Lol… While not explicitely anti-Catholic, this was written by an Anglican cleric… from outside of the Catholic Church. It isn’t logical to learn about medicine in business school… Why should I learn about Catholicism (and Catholic dicipline) from an Anglican?
And wildly inaccurate.
I’m sorry. I did not know that you dismiss outside reading. I thought it was an interesting history and thought I would share.
Rather than making a general statement; it might be more beneficial to everyone if you were to give a couple of examples of where it was true and where it was inaccurate so we can learn and have a better understanding.And wildly inaccurate.
Let’s stick to what it says in the Catechism; I think we’ll all be better off.
Yuppers, I was making a word play.
And would protestants beleive someone praying near a grave stone is worshiping a tree? Do they pray in front of barren crosses? is so are they worshiping those crosses?
But it is the anti Catholic sentiment that is motivating the leaders of these other religions to fill them with this ignorance.
I have never heard a Catholic leader or ordained individual say that my giveing them or anyone else money would help me “get to heaven” (much less get miracles) other than general coments that we should help those in need. On the other hand I have heard many para Christians making that claim. In fact on the radio on the way home (when the Catholic station is out of range) I occassionally listen to the “non denominational” radio station They frequently have an add with some fly by night preacher offering wealth if they send him $3000.
If they do not understand it as the truth then they do not believe.
Sure. One of the biggest ones was 2Timothy 3:16. This was pounded into me as THE proof text for why only the bible is our authority rather than the Church or the Pope.
I have a friend who is a recent convert to Catholicism who inspired me to become more involved with my faith. He is very intellegent and will research stuff to the enth degree. He converted to Catholicism because in his pursuit of his previous bible only spin off religion he discovered that the Church is the true Church set up by God which follows teaching as documented in the Bible where as his research showed his former religion was not truly in line with biblical teachings. I have heard several others on Catholic Radio with the same story.
It is not dismissing the reading because it is outside, it is dismissing the reading because it is not an authoritative or quality source. There are good resources written outside of the official church publications. This was not one of them.
Yes, it was an interesting history, but full of errors – at least as far as it represented the Catholic faith. That’s the whole point of this thread: if you get your knowledge of what Catholics believe from non-Catholics, you can end up with some pretty far-fetched ideas.
Haha, think of a chemistry teacher who lets the students into the laboratory and tells them: “This handbook of laboratory practice is all you ever need. Good luck, kids, don’t blow yourselves up. I’m going out to have a coffee, just call me when you finished doing those experiments, so that I may come and close the door after you leave.”
Yes, kind of scary and saddening… I know what you mean, I was in a slightly similar situation. I saw that Protestants have done away with the Eucharist, and that seemed like a mistake to me. However, their criticisms and misconceptions about the Pope have somehow gotten under my skin, and unfortunately I wasn’t smart enough to read up and find out the truth. Then, when I met an Eastern Orthodox woman belonging to a Church (a Russian Orthodox Church called ROCOR) that preserved priesthood and the Eucharist, but rejected the Pope (based on misconceptions similar to that of the Protestants), that was almost like the perfect storm for me. I almost left the Catholic Church and became EO! And the one thing that saved me from making that mistake, even before I had a chance to learn enough apologetics, Early Church Fathers and Church history, was the very hostile attitude of this particular EO Church towards the Catholic Church. They ridiculed our saints (St. Francis of Assisi, St. Theresa of Avila, St. Therese of Lisieux), the apparitions of Our Lady to members of the Catholic Church (i.e. Lourdes 1858, Fatima 1917), the Eucharist within the Catholic Church, etc. They were so hostile and sarcastic, they even passed a blanket judgment on all Catholic Saints, saying they were all victims of pride, self-aggrandization, and hallucinations, when they claimed that they had apparitions of Jesus Christ, Mary, Angels, etc. And, “obviously”, St. Francis’ stigmata were due to self-suggestion (although stigmatist Padre Pio told to a skeptic to go home and concentrate very hard and imagine that he is an oxen, and let him see whether he will grow horns
). Well, my worst experiences are related to an EO Church, but what led me to them had a lot to do with constant criticisms and false assumptions from the part of Lutheran, Presbyterian, Baptist, Fundamentalist Christian friends, and my unfortunate mistake of believing those criticisms too easily.Thanks for answering the question and providing a good example as to what you were speaking of.Sure. One of the biggest ones was 2Timothy 3:16. This was pounded into me as THE proof text for why only the bible is our authority rather than the Church or the Pope.
What I finally realized was that it only says Scripture is “useful” or “profitable.” It never says it is “sufficient” by itself. In fact, a careful reading of the whole chapter reveals that Paul also wants Timothy to use “tradition” or the oral teachings in addition to Scripture. This is the Catholic way. The Catholic Church taught by oral tradition. Then the Catholic Church wrote the New Testament Scriptures. Then it was the Catholic Church that decided what writings constitute the Bible Canon of Scripture. The reason we have any Bible at all is because the Catholic Church protected it, assembled it, and gave her authority to it (not the other way around).
There is nowhere in the Bible where Scripture claims authority for itself and says, “All the truth you need is in this book.” Yet this is a bedrock foundation of Protestantism, and especially Fundamentalism. Once I realized this important reality, many other things about Scripture and the Catholic faith began to fall into perspectve for me. Like, yep, Peter really was the first Pope, and Christ really did use him to found His Church. The authority Christ gave to the Church resulted in the Bible we have today. But the Scriptures are just one part of what was inspired by the Holy Spirit and handed down to us. The Scriptures by themselves are not the complete package. They are a part of a greater package of truth which the Catholic Church has preserved for 2000 years by the power of the Holy Spirit.
See how much difference one verse can make?
I like that analogy.Haha, think of a chemistry teacher who lets the students into the laboratory and tells them: “This handbook of laboratory practice is all you ever need. Good luck, kids, don’t blow yourselves up. I’m going out to have a coffee, just call me when you finished doing those experiments, so that I may come and close the door after you leave.”
This Sola Scriptura approach, without the supervision and teaching authority of the Church, seems pretty much like the above teacher to me. And those kids would pretty soon set the laboratory on fire, or blow themselves up, or something. Not a very smart approach.
What are some of the errors that were in this. A couple of people including yourself, have said that it is full of errors, but that is a very general statement and no one has mentioned any details.
Do you know what Sola Scriptura is and what it is not?I like that analogy.
It is also interesting to me that there is almost always someone in these “Bible-only” churches that will set themself up as the teaching “authority,” and then say that Scripture is the only authority. In other words, sure, the Bible is the authority, but you have to believe it and interpret it MY way. This is another thing that brought me back to the CC. Too many “little popes” running around in Protestantism all disputing each other, and then trying to claim that they agree on the essentials after all. No Magesterium to keep them in line. (The laboratory is on fire)
All of these self appointed freelance “authorities” are dangerous and tend to lead themselves into trouble. You can ask the members of these splinter religions how their leaders have any more authority than David Koresh? (Not to go back to the burning down the lab analogy.)I like that analogy.
It is also interesting to me that there is almost always someone in these “Bible-only” churches that will set themself up as the teaching “authority,” and then say that Scripture is the only authority. In other words, sure, the Bible is the authority, but you have to believe it and interpret it MY way. This is another thing that brought me back to the CC. Too many “little popes” running around in Protestantism all disputing each other, and then trying to claim that they agree on the essentials after all. No Magesterium to keep them in line. (The laboratory is on fire)
Depends on which “authority” one appeals to for the answer to that question.