If you don’t assent to the truths of the Catholic Church, then how do you know what God has revealed?
Bah…some of the meanest and rudest people I have ever met have been church goers and they justify their behaviour in the name of religion.My point is made - you go to Church, and you don’t sin. The correlation stands.
Yes, and to add to those reasons, spiritual laziness. Many people just don’t want to take the time to honor and worship God but still want to feel good about themselves.
Tell this to the Dalhi Lama. Would he agree with you?
The Dalai Lama, is Buddhist, and does the best with what he has. I understand Buddhists spend a great deal of time in prayer and meditation.
Maybe read as Paul instructed the Bereans to do with their Scripture at the time to see if what they were subsequently being told was true. And as spiritual people do our best to discern God’s Spirit to the best of our understanding. That’s faith.
Except that Christ did not tell us to read the scriptures and do our best to understand them. He started a Church to guide us into the truth so that we would not be left with only our understanding. Paul was uncovering the truth hidden in the Old Testament and inviting the Bereans to verify this truth, revealed to the Church, for themselves.
Yes, this is what Catholics believe.
Jesus did say to “Search the scriptures” (Jn 5:39 Douay-Rheims). And I understand it is your faith understanding after doing so that the Church He founded has always been and remains the Catholic Church. God bless!
See this is the fundamental difference between Catholicism and other Protestant denominations and other religions. Catholics believe that they have the whole truth and that all the other religions are lacking and only have a piece of the truth.
You don’t believe Christ founded one Church? One Truth?
It’s the belief of the Catholic Church, yes.
Serap, I know. It troubles me when I read in CCC 846 and Lumen Gentium, “Hence they could not be saved who, knowing that the Catholic Church was founded as necessary by God through Christ, would refuse either to enter it or to remain in it.” Catholics will tell me the Church is only announcing what the outcome is going to be for such a person and it is the person condemning themselves. Maybe it’s just me. But that is getting a bit too close to judging salvation for me to be entirely comfortable with that idea at the moment. But like you said it can be very complicated and difficult to understand.
It’s extremely complicated. Catholics do not believe that anyone is on the road to perdition, per se, but they believe that the Church was instituted by Christ Himself and that the church evolved (rather imperfectly at times
) through the Holy Spirit.I know Protestants who believe Christ founded one Church. The difference is they define Christ’s Church as His body of believers. And He did say He was the Truth and to believe in Him for eternal life.
Serap, maybe the word escaping you at the moment was the selling of indulgences.It’s extremely complicated. Catholics do not believe that anyone is on the road to perdition, per se, but they believe that the Church was instituted by Christ Himself and that the church evolved (rather imperfectly at times
Protestants believed that Catholics began moving away from Christian values especially when they implemented (can’t remember the name of it) a process where a person could pay money to guarantee a spot in Purgatory. This has since been stopped and for a good reason.
The CC has never been perfect. It is like any large organized body…it can be filled with corruption and evil.
But, if you look at the big picture, the CC has performed very many wonderul acts throughout history. Just look at the work of our late Mother Theresa!!! She is an incredible inspiration to everyone, no matter their religion.
However imperfect the CC may be, it has created many beautiful works in the name of Christ. It really is a beautiful church despite its imperfections.
God bless!
Indeed the Church and Her members have performed much good in history. Protestants and persons of other faiths have as well I know you believe from your posts. But faithful Catholics believe the imperfections within do not apply to teaching and doctrine. Thank you for your kind words. God bless you too.Which One is that CMatt25, the One Protestant Church? Which verse are you referring to?
Maybe you could point out to us these corrupt teachings and doctrines. That is if you believe they exist?
You are deflecting the point I am trying to make. Jesus very clearly founded a Church. Why did He do that? He founded a Church in order to remain with us (in His Eucharistic presence) and to guide His people into all truth through the Holy Spirit, thus spreading the kingdom of God to all the earth. He did not leave people on their own to figure it out for themselves. It isn’t just about me and God. There is something much bigger; the Church, the Body of Christ, of which we are invited to be a part.
Well, you say you are a Catholic. What do you believe?