts on this.

Pax

FSC
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This depends on the definition of christian. The Catholic Church remains the original believers of Jesus Christ. All catholics are christians starting with the Apostles.
Alternate definition includes all others that believe in Christ.
BE PROUD WHEN CALLED CHRISTIAN. Do not let others hijack the TRUTH.
 
I tell everyone I am Catholic…because in reality, telling someone you are Catholic, is the same as telling them you are a Universal Christian…You are not choosing a “sect” over true Christian belief by identifying yourself as “Catholic” when asked…because by its very nature, saying “Catholic” IS a confirmation that you are Christian…actually a complete and true Christian, because we possess the fullness of the Truth and ALL of the Sacraments…so to make a long story short, I identify myself always as simply “Catholic” because that one word tells many stories about who I am and what I believe
 
FanOfU2 said:
Quote :All Catholics are Christian, but not all Christians are Catholics.

Exactly! This sums up what I think in one sentence.

I also have a question: I wear a necklace with a small crucifix on it. In my particular body of believers, our preacher frowned on this. He says that any cross necklaces should not have Christ on the cross. He thinks the cross should be empty, as a symbol of the resurrection.
When I heard him talk about this I strongly disagreed. Though I do see my preachers point,I believe my necklace portraying Jesus on the cross helps me to dwell on his love as a result of all the suffering he went through.
Last, does anyone here at CAF have any verses or counter-arguments that I could use when my preacher says we shouldnt wear crucifix necklaces? Thanks alot!
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I do. A Cross without Jesus is empty! To me the first time I ever walked in a Protestant Church I knew something was missing. I looked over on the cross and I saw it was Jesus. Jesus was missing. When I see a cross I do not see it empty ever, I see it full. full of the suffering of Jesus. I want to remember how much it is our sins that put him in that cross. When People quit sinning we can take Jesus down from the cross once and for all.
 
FanOfU2 said:
One more Question!
Code: 
Could someone explain to me what Catholics believe about Confession?  Coming from a Protestant background, we are always told about how bad it is that Catholics ask a man (Priest) to forgive them instead God.  

I understand that Catholics believe that the Priest is actually a representative of Christ and so its actually Christ that is forgiving you. But I am confused because if you are a Christian and Christ lives within you, then cant you just confess your sins alone?
Thanks for any answers!
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Fou2 If God didn’t want us to confess our sins why would he give the Priests the power of the Holy Spirit to forgive mans sins? Would that not have made his commands to the Apostles worthless.

Do you believe that Jesus could forgive sins. If so then you must accept that priests can. Because Jesus said all that my Father has given me I now give to you.

Jesus became Man.
 
**Are you a Christian or a Catholic… **
Someone in another thread once posted someting along the lines of - I’m Christian are you Protestant.

But as noted Catholics are Christians - the original

If I were ever asked I would probably reply either why do you ask or what is the difference - for the second I would then correct their errors

Confessing to a Priest
Jesus said to the apostles (and their successors) John 20:23 Whose sins you shall forgive, they are forgiven them: and whose sins you shall retain, they are retained.

Crucifix
1 Cor 1:23 But we preach Christ crucified: unto the Jews indeed a stumblingblock, and unto the Gentiles foolishness

Gal 3:1 O senseless Galatians, who hath bewitched you that you should not obey the truth: before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been set forth, crucified among you?

note: the Galatians would not have seen the actual crucifixion so they would have seen an image of one
 
FanOfU2 said:
One more Question!
Code: 
Could someone explain to me what Catholics believe about Confession?  Coming from a Protestant background, we are always told about how bad it is that Catholics ask a man (Priest) to forgive them instead God.  

I understand that Catholics believe that the Priest is actually a representative of Christ and so its actually Christ that is forgiving you. But I am confused because if you are a Christian and Christ lives within you, then cant you just confess your sins alone?
Thanks for any answers!
Click to expand...
John 20:19-23 “As the Father has sent me, so I send you. And when he said this he breathed on them, and said to them .“Receive the Holy Spirit, if you forgive sins of any, they are forgiven, if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.” The authority was handed down from Jesus to Peter. Peter passed this on thru Apostolic Succession.
" I will give you the kingdom of Heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in Heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in Heaven.” MT. 16
Read what St. Peter has to say regarding false teachers. 2 St. Peter:16 “As also in his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are hard to be understood, which the unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, to their own destruction.” Catholics follow Jesus instruction. This is the prescribed plan of forgiveness of sin. I am happy to pass this on.
 
Also see the Epistle of Saint James 5:14-16:

Is any man sick among you? Let him bring in the priests of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord.
And the prayer of faith shall save the sick man: and the Lord shall raise him up: and if he be in sins, they shall be forgiven him.
Confess therefore your sins one to another: and pray one for another, that you may be saved. For the continual prayer of a just man availeth much.

Read closely, verse 14 makes reference to the Priests bringing the Sacrament of Extreme Unction, verse 16 then instructs a confession of sins. Apostolic tradition understood this to mean confessing to the priest performing the anointing, which is why to this day the Sacrament of Confession should be given before the Sacrament of Extreme Unction.
 
DorianGregorian said:
Also see the Epistle of Saint James 5:14-16:

Is any man sick among you? Let him bring in the priests of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord.
And the prayer of faith shall save the sick man: and the Lord shall raise him up: and if he be in sins, they shall be forgiven him.
Confess therefore your sins one to another: and pray one for another, that you may be saved. For the continual prayer of a just man availeth much.

Read closely, verse 14 makes reference to the Priests bringing the Sacrament of Extreme Unction, verse 16 then instructs a confession of sins. Apostolic tradition understood this to mean confessing to the priest performing the anointing, which is why to this day the Sacrament of Confession should be given before the Sacrament of Extreme Unction.
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Verse 16; Confess your sins one to another. That is, to the priest of the church, whom (verse 14 ) he had ordered to be called for, and brought in to the sick; moreover, to confess to persons who had no power to forgive sins would be useless. Hence the precept here means, that we must confess to men whom God has appointed, and who, by their ordination and justification, have received the power of remitting sins in his name."
Good reference point!
 
FidesSpesCarita said:
I have heard this question more times than I can stand. It has finally begun to bother me to the point that it is becoming a problem for me. Even “good” Catholics have asked me this.

My question is this: Do you see a dichotomy, or even a break, in whether you are a christian or a Catholic?
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Absolutely not. They are one and the same.

The problem is that beginning a decade or so ago, Evangelical Fundamentalists and Pentacostals began a campaign of co-opting the word, Christian, to refer to themselves and their institutions only. All other Churches, whatever else they were, were something other than Christian. That was and is an evangelism tool.

Frankly, whenever one of those guys try that, I do not let them get away with it and correct them on the spot, and if everyone else did, IMHO, that would eventually stop it.

Blessings,
Irl
 
Now my question is this. What is a Christian, It is a person who confesses that Jesus Christ as their Savior.

What is a Catholic. A person who confess that Jesus Christ is their Savior.

What is the difference?

And in the time of Christ was not all people who followed Christ considered Catholics? Did they not follow the Catholic Church and were they not callled Christians. Is not to be a Christian to be Christ like!
 
I am a Christian! I am a Catholic! I am a follower of the way!

I am a disciple of Jesus of Nazareth!

in Acts even one sees…his followers being called…disciples…and of the Way …and then in Antioch for the first time …Christians…and we find the first written evidence of the use of the term Catholic then also from Antioch (though it seems it existed earlier and we do not know from where…)
 
I think the question should be: “Do you believe in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ?” This question could be asked of anyone in any religion because baptism does not give a person faith. I know many Catholics very well and I know they are not all Christians (believers in Jesus Christ) therefore they are Catholic and not Christian. This could also be said of many Protestants. They belong to a religion but have no faith. Faith is a gift from God and no man can give a person faith. So I think the question: “Are you a Christian?” could also be asked of non-Catholic Christians particularly those in the New Age Movement.
 
IAGladfelter said:
Absolutely not. They are one and the same.

The problem is that beginning a decade or so ago, Evangelical Fundamentalists and Pentacostals began a campaign of co-opting the word, Christian, to refer to themselves and their institutions only. All other Churches, whatever else they were, were something other than Christian. That was and is an evangelism tool.

Frankly, whenever one of those guys try that, I do not let them get away with it and correct them on the spot, and if everyone else did, IMHO, that would eventually stop it.

Blessings,
Irl
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This is very interesting. Do you have any more information on how this idea of co-opting the word Christian started? I hear it all the time, people who say they’re Christian, and when I ask what denomination, they say “just Christian,” or “Bible believing Christian,” as if there had never been any other kind. I always though there must have been some kind of movement behind this but I could never put my finger on where it came from.
 
PadraigPearce said:
This is very interesting. Do you have any more information on how this idea of co-opting the word Christian started? I hear it all the time, people who say they’re Christian, and when I ask what denomination, they say “just Christian,” or “Bible believing Christian,” as if there had never been any other kind. I always though there must have been some kind of movement behind this but I could never put my finger on where it came from.
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There is such a thing as non-bible believing Christians. Those are Christians of all denominations who are Christian in name only. Even Jews, Muslims, Hindus etc. have name only members. A non bible believing Christian makes his own righteousness and his own plan of salvation.
 
As one who was raised Protestant and “born again” at an early age, I can say that for the first nearly sixty years of my life, I sincerely thought that Catholics were not Christians. Why? Because I was ignorant (not stupid), simply uninformed. To me the term Catholic Christian was an oxymoron if there ever was one. Then, praise God, through a series of unforeseen events, I was drawn to the Catholic faith and decided to “give it a chance” by attending RCIA. Boy, why didn’t I learn all this great stuff fifty years ago? At Easter 2005 I came into the Catholic community and have loved every minute of it since. So now when someone asks about being Christian, I simply respond, “Yes, indeed, a devout evangelical, charismatic, Catholic Christian.” Christian, therefore, is the noun, and the adjectives are Catholic and all the various and sundry Protestant denominations. We all worship and praise God in different ways, and give glory, honor and praise to Christ for the gift of salvation, but one thing for sure can be said of us Catholics and that is, “We have the Eucharist.” Is there anything better that that?
 
FanOfU2 said:
Quote :All Catholics are Christian, but not all Christians are Catholics.

I also have a question: I wear a necklace with a small crucifix on it. In my particular body of believers, our preacher frowned on this. He says that any cross necklaces should not have Christ on the cross. He thinks the cross should be empty, as a symbol of the resurrection.
When I heard him talk about this I strongly disagreed. Though I do see my preachers point,I believe my necklace portraying Jesus on the cross helps me to dwell on his love as a result of all the suffering he went through.
Last, does anyone here at CAF have any verses or counter-arguments that I could use when my preacher says we shouldnt wear crucifix necklaces? Thanks alot!
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Without the crucifix there would be no cross. Maybe your preacher doesn’t understand the love that the crucifix demonstrates.

Check out this article:

catholic.com/thisrock/2000/0010fea4.asp
 
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